Los Angeles-based indie rock artist Pigeon Club presents their upcoming single and music video, "Liar," a wistful track delving into the aftermath of a defense mechanism malfunction with both humor and heart. The song, off the artist's forthcoming album in collaboration with Grammy-winning co-producers John Would and Amy Wood, captures a transitional period in the songwriter's life. Pigeon Club, led by multi-instrumentalist Wayne Whittaker, skillfully blends indie singer-songwriter tones with Beatle-esque power-pop elements and nods to "dad rock." With themes of self-reflection and everyday minutiae, "Liar" offers a poignant examination of human vulnerability. The accompanying music video portrays a traveling entertainer and his puppet sidekick navigating deception and the toll it takes. Pigeon Club's album, "Another Year In The Minors," set for release in spring 2024, promises a compelling exploration of life's complexities.
How did the musical project form and what does the band name mean?
Well, I’ve always been in bands and have collaborated with a few different songwriters over the years, but hadn’t sung songs that I’d written since like high school. Pigeon Club happened after I moved to LA in 2018 and suddenly found myself with new songs and no one to give them to, which kind of forced my hand.
As for the name, there is a real pigeon club - a lot of them actually. My dad raised and trained racing pigeons for over 50 years, and most of his weekends were spent at the Rhode Island Racing Pigeon Club. It was a smoky VFW type of place filled with lots of memorable characters. Both of my grandfathers also raised pigeons, so it’s definitely in my blood. This is probably the closest I’ll come to carrying on that tradition.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I mainly consider myself to be a sideman. Pigeon Club is something I return to when I’m not playing bass with other bands and artists, and it’s a nice project to call home. I toured with Diane Coffee and The Grand Southern last summer. I’ve worked with Haerts for a number of years, and filled in for a few shows with Dawes this past year.
I was exposed to a lot of music growing up, from 60s & 70s folk rock, to pure 90s pop, and Disney soundtracks. I was in choir as a kid but didn’t touch an instrument until the summer before high school. I spent the next 6 months trying to wrangle an acoustic guitar, until my dad noticed I was gravitating towards bass parts of songs. My folks surprised me with an electric bass for Christmas that year, and it really was an immediate realization of “oh! This is what I’m supposed to do with my life!”
First concert that you ever went to?
Ha! My first concert was the Backstreet Boys at the Providence Performing Art Center in 1998. We were in the very last row, but I was just a kid and so excited to be in the same building as BSB.
4. What's your writing process like?
I don’t have a very strict creative process. Oftentimes I’ll come up with a title first. I have a note in my phone where I toss phrases that pop into my head, and sometimes I’ll dig through that for inspiration or if I need to finish a lyric.
I usually write a verse and a chorus and then record a simple voice memo. Then I let it marinate for a little while. I know it’s a keeper if it gets stuck in my head over the next few days. Sometimes it takes years for me to come around to finish a particular song.
It’s very piecemeal. I’ll grab a bridge from an otherwise long abandoned song and plug it into a new idea and suddenly it’s a finished thought. I feel like I’m good at writing bridges. I wish I could write an entire album of just bridges.
5. What other artists or songs inspire your music?
I’m a big Beatles guy, which I know is incredibly unique. “Liar” was sort of my take on their “I’m a Loser.” I’ve been trying to re-write Elvis Costello’s “Blue Chair” for about half my life at this point. Since I’ve mentioned them both already, I guess it's a fine time to confess that the opening melody for my song “Is Will Soon Be Was” is lifted from a song Costello and Paul McCartney wrote in the late 80s called “My Brave Face,” thanks for that one, fellas.
Okay I’m realizing I haven’t mentioned any Americans yet. From a songwriting perspective I owe a lot to Aimee Mann. Jeff Tweedy and Wilco have been huge influences. I saw Olivia Kaplan play the first week I moved to LA and have been hooked ever since. Jon Brion’s album “Meaningless” was out of print for years but recently resurfaced, which is a true gift because I love that record, and Pigeon Club definitely wouldn’t exist without it.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
As long as the essence of the song is there, I don’t think it has to be played note-for-note. With Pigeon Club, I play with some fantastic musicians and I would be shocked if we ever played the same parts twice. That doesn’t mean it’s a jam up there, I like being well rehearsed. But the ideal situation for me is to play a song live and to have it feel like an alternate take of the cut that made it onto the record.
Have you toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
While I’ve yet to tour as Pigeon Club, I’ve spent a lot of time on the road as a sideman with other artists. A lot of my most memorable touring experiences were all DIY tours, loaded into a van with three or four other dudes. I’m not saying they were my favorite touring experiences, but they’re the most memorable.
