The Deaf Pilots

CHICO >> For the last five years, local band The Deaf Pilots have been strumming around town, churning out records that have steadily developed on their signature sound of gritty hooks and tuned-up sludgy guitars.

But all good things come to an end, locally that is.

The band will be pursuing other endeavors as they cruise down the west coast toward the City of Angels. Hosting their last waltz in town will be Chico's 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway St., on Saturday night.

"I'm beginning to feel nostalgic about the last five years, we have met so many of our friends through playing in Chico," said vocalist Derek Julian. "Many of those friends are now our best friends and have supported us through the good times and bad."

Formed in the summer of 2009 by Julian and a close friend, the act has seen its fair share of roster changes. As of now the trio consist of Julian on vocal and guitar with Chase Crawford handling bass and Ryan Fairley on the drums.

Their sound is a flirtatious mix of modern rock with some take-back elements of the classic genre sound. Think back to an early Stone Temple Pilots blended with the riffs of Queens of the Stone Age.

Conversation for a change in scenery came to effect last fall with the band wanting to explore other options. Now after countless shows and two EPs, they are at the forefront of a major change.

All three band members, who are Chico State alumni, are soaking in a few more days of domestic bliss before they whisk away for the unforeseeable.

"We feel excited for the future and are looking forward to working towards our dream and feel very lucky to have the opportunity to take it another step further," Julian said.

Nonetheless, the town has been home over their course as a band and will remain a place engraved in their hearts.

"I will miss how enthusiastic people are here when they come to shows," Julian explained. "Anyone that has ever been on a stage understands that when the crowd is enthusiastic, it brings out the best in the performance."

Being that this will be their last show in town before they leave for their Los Angeles residency, the band is determined to give their followers a jam-packed farewell package.

With the rise of female rappers finally taking due Rosebud will bring an eclectic taste to the lineup, followed by local favorite The Lolos. Listeners can also look forward to Crawford taking the piano this time around while a friend of the band takes bass.

"The people here love to have fun and support live music, they have supported us in a way that was crucial in getting us this far,"Julian said. "We can't thank them enough."

When/where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 1078 Gallery, 820 Broadway St.

Tickets: $5. All ages. - ChicoER.com

The Deaf Pilots are a three-man rock ’n’ roll band whose music is high energy hard rock with a classic rock influence.
Formed in 2009, the band changed its lineup several times as its members left Chico.
Derek Julian, a senior communication studies major, Ryan Fairley, a English education alumnus and Chase Crawford, a recording arts alumnus, are the band’s current members.
“Our former member Andrew Watt graduated last year in spring 2013 and he was a bass and guitar player,” Julian said. “He was with us for two years and recorded our album with us.”
The Deaf Pilots’ first CD, “Out for a Drive,” was released in 2010.
“We’ve had two EP’s that have come out so far, which are five songs on demo-type CDs,” Fairley said. “Our new CD is our first full-length CD that’s coming out.”
The crowd’s energy keeps The Deaf Pilots motivated to perform at their best.
“It’s cool to see people’s reaction to our songs and see people get into it,” Fairley said.
The band feeds off of the crowd, Julian said.
“When they get into it, you get more into it,” he said.
On Oct. 11, at the 1078 Gallery, the band released its new self-titled album. Strange Habits, a Northern California band with several Chico musicians, performed as their opening act.
The band’s dedication to its music can be experienced through a new song off their album titled “Edge of The Earth.”
“Derek has had this song for three years and we’ve practiced with it, but we’ve never thought we were ready to put it all together,” Fairley said. “We called it ‘Project X’ because we never knew what to call it.”
The song is about a ship that is lost at sea. The crew is trying to find its way home. In order to get home they must go through a big storm.
“It’s more like a movement, more than an average song,” Julian said. “It’s one of those songs that we gave a lot of time.”
The song is eight minutes long.
“It’s our ‘epic’ on the CD,” Fairley said.
In the next couple of months, the band will sell their music and merchandise online and at their shows in Chico. Their music will be available on iTunes and websites.
“Our goal for the future is to take it one step at a time,” Julian said. “Creating the CD was a big goal and once we get to this point, it’s about setting a tour date and possibly going on tour and then we’ve been talking about going to L.A. to pursue it professionally.” - The Orion