Chairlift
Chairlift's Aaron Pfenning talks compliments, recording a new album and getting shot.
Chairlift is very much part of the Brooklyn music scene, but their roots lie in the great state of Colorado. Originally a shed project – Chairlift is now considered one of the top buzz bands in the country, and have been heard by pretty much everybody thanks to b eing featured in an Apple commercial. Guitarist/singer Aaron Pfenning sat down with HEAVE to have a chat – fresh off their tour of England and right before their August 8th Lollapalooza date.
HEAVEmedia: The band was originally started as a way to make background music for haunted houses –and the music still has sort of an eerie feel to it. Where do you think the darker, more mysterious sound stemmed from?
Aaron Pfenning: I think when Caroline and I started making music together it wasn’t really anything we talked about. We started hanging out in my shed in my backyard and we would stay up really late. We would wo rk on these songs that were sort of like folk-pop songs for a few hours, and then before I’d drive her home we would amuse ourselves by making ambient music for stuff. Then one day I was like, “Oh – we should do a haunted house tour.” I was recording everything that she and I were making and I was listening back and thought it would great if we planted our selves around in haunted houses, or around Halloween we could make a week long house tour or something like that. That was the idea.
She and I moved to New York and started working on more like a pop album. We eventually went back to a few old recordings and thought we could surely use some of this. So we went back and took some of our favorite moments from the haunted house sessions and laced it into what we were doing.
HEAVEmedia: What is your favorite part of Does You Inspire You?
Aaron Pfenning: I think it’s Act Four. Which would mean, if you have the vinyl, it would be side B. It’s the last part of the album. It’s “Don’t Give A Damn,” “Chameleon Closet” and “Ceiling Wax.” Those three tracks – that is definitely my favorite.
HEAVEmedia: I personally like the breakdown of “stop, drop and roll” at the end of “Planet Health.” How does something like that come together?
Aaron Pfenning: Live that is my favorite part to play. If we have any friends anywhere, then we invite them onstage to come and sing those stop, drop and roll parts with us. At Bonnaroo we had some people up there. We just played in London and had some guys up there. Basically it’s anyone who we are good friends with – so that’s why it’s my favorite part of the live set.
HEAVEmedia: It reminds me of an 80’s hair metal band. Or like “Crazy Nights” by KISS or something.
Aaron Pfenning: (laughs) I hadn’t ever thought about that – but now I will when we play that. Thanks, maybe.
HEAVEmedia: You guys will be wrapping up a tour with Phoenix in late October. Plans to hit the studio after that?
Aaron Pfenning: Yeah. I think we are going to go to New Mexico. We will get a house in the middle of nowhere. We will get some horses – ride horses in the morning, drink some coffee and then record in the afternoon. That is the idea right now.
HEAVEmedia: That sounds pretty relaxing.
Aaron Pfenning: It sounds relaxing, but who knows. Recording can be not so relaxing. The horses will be nice.
HEAVEmedia: You guys will be playing Lollapalooza on Saturday, and, according to this Facebook application thing, have over 2,000 people RSVPed for your performance. Do you get a little more nervous playing in front of such a large crowd or is it business as usual?
Aaron Pfenning: Definitely more nervous in smaller situations.
HEAVEmedia: Really?
Aaron Pfenning: Oh yeah. It’s a weird way to describe things, but I feel like in a smaller situation everything is more amplified. Bonnaroo was the first real big American festival that we had ever played and all three of us in the band were talking about it afterwards and we all thought it was the most comfortable we had ever felt playing in front of people. I think it was mostly to do with the energy. The energy of all of these humans being together in one place – it’s like everyone wants to come hang out at one place and it’s for one reason. I think maybe in smaller situations people just want to go home and go on Gmail or go Twitter something, but if you are out in the middle of nowhere with all of these people then I don’t think there is anywhere someone else would rather be. It allows people to really be in the moment. It just feels right. I don’t know if that made sense, but I really enjoy playing in front of more people. It’s just easier for us. We know people want to be there.
HEAVEmedia: You are playing with Passion Pit at the sixth at Apple Store and TV on the Radio on the seventh at the Double Door – you are also playing a Venus after party in there somewhere, too. With those three events plus Lollapalooza – which are you MOST excited to play. Be honest. We will also assume that it will be really, really hot at Lollapalooza.
Aaron Pfenning: Okay. So weather is a factor?
HEAVEmedia: Yes, and today is the first day where I started sweating outside while just standing there. It’s been a really mild summer in Chicago. But today is hot.
