(Editor’s Note — The eagerly anticipated debut of Pilot-Field is finally here, with a new 4-song demo. It’s both a resurrection and a rebrand for the band, which debuted live June 19 at Timeless Babez. Recently, 1120 Press spoke with Pilot-Field’s Dan McCormick about all that's going on. We very much appreciate his time. — Photo by John Vaughan. — Pilot-Field is Dan McCormick - vocals, guitar/ Tom Brennan - bass, vocals/ Darren McCormick - guitar, vocals/ and Rob Brennan – drums.)
1120 Press: Thank you so much for taking time to speak with us. As a matter of introduction, let’s begin with the formation of the band: how and when did you guys get together?
DAN McCORMICK: A couple of years ago, the four of us had a band named Calloused and released an EP called “G.O.S.P.” We all got very busy and preoccupied shortly after releasing it, and only played a couple shows. This is sort of a rebrand of a similar idea.
However, as you may be able to guess, me and Darren are brothers, as are Rob and Tom. I also went to Fredonia with Rob and Tom and lived with them. We were all very close prior to being a band, and I think that is a super cool dynamic to have. Genuine songs coming from a place of genuine friendship.
1120: There’s been a bit of buzz surrounding the band. Have you guys been able to sense that from your end, and if so, what’s your reaction to it?
DM: It’s always cool when your friends get behind your creative projects, and we’re very
grateful for this being the case with our demo. I’ve been playing in bands for over 10 years now, and it’s really cool that friends I’ve made throughout that time are still showing love. Shoutout to anyone that has listened to it.
1120: Speaking of the debut demo, which you guys just recently released and is now available on the streams, it includes four songs and was recorded at GCR Audio. With your music now out there and your first live show at Timeless Babez, how do you feel about where the band’s at, and how everything is going so far?
DM: We’re feeling really good. I've been writing songs for a new band for quite some time now, but after deciding this is what I wanted to do, putting everything together and getting it off the ground happened very quickly. And that's the kind of vibe I want for this band. Our whole objective is to write and perform fun music. We want everyone listening and watching to have a good time. We're not taking ourselves too seriously, and I think that's ultimately what we wanna be all about.
1120: You guys debuted live with gas station., as well as two bands from California (Sweet Gloom & Startle), and Ashford from Buffalo. gas station. that night was also playing its first show and recorded their debut EP at GCR as well. What’s the relationship between the two bands? And do you know Ashford?
DM: Joe, John (of gas station.) and myself also play in Spaced. The three of us have been playing in bands for many years now. Rob, our drummer, also plays drums in gas station. We’ve all become really good friends with Jay Zubricky at GCR over the years, and record with him fairly regularly.
We’ve all also known Ashford for quite some time just from being in bands. Buffalo is small, and our world of bands is even smaller. It’s hard not to become familiar with most people involved.
I became friends with Jaake (Margo) from Sweet Gloom while I was on tour with Super American. He was slinging merch for another band, and we hit it off instantly with our love for punk music (I think I was wearing an Adolescents shirt Day One which sparked a conversation). He hit me up a few months ago about booking a Buffalo show for Sweet Gloom, so that motivated me to kick Pilot-Field into gear and release music and book the show for them. Sweet Gloom is a very cool band, and Jaake rocks.
1120: Can you talk about how you settled on the name Pilot-Field? It’s a cool nod to the city's past.
DM: I’ve actually been wanting to start a band called Pilot-Field for years now. I first discovered the name when I was really young watching the music video for “There You Are” by the Goo Goo Dolls, which was filmed at the ballpark when it was still called “Pilot Field.” My uncle, George Tutuska, was the drummer for that band for the first 10 years or so of its existence and I’ve always had a special connection with that song/video in particular. I’ve also been a huge baseball fan for most of my life, and just in general have a lot of love for Buffalo. The name checks a lot of boxes for me.
1120: You guys have had a lot on your plate: getting the band off the ground, spreading the word, recording and releasing your music and getting ready for your first show. Where do you go from here; what’s next?
DM: I have a busy summer ahead with my other band Spaced, which is why I really wanted to make sure we had this demo released and played our first show before all of that. I’m planning on doing more shows with Pilot-Field late summer/fall, as well as tracking some more songs around then.
1120: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Is there anything you want to add that we haven’t touched on?
DM: Thank you for hitting us up! I just want to say this band is intended to be fun, and is for everyone. Even Ron Hill.