The Pilot Lies Take Flight in The Gear Factory
The band traces its origins back to late 2002 when Moldt and Mulligan, both Syracuse natives, met in school at SUNY Oswego. The two played with a virtual revolving door of drummers until 2004. As Moldt describes it, he was working at a Radio Shack when current set player Bean, originally from Phoenix, NY, walked in to buy a microphone. The two struck up a conversation about their shared love of music, Bean later auditioned (a loose term, as Moldt describes it) for the band, and the rest is history.
Two years after the addition of a new set player, the trio released its first album, Do Things Look Any Better?, on May 15, 2006. The release was entirely self-produced with much of the recording taking place in Mulligan’s basement, an endeavor that the band never intends to repeat in the same manner. With the band’s location secure at The Gear Factory, a new album is on the horizon featuring the unique style and sound of The Pilot Lies.
The band discovered The Gear Factory community three years earlier while visiting a friend’s work displayed at an art show and soon began the push to get a space in the building. Following a series of phone calls, the group finally arranged a trip to visit the potential space. Although there was a lot of work to be done in the studio-to-be, the circumstances ultimately provided an artistic advantage.
The customization of the band room allowed for the creation of a space unique to the artists’ tastes. Moldt, Mulligan, and Bean painted and sealed the walls, cleaned the bricks, installed the lights, and eventually came away with a space perfectly reflective of the mood of the group and its music. According to the band, the comfort and security of the studio extends to the rest of the building as well.
“After a couple weeks here you’ll know everyone’s face, who they are, and what they do,” said Mulligan. “We all inspire each other.”
In The Gear Factory, the band has found the ability to share its passion with other artists, bounce around creative ideas, and network both inside and outside of the community. As Mulligan noted, “We’ve seen people come up from New York City to events, and they’ve seen some real talent here. It’s the first time I’ve seen people from New York City jealous of something in Syracuse.”
Moldt offered up a final piece of advice for prospective artists seeking to make Syracuse and the Near Westside a permanent home. “Don’t stop at the surface. Look a little deeper and you’ll find a lot more of an artistic soul to the place.”
The Pilot Lies join six other area bands this Saturday, March 13, for a show at The Gear Factory. The show is slated to start at 5 PM, with The Pilot Lies taking the stage around 10 PM. The band can also be found online at ThePilotLies.com.
