Portland-based psych-rock trailblazer Peter G. Holmström of legacy band The Dandy Warhols and emerging band Sun Atoms, presents a brilliant new nugget from his project Pete International Airport(PIA) – hypnotic and reverie-filled, the single ‘Sea of Eyes’ features the ethereal vocals of Alexander Hackett, frontman of Montreal psychedelic-gaze outfit Pang Attack. This captivating track, with its infectious rhythms, alluring atmosphere and thoughtful lyrics, offers a tantalizing glimpse into PIA’s upcoming ‘Sea of Eyes’ EP.
With its Cure-esque moodiness and irresistible energy, ‘Sea of Eyes’ is a sonic journey that immerses the listener in layers of hypnotic sounds and ambient drama. The single is accompanied by an intriguing shadow-dance video, directed by Francesca Bonci, adding to the overall mystique.
The “Sea of Eyes” EP, set for release in November via for release in November via cult label Little Cloud Records, , promises to be a treasure chest for fans of alternative music and those seeking a fresh, psychedelic sound. With a five-track playlist, including 4 remixes, the original version of the tracks found on this EP are lifted from PIA’s 2023 album ‘It Felt Like The End of the World’ – and all five were co-authored with Hackett and feature his vocals.
Pete International Airport takes us on a meticulously crafted psychedelic journey into the dark heart of electronic rock. Named after a Dandies song, this project nails the elusive aesthetic of unexpected yet inviting sound art. PIA’s quest to build immersive soundscapes that are also timeless songs is successful, in part, due to Holmström’s uncanny ability to curate and his penchant for dropping collaborators into challenging creative spaces—both virtual and actual—then letting them duke it out.
Peter G. Holmström explains, “‘Sea Of Eyes’ was one of the first tracks that got started for ‘It Felt Like The End Of The World’. I tried to invent my own guitar tuning (CGCGCD). Of course, someone had done it before, but I got a cool chord sequence that felt good to play for 5+ minutes. I tried adding a chorus, but it never felt right, so that became the Outro. I had been obsessing on The Cure’s ‘Fascination Street’ (especially the bass line) and my first attempt at something similar ended up sounding like Simon Gallup goes dub. The other part of the attempt became the Bass VI melody. Daniel Sparks added an amazing modular synth “trumpet” sound that captured perfectly the claustrophobic atmosphere of the pandemic.”
Just as the latest album, the ‘Sea of Eyes’ EP was mixed by Jeremy Sherrer at Spooky Electric Co. (Modest Mouse, The Shins, The Dandy Warhols), this EP was mastered by Dave Coley at Elysian Mastering. This EP is a logical progression (and continuation) of both this latest album and the ‘Tic Tac’ 7″ single, which jboast the cream of the neo-psychedelic crop, including Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, Dion Lunadon (A Place To Bury Strangers, The D4), Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson, Lisa Elle of Dark Horses, and members of Sun Atoms, Guiding Light and Hopewell.
“I really wanted to showcase Alexander Hackett’s vocal and lyrical contributions to my record so, using the excuse of a video for ‘Sea of Eyes’ to release an EP of remixes seemed like a good idea. Of course lots of remixes don’t use the vocals…anyway…I got to work with Andy Bell (Ride) and Tom Smith (Holy Youth Movement) as well as long time collaborator Daniel Sparks (omniscuro) to put it together,” says Holmström.
“I first heard Pang Attack when SUUNS shared a track on their socials. At first I was disappointed because it didn’t sound like SUUNS (I was obsessing on them hard) but, for some reason, I kept listening. There was something there that I connected with. Alex’s lyrics and melodic choices were perfect and I had to find out if he was interested in working with me. ‘Sea Of Eyes’ is the second song that Alex and I collaborated on. His lyrics perfectly capture the vibe of the world at that time”.
As of August 29, ‘Sea of Eyes’ will be released (digitally and on limited edition cassette) exclusively via Bandcamp, where the EP is available for pre-order and where ‘It Felt Like The End of the World’ is also available digitally, on CD and vinyl as a Deluxe double-album with gatefold sleeve. The ‘Tic Tac’ single with Rachel Goswell and its 7″ vinyl version are also available via Pete International Airport and The Dandy Warhols.
SINGLE CREDITS
Music written by Peter G. Holmström
Vocals and lyrics by Alexander Hackett (Pang Attack)
Instruments performed by Peter G. Holmström, except:Alexander Hackett – Vocals
Paulie Pulvirenti – Toms, Octabans
Daniel Sparks – Drum Programming, Synths
Jeremy Sherrer – Synth, Drum programming
Produced by Jeremy Sherrer and Peter G. Holmström
All tracks recorded primarily at Air Traffic Control, Portland
All drums recorded at The Trench Studios by Gregg Williams (engineer on 13 Tales & Odditorium)
Vocals and additional instruments recorded in Montreal, LA & NYC
Additional production & mixing by Jeremy Sherre at Spooky Electric Co. (Austin, Florida & Spokane, WA)
Mastered by Dave Coley at Elysian Mastering
Album art by Francesca Bonci
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon at Shameless Promotion PR
Video directed by Francesca Bonci
Filmed by June Kang and Lê Thùy-Dương
Guest appearance – June Kang
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