Aircraft — What Happens When You Mix Sublime + Stravinsky, Apparently [BUFFALO BAND OF THE WEEK]

After playing in other local bands for years, Justin John Smith (guitar, lead vocals), James Warren (bass guitar, vocals), Ian Belknap (drums, vocals) and Tyler Skelton (guitar, horn, keys, vocals) joined forces in 2011 to form Aircraft. Hard work and the release first album, Sonic Boom, last April have kept local fans and music blogs buzzing, and the band doesn't plan on slowing down any time soon.

I chatted with Skelton about the band's passion for music, Sonic Boom and their future plans.

What sets Aircraft apart from a lot of the other local bands?

Our music is our music, and that’s what makes us different. We don’t imitate anybody else’s sound. We’re true to our music. Our music is catchy, fun, dirty. It makes you want to sweat, dance, smile, bob your head and gyrate your hips. We’re influenced from everything from Sublime to Stravinsky, and because of that, our music has a unique special taste that leaves you wanting more.

What do you enjoy most about creating music?

We all have both a creative passion and also a deep passion for music. The feeling of writing and molding songs is probably one of the best feelings. Seeing how it’s interpreted by our fans makes us want to create more and more. Creating music takes me to a very peaceful and happy place that I enjoy. We’re inspired by happiness...the way creating music makes us happy and also the way it makes our fans happy to hear it and dance to it. That’s what inspires us to make music. We’re very true to our sound and true to the music. We try to make things as simple, but as good as possible.

Do you have a favorite memory from being in the band or a favorite show?

One of my best shows was when we played with the Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall at the Town Ballroom. Just watching those bands play hard and loud was really cool to see. It was a good show to be a part of. Town Ballroom has it together. It really feels good to play a venue like that because we’re so used to playing in some basement where we’re setting up our own sound and everything’s all standard, and it’s really tough to create a good atmosphere. At the Town Ballroom, they have it down, and it was really a fun show to play.

You put out your first album in April 2013. What has the response been like to that?

The response has been great. At our CD release show, we almost sold out of our album. We've seen a bunch of really good reviews by some of the local blogs, and everybody’s been digging it. Everybody comes, and they've been singing the songs with us, and it really makes you feel good that people are listening to the stuff you create.

Do you have any future plans for another album? What are you guys working on?

We’re always recording. We just came out with a split with the Malones, another Buffalo band, and we’re going on tour with it. We go on tour starting August 23 and all the way until September something or other. We created a split – two songs from us, two songs from them. We’re always creating music and always recording our music. We record ourselves most of the time, and then when we want to really refine it, we go into a studio and work it out in there. We have more than enough songs for another album or two, so we’ll always be coming out with more and more music for everyone.

Catch Aircraft on September 4 at The Waiting Room with The Malones, The Telltale Signs and Marine Biologist. For more information, visit their Facebook and Bandcamp pages.

Hey, local bands: Want to be featured as our Buffalo Band of the Week? Local music aficionados, got a band you want to nominate? Email angela.stefano@townsquaremedia.com with their name!