Exile off main street

You may not think that your collection is crying out for a record with an accordion solo, but trust me, one listen to ‘Price Of Winter’ by The Amazing Pilots and you’ll be rushing off to clear a space. It’s a truly gorgeous song, an escapee from Out Of Time that has, somehow, found itself liberated by a wistful four piece from Coleraine. Or, should I say, originally from Coleraine. Because although they sing with the most heroically Nordy brogues since Sharkey, the Pilots are currently to be found domiciled on the south coast of England. A locale that doesn’t just benefit their art, it also does wonders for their complexions.

“Eastbourne’s quite an eccentric place,” says the band’s drummer, Phil Wilkinson. “It’s a popular retirement spot, so there are a lot of old dears pottering about. It’s a lovely location; you’re right beside the beach, lots of sea air. Very healthy. It’s kind of old-school Victorian with a strange, continental feeling to some of it. There’s a weird, faded glamour. It’s not that it’s sleazy; it’s just a bit knackered. Kinda sad in an uplifting way.”

Which – and any amount of exposure to The Amazing Pilots’ music will show you this – makes Eastbourne an oddly appropriate setting for the band to go about their unhurried, gentle work. This is a band prepared to wax lyrical on Mike Leigh’s gift for depicting low-key moments of revelation. Talk around the campfire is of Tom Waits, Dylan, early Van. Alex Chilton makes an appearance, as do Lambchop, Wilco and The Replacements, while The Plastic Ono Band and the third LP from The Velvets are never too far from the party. With Iggy-lite routines currently wowing all in the capital, according to pianist Tim Millen, The Pilots have been busy turning their exile in the sticks to their own advantage.

“There are definite rewards to living somewhere so quiet. You can work away on your own without any distractions, and it isn’t trendy like Brighton or London; nobody cares what kind of haircut you have. We tend to cultivate bad haircuts, so we wouldn’t fit in there. “

And it hasn’t prevented them from making an impact. A successful residency at the Twisted AM club in Brixton saw them invited by City Slang to contribute a track (‘Soul’s Island’) to their recent Lee Hazelwood tribute album. If the economic fates had not conspired against them, The Amazing Pilots would already have their first single in the bag. A deal with Easy Tiger records had been signed, songs were recorded, sleeves printed, but unfortunately, a fortnight before ‘My Sweetest Sin’ was due to be released, the label imploded, forcing the record to be pulled.

“It definitely was a kick in the bollocks,” says guitarist Paul Wilkinson (who, along with bass player Jono Johnston, shares main vocal and song-writing duties). “The label got into difficulties and had to fold. It was nobody’s fault, just one of those things that happen, unfortunately. We’re still friends with everyone involved. It was a sad thing. Just bad luck. But it doesn’t change what we want to do. As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

The band, though, are viewing this as a temporary setback. The foundations, they say, are all in place. They have a publishing deal sorted, press agents, booking agents, and enough material for an album: “All we’re lacking at the moment is a deal,” says Phil. And once that gets sorted, all attention will be fixed on loftier ambitions.

“You want to make records that people relate to and relate to for years,” says Paul. “I think most bands take the cheap option. Something like Daft Punk – it’s fun, it’s not morally wrong, but the motivation to be cool is something I’m really suspicious of. You have to make an effort. Someone like Captain Beefheart – who tried to arrange a band in an orchestral way, that’s just far more interesting than four blokes with their heads down, the drummer going four to the floor. I think guitar bands at the moment are just incredibly boring. The temptation is to pick sounds that feel safe and familiar but I think it was Paul Westerburg who said that when you’re making music, the minute you start feeling uncomfortable about what you’re doing, that’s when you know you’re doing something right. You want to forge your own path. To be timeless.”

After so long on the tarmac, these Pilots are itching for take-off.