I once played at a place in Baltimore called Club K, which was like this former karaoke bar turned DIY venue. The guy running the place (who introduced himself as Thor) was emphatic that our band had to be paid at the end of the night. The problem was that there were more people on stage than there were in the audience, and he ended up giving us like $3 to split between two bands, which somehow felt worse than not being paid at all. But, it’s the thought that counts. So thanks, Thor.
What's up next for Pigeon Club?
Putting the finishing touches on the next record, ‘Another Year In The Minors,’ which will be out later this year.
Well, I’ve always been in bands and have collaborated with a few different songwriters over the years, but hadn’t sung songs that I’d written since like high school. Pigeon Club happened after I moved to LA in 2018 and suddenly found myself with new songs and no one to give them to, which kind of forced my hand.
As for the name, there is a real pigeon club - a lot of them actually. My dad raised and trained racing pigeons for over 50 years, and most of his weekends were spent at the Rhode Island Racing Pigeon Club. It was a smoky VFW type of place filled with lots of memorable characters. Both of my grandfathers also raised pigeons, so it’s definitely in my blood. This is probably the closest I’ll come to carrying on that tradition.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
I mainly consider myself to be a sideman. Pigeon Club is something I return to when I’m not playing bass with other bands and artists, and it’s a nice project to call home. I toured with Diane Coffee and The Grand Southern last summer. I’ve worked with Haerts for a number of years, and filled in for a few shows with Dawes this past year.
I was exposed to a lot of music growing up, from 60s & 70s folk rock, to pure 90s pop, and Disney soundtracks. I was in choir as a kid but didn’t touch an instrument until the summer before high school. I spent the next 6 months trying to wrangle an acoustic guitar, until my dad noticed I was gravitating towards bass parts of songs. My folks surprised me with an electric bass for Christmas that year, and it really was an immediate realization of “oh! This is what I’m supposed to do with my life!”
First concert that you ever went to?
Ha! My first concert was the Backstreet Boys at the Providence Performing Art Center in 1998. We were in the very last row, but I was just a kid and so excited to be in the same building as BSB.
4. What's your writing process like?
I don’t have a very strict creative process. Oftentimes I’ll come up with a title first. I have a note in my phone where I toss phrases that pop into my head, and sometimes I’ll dig through that for inspiration or if I need to finish a lyric.
I usually write a verse and a chorus and then record a simple voice memo. Then I let it marinate for a little while. I know it’s a keeper if it gets stuck in my head over the next few days. Sometimes it takes years for me to come around to finish a particular song.
It’s very piecemeal. I’ll grab a bridge from an otherwise long abandoned song and plug it into a new idea and suddenly it’s a finished thought. I feel like I’m good at writing bridges. I wish I could write an entire album of just bridges.
5. What other artists or songs inspire your music?
I’m a big Beatles guy, which I know is incredibly unique. “Liar” was sort of my take on their “I’m a Loser.” I’ve been trying to re-write Elvis Costello’s “Blue Chair” for about half my life at this point. Since I’ve mentioned them both already, I guess it's a fine time to confess that the opening melody for my song “Is Will Soon Be Was” is lifted from a song Costello and Paul McCartney wrote in the late 80s called “My Brave Face,” thanks for that one, fellas.
Okay I’m realizing I haven’t mentioned any Americans yet. From a songwriting perspective I owe a lot to Aimee Mann. Jeff Tweedy and Wilco have been huge influences. I saw Olivia Kaplan play the first week I moved to LA and have been hooked ever since. Jon Brion’s album “Meaningless” was out of print for years but recently resurfaced, which is a true gift because I love that record, and Pigeon Club definitely wouldn’t exist without it.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be its own thing?
As long as the essence of the song is there, I don’t think it has to be played note-for-note. With Pigeon Club, I play with some fantastic musicians and I would be shocked if we ever played the same parts twice. That doesn’t mean it’s a jam up there, I like being well rehearsed. But the ideal situation for me is to play a song live and to have it feel like an alternate take of the cut that made it onto the record.
Have you toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
While I’ve yet to tour as Pigeon Club, I’ve spent a lot of time on the road as a sideman with other artists. A lot of my most memorable touring experiences were all DIY tours, loaded into a van with three or four other dudes. I’m not saying they were my favorite touring experiences, but they’re the most memorable.
I once played at a place in Baltimore called Club K, which was like this former karaoke bar turned DIY venue. The guy running the place (who introduced himself as Thor) was emphatic that our band had to be paid at the end of the night. The problem was that there were more people on stage than there were in the audience, and he ended up giving us like $3 to split between two bands, which somehow felt worse than not being paid at all. But, it’s the thought that counts. So thanks, Thor.
What's up next for Pigeon Club?
Putting the finishing touches on the next record, ‘Another Year In The Minors,’ which will be out later this year.