Aaron Pfenning: Oh, shoot. I feel the same way, though. We just got from London and it was like paradise over there. Summers in London seem pretty easy – and now I’m back in New York and I’m sweating.
HEAVEmedia: And I’d rather be cold than hot.
Aaron Pfenning: Oh for sure, just put on a pair of socks and a thick shirt when it’s cold.
HEAVEmedia: So what’s your answer?
Aaron Pfenning: Man, I thought you forgot about it.
HEAVEmedia: Nope.
Aaron Pfenning: All right – let’s see. I would normally come up with some answer that would sort of ice over everything, but I will actually pick a show. I’m going to pick August 7th. The Double Door with TV on the Radio because I love Passion Pit and we played with them before and that was a brilliant time. Lollapalooza, since you mentioned the weather, and my adverse reactions to heat – I guess that cancels that out. TV on the Radio wins – we’ve never played with them and I’m pretty excited about that. I hope you got a good answer out of me.
HEAVEmedia: It was a great answer. Brooklyn is a hot bed for music, and has produced many great acts – but is there anything you would change for the better about the Brooklyn music scene?
Aaron Pfenning: Yes. We need more taco stands. I really feel that we need to improve the quality of tacos around here. I need to walk out of practice and have some good tacos, get inspired and then go write some good music. It would really help everyone.
HEAVEmedia: What is your favorite taco stand?
Aaron Pfenning: I have two. Taco Zone in Echo Park, Los Angeles. The other one is in Brooklyn in the back of Union Pool. Union Pool is a bar. I don’t know the name of the taco truck, but there is a taco truck in the back of the bar outside hangout area. It’s totally a surprise to me, but they are great tacos. I mean, once you get used to mind-blowing tacos it’s hard to eat anything else.
HEAVEmedia: What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever received from both a fan and a critic?
Aaron Pfenning: The nicest compliment I’ve ever received. Hmm. I guess the most genuine compliment I ever got was about the song “Don’t Give A Damn.” The person just said that it was a song that they listened for a week, and I don’t know how it helped them, but it helped them get through a tough time. Human beings have a tendency to fall into dark places and it helped them get out of that dark place. I mean we get a lot of compliments that make us a band feel better about ourselves – but that is the best one, really.
That is something I never thought would happen. You know, that our music actually impacting and inspiring and helping – that it’s pulling people in a positive direction. We just were making music that ourselves wanted to hear. We wanted to make an album that we wanted to hear, so we got obsessed with making things we wanted to hear. We weren’t sure if anyone else would want to listen to it or remotely get into it.
HEAVEmedia: Your song “Bruises” was all over the place. What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?
Aaron Pfenning: Physically? Let’s see.
HEAVEmedia: Well it can’t be too bad if you can’t remember.
Aaron Pfenning: I had my wisdom teeth pulled. Does that even count? I didn’t even feel anything. I was on painkillers the whole time. Maybe there is something that happen to me and it was so awful that I don’t remember.
HEAVEmedia: You didn’t break a leg when you were little or have some Little League Baseball sports injury? That is pretty impressive.
Aaron Pfenning: Wait, you know what? I got shot.
HEAVEmedia: What?
Aaron Pfenning: Yeah, I got shot in junior high. I went with my friend who had a cabin in the mountains in Colorado. His dad had some shotguns. We went and we were shooting – his dad had those disc things you pull. There was a misfire and the shrapnel went into my chest. I have a pretty bad scar. Part of the shotgun shell went into my chest. It didn’t hurt too badly, but it got infected and that is why I have the scars.
HEAVEmedia: You can say you got shot. That is pretty awesome.
Aaron Pfenning: Yeah, we are going to write a hip-hop album.
HEAVEmedia: I like how this conversation went from having no injuries to getting shot in the chest. That is a terrible progression.
Aaron Pfenning: Yeah. I was thinking more in terms of broken bones.
HEAVEmedia: That is funny. Well, terrible you got shot – but funny. Sort of back to the haunted house stuff – in a “Scream” like question – what is your favorite scary movie?
Aaron Pfenning: Oh that is a good one. Favorite scary movie – I’ve always thought “The Ring” was great. It’s so very frightening. I’ve only watched it once, and for good reason – it’s so frightening. I will watch it again someday when I find the right girl to watch it with me.
HEAVEmedia: Good idea to get that girl to cuddle up with you and be scared.
Aaron Pfenning: That is the plan. Most David Lynch movies are scary in a very curious way. Like I can’t stop watching. “The Ring” isn’t like that. They are like two different kinds of frightening.
Posted by Wes Soltis on Aug 03, 2009 @ 9:00 am