Q have been trying to get an interview with Clint Walkingshaw since it last became apparent that Pilot had dropped off the face of the Earth. Imagine our surprise when we received a letter inviting Q to meet with Clint at his home office in suburban Melbourne.

We arrived at the house in the leafy, golf course surrounded suburb of Beaumaris. We double checked the address. This house does not look like the house of a rock star. This looks like the house of a middle aged, moderately successful investment banker (if you got that reference, congratulations, you're a good Pilot fan). We are greeted by Clint's wife Hayley who leads us to Clint's upstairs office. We find Clint listening to a demo from a song that was to be on Pilot's new album. The office is covered in note paper and Post-It notes. Clint turns the music down and stands to greet us, shaking Q firmly by the hand.
"How you doing mate? sorry about the mess."

What's going on with all the notes? Is this normal or is this new?
Ideas. I'm always coming up with ideas. You don't always know what they'll turn into, usually they turn into nothing, but it's good to have ideas.

What are the ideas about?
All sorts of things. Song ideas, business ideas, collaboration ideas, remixes etc. Lately it's been a business idea, an idea for a newdirection to take, something new to introduce to the music industry. I'm pretty excited about that.

Is that why you sent the letter to Q for this interview?

Largely yes. There's always plenty to talk about though.

Why now, why not talk to the press when Pilot decided to break up?
We never decided to break up. We just came to a decision that it wasn't worth contuing in the manner we had been. We didn't go to the press because we had nothing to report. It's like our mothers used to say, if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all. We take that attitude with our career Why call a press conference to say we're out of ideas? We'll just wait til we've got an idea then we'll let everyone know.

Don't you think that might get a little trying on your fans?

Possibly. But atleast if they don't know then there's hope. If we come out and say that we're done then there's no hope. Although we announced that we were done after the 'Inside Newtopia' album, so I guess we can't be trusted can we? (Laughs)

So what is this new idea?
I lie when I call it a new idea. I actually came up with the idea several years ago. The first time I listened to Broken Social Scene interestingly enough. I call it "Band Open." The idea is a band of infinite members, who's songs are available for download online, with all proceeds going to charity. It's a forum for experimentation, with the idea being to collaborate with artists you wouldn't normally collaborate with, write songs that are a different direction from the norm. The possibilities are as open or as closed as the minds of the artists who chose to participate.

When you say infinite band members, surely it's limited by the number of active artists?
Well infinite in that it could last as long as humanity potentially. Which, granted is probably not infinite but fuck it (laughs). It wouldn't be necessarily limited to well-known artists. If you find out your cab drive plays the banjo then make a song with him and post it, there are no restrictions...Well, there will be some very basic restrictions but we won't worry about those just now.

Who's agreed to take part in this idea so far?
No one yet, apart from the other guys in Pilot are interested. This is the forum I'm initially choosing to get the idea out there. As I can iron out the kinks it will become available. It could fall in a complete hole, but it's beautiful nevertheless.

There are also rumours of Pilot getting back together. What form is this going to take?
Just touring is the plan at the moment. Also to get involved in Band Open obviously. There's no new plans for an album. We feel we've exhausted Pilot creatively, as though we've been making the same album over and over, it's all pretty much the same in retrospect. The songs for the new album didn't feel special, not much we've done since 'Inside Newtopia' has turned us on very much. There's some good songs but nothing that grabs you by the balls, you know. It was time for something new. If we can find something new for Pilot, well, that's not getting ruled out, but for now we'll just take the opportunity to tour again, because we miss that and hopefully there's some people that want to come see a Pilot concert still.

How are the relationships amongst the bad?
We all get along man. I kow a lot of bands have fractured relationships, but we've been friends since high school. When we were young and getting the band started we talked a lot about how we'd keep the professional and friendship relationships seperate. It helps that our career's worked out well so there's not too much tension to deal with. We still meet up, hang out. Beers by the pool, talk about shit, we're mates. Everyone's excited to get involved in music again.

Is there any tension over the way you've always assumed a leadership position in the band?
No, that was the way from the outset. Nick and Stephen are just glad to be making music, glad to have this lifestyle. We all fit into our roles well and understand each other well. We have arguments, but it's cool, we're just mates who happen to work together in a very cool job.

You're a band that's often had a lot to say about the music industry, what are your thoughts on it's current state?
I think it's always exciting. Particularly at the moment, there's some bands that wanna shake things up and do their own thing and that's cool, that's what it's about. Reinvent the wheel man, fuck it. It's usually Stephen that's had things to say about it in the past, the rest of us have opened up to styles of music we weren't open to before. When you're open everythings exciting, it's a better way to live that being a cynical basard. We've just gotta let Stephen be Stephen though, he's just doing his thing too.

It's time for Q to go. Clint is taking Hayley out for dinner. Clint thanks us warmly for the interview and I am left feeling strangely fresh. It's not certain where this project of Clint's will go, but it's exiting nonetheless, and it's honestly good to see him still excited about music and keen to make a difference after all this time.

Edited by user 04 November 2010 01:31:28(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified