What happens when a classically trained musician and a naturally gifted lead singer form a band? You get Friday Pilots Club.
The exciting indie pop rockers have a new track out now called “Never Say No,” and it is a single from their upcoming, EP I Love You, Robot Superstar! which is expected to come out in late October.
The band was originally the duo of Drew Polovick and Caleb Hiltunen. Polovick is a classically trained musician in guitar and is a mixing and recording engineer. Hiltunen is the lead singer of the band, and the group is based in Chicago, as they originally met while attending the same college. Since progressing their music journey, they have added band members Eric Doar, Sean Burke, and James Kourafas to flesh out the lineup.
One thing that immediately stands out in “Never Say No” is the stellar production.
The first verse sets the scene and builds anticipation, only for the chorus to step down into a more vulnerable moment. This allows the second chorus to have the payoff and build off of the momentum. After this, the song explodes into a distorted breakdown of a bridge.
With heartfelt introspection, Hiltunen sings, “Because I’m so far from the one / Just some zero who don’t know what he wants.” The song closes out with an almost voice memo-sounding rendition of the chorus before it shoots back up again. Giving emphasis on the final word- “no.”
The lyrics could be interpreted as Hiltunen being in a relationship that feels cyclical because he can never say no to the girl he is in love with. It strikes a resonating chord and is executed with precision through lyrics in the chorus, “I’ll never say no / Just a twenty-something / Who never lets go / It’s all or nothing.”
“Never Say No” is a catchy must-add for your indie pop-rock playlists.