Local indie rock act This Piano Plays Itself is expanding beyond its strong Atlanta fanbase. With nearly 47,000 hits on their Myspace, they’re poised to explode. The quartet released their debut full-length, As the House…, an album rife with guitar-heavy and synth-laden tracks, on locally-based Adair Park Records last May.
Their heaviest influence lies in the instruments of Canadian post-rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and in Radiohead, which has had cult following since 1992. “What Happened,” a near eight-minute track, resonates with the same emotion and distinguished instrumental quality of the iconic English band’s “Paranoid Android.” Minus Thom Yorke’s haunting, persistent voice, of course.
But Yorke and frontman Eric Bouthiller’s voices are not so different. The freely flowing temperamental tone they possess is similar, and both make you believe in every lyric sung.
The passion for the band is not only evident in their hard work—it’s also something they readily admit.
“This is what we’d love to do, first and foremost,” said Bouthiller.
However, it’s not their only interest, and they’ve got to pay their bills.
“We are starting to work in film,” he said. Bouthiller graduated Georgia State film major proudly revealed. “Hopefully, we’ll start working in film anyway.”
Drummer Justin Newton is not as secure with the prospects of a music career.
“Last night, I had a panic attack and sent out my resume to every person I knew that did film stuff. I’m like $900 in debt with Georgia Power,” he said.
The band self-released an eponymous EP in 2008, and said their latest work is a clear turn-around in comparison
“It’s a lot more thought out, a lot more cohesive,” says Bouthiller.
Unsurprisingly, it matches what most evolved, post-college students would say about life after graduation—growth is imminent. Most TPPI members are recent college graduates from Georgia State, and they’ve since learned more about eachother, what each of them stands for and each player’s particular contribution to the overall sound.
But the evolution of the band hasn’t been a quick journey—some of the members have been playing together since their early teenage years.
“Before, we were just a young band, trying to find exactly what we wanted to do,” Bouthiller said. “This one, it’s a progression of where we’re headed.”
So, where are they headed, exactly? While they admit to loving the thriving Atlanta music scene, the band is trying to take their music nationwide, heading out of town more often than playing in homebase. Their favorite venue isn’t even in Atlanta—nor is it actuallya certified venue—but is, instead, a filthy house in Detroit.
“Leading into the basement, people were just throwing glass bottles down,” said Bouthiller.
“They would shoot guns in the basement,” recalled bassist/guitarist Doug Saylor, a childhood friend of Eric’s.
“We showed up and there were a ton of people there. They don’t really have anything to do in Pontiac, Michigan, so people just hang out and go wherever. It made it one of the coolest shows ever,” he said.
While Michigan has their hearts, they cited Atlanta spots 529, Drunken Unicorn and Star Bar as close seconds. An agreeable non-favorite? Lenny’s Bar. Or any small town that doesn’t like music. Living in Atlanta, that’s hard to imagine.
When not making music, the guys spend their time just trying to earn some income, sometimes in semi-outlandish ways.
“I work in restaurants, freelance,” said Bouthiller. He then nonchalantly added that he gambles, too, and excitedly recalled winning thirty bucks right before the interview.
“We were in St. Louis last year and we were at the Arch right near the river, and saw a river casino. Jayson [Nix, guitarist] and Eric made a beeline to it ,”
For these guys, it was to hell with sightseeing.
“Oh! The Arch! No…let’s gamble,” joked Newton. “The Arch is stupid.”
This Piano Plays Itself will be at the Drunken Unicorn with Candy Claws and Living Rooms on Saturday, Sept. 18th. The show costs $8 and is restricted to ages 18-and-up. Look for another new album from the band in the spring of 2011.
