Northpilot has been around since 2006, but late 2010 is when it all started to come together for the once Michigan now Chicago based six piece that calls the art-centric neighborhood of Wicker Park home. The recording process for Northpilot was a pretty different approach than most bands take. “The Bright Brigade was recorded in two chunks over the span of a year at Engine Studios in Chicago,” says drummer Dan Julian. “Most of the ideas we created and sketched out before we went into the studio. However we experimented with the equipment available at Engine and created some really unique textures. While many bands try to undertake concept albums, we instead try to create concept songs and then join them together based on their sonic qualities. In that way the subject matter across The Bright Brigade EP is very different song to song, but that allows each track to be a unique experience.”

And out of this recording process came an EP that is captivating and lush, a hard thing to find on a debut record. But a successful EP wasn’t too big of a surprise with a band of their accolades before releasing a single album. In 2007 they ranked highly in Lollapalooza’s Last Band Standing and were a 2010 finalist in Slurpee’s National Battle of the Bands. A good debut was pretty much expected. Northpilot doesn’t want to settle on a couple of good reviews around Chicago and Detroit though. “We plan to play in Chicago every few months and around the Midwest as much as possible. One of the reasons we originally moved here from Michigan was because of Chicago’s music-rich history. We have seen a lot of bands from Chicago getting national attention, and we don’t see any reason why we can’t jump on board as well,” says Julian. “We want to build a name for ourselves in Chicago to gain interest from labels, and the six of us are constantly on the lookout for viable opportunities. We also have an arm of the band working on licensing our music for advertising opportunities. We are working with companies like Grooveshark and Jansport to help brand our music – anything we can do to help us reach the next level.”

The next question was, what is the next level to Northpilot? “Our next show is at Schubas with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. on March 25th. They are our buddies from Detroit and their music is fantastic. We’re hoping to release a new single in the next couple of months and release a new recording shortly there after. Quite simply, we’re trying to build a buzz and ultimately earn a label’s trust to give us a shot. Label support can only expedite the process of getting where we want to go”

Have a listen to “Naked Before My Captors” and “Radio Lawyers” below. To learn more about Northpilot and get a free download of “Naked Before My Captors” go here.