Canadian alternative rock trio, Autopilot, has finally released their long-awaited title track for their latest album, 'Afterglow'. Hailing from Saskatchewan, Canada, Autopilot has been called “quite possibly one of the hardest working bands in the country” by Canadian Musician Magazine. Autopilot has been charted with Earshot’s Top 50, Top 200 for the North American College Charts, as well as heavy rotation on specialty radio stations like The Verge, Sirius XM’s Iceberg Radio, NY’s CMJ, and CBC. With four full-length albums, it’s clear that Autopilot works diligently to bring their music to new listeners.
The track “Afterglow” begins with rhythmical electric guitar and bright vocals from frontman Marlon Harder. Autopilot is being supported in their efforts by complex and upbeat drum patterns from Jose Antonio, and an amplifying bass melody from Jordan Kurtz. With sonic similarities to the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam, Autopilot brings a modern sound to alternative rock. Airy background synths are incorporated into the chorus to support Autopilot’s incredible imagery, with lyrics like “Staring at the sky, counting fireflies, I’ll be standing right by your side”. Autopilot is constantly growing their sound, and we are excited to see what they produce next.
Listen to "Afterglow" here.
Hey Autopilot! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We’re incredibly excited to feature your latest hit “Afterglow”!
Could you share with us where you drew inspiration for the track? We, alongside producer SJ Kardash, did some demos in the dead of winter. It was cold, always snowing, and the furnace could barely keep up. Lyrically, it reflects some memories of moving through darker times and living in the Afterglow of the love you give and take.
You guys have a very established alt-rock sound, who were some of your greatest musical influences for Autopilot’s sound?
We definitely have to mention the Strokes first. Cage the Elephant and War on Drugs are another two bands that we really admire. Modest Mouse and Smashing Pumpkins are some of the bands we grew up listening to a lot. We love music with a great hook no matter the genre. We’ve also had the new Tame Impala record on repeat.
“Afterglow” contains beautiful lyrical messages, what’s the songwriting process like for you three as a band?
We usually do a rough demo cut of a new song idea with our producer SJ Kardash, then sort through and reinforce what makes us enjoy the tune. Usually lyrics arent 100% finalized until all the instrumentals are tracked, leaving us room to nail phrasing and themes. It was one of our favorite and effortful collaborations with SJ.
Any upcoming shows you guys are looking forward to?
We just finished up a United States tour based around Millennium Music Festival in Harrisburg, PA. Some of our best friends in the industry are down there, so it was an absolute blast. We hit up a lot of great cities afterward and met some new friends, and are finishing it all off with a Juno Week showcase in our hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
What can we expect to see from Autopilot throughout 2020?
We‘re going to be doing a lot of writing and recording this year, but will definitely be touring down through the States and Canada again as well, maybe sneaking in a few unreleased songs. The last couple times we’ve headed east, so hoping to head west next time. We have a few cool festival opportunities but can’t quite jump the gun and announce anything yet. And dare we say there’s a new release planned for the fall.