Pilotdrift

Hometown: Texarkana, Texas
Members [L-R]: Eric Russell (guitar); Kelly Carr (vocals, piano/keyboards, acoustic guitar); John David Blagg (guitar); Ben Rice (drums); Jay Budzilowski (bass)
Fun fact: According to lead singer Kelly Carr, before settling on the name Pilotdrift, the group considered Elephant Island (now the name of one of the songs on their debut release Water Sphere) and Birds with Briefcases as possibilities.
Why they’re worth watching: The members of Pilotdrift were discovered by Tim DeLaughter and are among the first signees to the Polyphonic Spree frontman’s Good Records.
For fans of: Muse, Tom Waits, Tim Burton’s maestro Danny Elfman

Of all the things Texarkana, Texas, is known for, being a musical hotbed isn’t one of them. So it seems strange that Pilotdrift, an altogether original and genre-defying group of guys in their early 20s, should come out of this state-line town of roughly 61,000.

“We’ve all been musicians starting from, like, middle school,” says Carr, “and we just said, ‘Hey, let’s put a band together.’ It was really just a hobby.”

The quintet’s break came when Pilotdrift placed its self-released demo, Iter Facere, on the shelves at Dallas’ Good Records to be sold on consignment. Tim DeLaughter and Julie Doyle—the owners of Good Records and members of The Polyphonic Spree—had just started a label and were intrigued by the band’s sound. “We had an in-store at Good Records,” says Carr, “and Tim walked in in the middle of our set. We talked afterwards, and he genuinely just became a fan right then.” DeLaughter soon signed the ensemble and along came their official full-length debut, Water Sphere.

Like the Spree, Pilotdrift’s songs are epic with intricate multi-instrumental arrangements often running five minutes or more (“Jekyll and Hyde Suite” clocks in at 9:46). From the first piano notes of opener “Caught in My Trap,” the genre-hopping album spirals and swirls through every range of emotion and lyrical subject matter. “Writing a song comes from different thoughts about life experiences—good, happy, sad, funny,” says Carr. “And [Water Sphere] kind of covers it all. It’s just a big ol’ buffet. Whatever you want.”