Silversun Pickups, opening for Muse
Where: Patriot Center, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax
When: 8 p.m. Monday
Info: $55; ticketmaster.com
Credit the deep Los Angeles roots of the band Silversun Pickups for the casual attitude Brian Aubert had after attending the recent Grammy Awards.
Aubert, lead singer of Silversun Pickups, and his bandmates were nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy, but ultimately lost to the Zac Brown Band.
“We knew there was no way that would happen,” said Aubert of the band’s chances of winning before he spoke about the event itself. “The first hour there you’re walking along the red carpet and publicists are yelling at you. Once you get into the Staples Center, it’s like attending the biggest prom in the world. Everybody is dressed to the nines, but they’re walking around eating hot dogs. It’s like a sporting event with a very high dress code.”
With such humorous descriptions of the music industry’s main awards bash, it’s easy to see why Silversun Pickups has gained such a loyal following especially since the 2009 release of its last album “Swoon.”
The band’s true road warrior status has paid off as “Swoon” gained critical and popular acclaim. Unlike some other bands, the members of Silversun Pickups welcome the heavy tour schedule.
“We have always loved touring,” Aubert said. “We were birthed as a live band in L.A. before we ever started recording.”
Once recording became a major part of the band’s life, Aubert and his bandmates began to develop strategies to keep its music fresh. Fortunately, the two separate sections of music — touring and recording — can feed off each other.
“There’s a massive duality to what we do,” Aubert said. “In one part you are introspective and creative … and then you run out of team … and go out and play live. It’s like being part of a well-oiled machine.”
While the pace can become wearing, Aubert said he and his bandmates find the dual duties and the minutiae of the business exhilarating.
“It still feels so new; we are still having a love affair with it,” Aubert said. “It’s just one of those things to take a while to get down.”
That means that the band will concentrate on tours for the rest of the year before they turn back to writing.
“We don’t write when we’re on tour. On the road, as exciting as it is, that’s not an inspiration for us. Anything we would write [while on tour] wouldn’t be close to “Swoon,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens later on, what our next record will be.”
