Pete Edmonds is the one man behind the band Silver Aeroplane, which is known for creating a unique blend of alternative rock with a big psychedelic vibe. Taking inspiration from The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Queen, Radiohead, The Verve and the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Edmonds always keeps the grove in mind despite the different styles of music he creates. Although the band is mostly a solo project, the Silver Aeroplane objective is to create a full-band sound.
“I think it inspires the imagination more for the listener to project the image of being a multi-person band,” said Edmonds, citing Tame Impala as a great example for this.
The Wellington, New Zealand-native does occasionally pull friends together to perform live, although he admits things get done a lot faster in the studio without the reliance on too many people for songs to be written and recorded.
On average, it takes Edmonds between 8-20 hours to write a song when working in 1-3 hour periods. He said he finds a song will suffer if he spends too much time on it in one sitting.
“Most times I come back to work on a song and it has a different vibe or feeling than the previous recording session, and I will have fresh ideas about where to take the song,” said Edmonds.
He is currently working on the sixth Silver Aeroplane album, with the intention of having 10 tracks on it. As soon as a track is completed, it will be released on Soundcloud. When the full album is complete, it will get uploaded to the royalty free music site Jamendo.com to join all the other Silver Aeroplane albums that are already there. All the albums are available to download for free.
“I have about 560 album downloads to date,” said Edmonds. “The dream is to be able to make a living from music. I don’t care about becoming rich or famous. I’m happy to give my music away for free just so it is heard and appreciated. From the research I have done, it’s in the artist’s interest to give their music away for free if they want to be discovered and increase their fan base.”
Silver Aeroplane released a new song recently, titled “Fight Them with Love,” which Edmonds said is about the job interview process.
https://soundcloud.com/silver-aeroplane/fight-them-with-love
“Experienced people seem to find joy in trying to make you feel awkward and uncomfortable when they interview you for a possible job,” said Edmonds. “Not flinching and being positive and smiling back is the best way to say f*** you.
“The second part of the song talks about the type of people who may have money and be in a position of power but that true happiness comes from discovering who you really are and thinking on a higher level. It’s sort of like experiencing an acid trip and having a personal revelation or going on a hike in the wilderness and having a moment of clarity, understanding what your strengths are as a person and following a career choice that you truly feel is your purpose.”
When making music, Edmonds said it is important to try to create music that you as the listener would like to hear yourself.
“I imagine the teenage version of me is listening to what I make,” said Edmonds. “I remember how magical and cool music was to me back then, especially because I did not have the skills to make it myself.”
Edmonds said one of the most important aspects of making music is having fun and enjoying the process of making and that it should never feel like a chore. He also admits a lot of people get caught up on the importance of technical skills.
“Most of the greatest songs are simple chord progressions,” said Edmonds. “Timing and expression in your playing and the way different instruments and sounds blend together are the keys to great songs.”
Overall, Silver Aeroplane strives to bring fresh alternative rock music by doing the unexpected. You can download all Silver Aeroplane albums for free on Jamendo:
Enter The Venture 