Originally frontman of the fuzz- and twee-heavy Throw Me The Statue, Seattle’s Scott Reitherman’s songwriting recently took a turn towards the dancefloor. Under the monicker Pillar Point, Reitherman crafts miraculous alt. dance tracks that drop the fuzz, up the “fi,” and boost the kick while retaining the complexities of his songwriting that have always separated him from his contemporaries.
In February, Pillar Point released his debut, self-titled LP on Polyvinyl, and this Thursday, he plays at Mike ‘N Molly’s with Tigerbeat and Jack Anthony & The Desperadoes. In anticipation of his performance on Thursday, June 12th, we were able to ask Reitherman a few questions about his relatively new project.
Smile Politely: Cliche opening question: What have you been up to today?
Reitherman: Woke up in a casino hotel on the Mississippi River, heading to Daytrotter now to record a session.
SP: How has your tour been going?
Reitherman: It has been fantastic. The band is sounding great and the crowds have been really enthusiastic. So wonderful to tour during this time of year.
SP: I read that you’ve been working on visuals for your tour. What kind of footage are you using?
Reitherman: I’ve been using a lot of old archival footage that I’ve dug up and edited together. Boxing matches, motorcycle adventures, young lovers at the Seattle World’s Fair, etc.
SP: How do you go about transferring your songs from a recorded solo project to a three-piece live set?
Reitherman: We approach it by trying to recreate the record and then from there we abstract it in some cases. Stretch out the structures, fuse songs together.
SP: You’re touring straight through the end of June but aren’t playing anything other than Capitol Hill Block Party until your tour with of Montreal. What are you planning to do in that time period?
Reitherman: I am going to continue working on remixes for other artists and new Pillar Point songs!
SP: When and why did you decide to move to Seattle?
Reitherman: I moved there in 2004 when I finished school with some friends, and we started a record label called Baskerville Hill and began making recordings and releasing our music through BH. That part of the country was new to us, but we were drawn to it musically because of people like Phil Elverum, K Records, States Rights Records, and all the many great Northwest bands. Once we visited Seattle with the real intention to move there, the beauty of the place sealed the deal. Save for a little stint back in my home state of California, I’ve been there ever since.
SP: You’ve done some remixes for a few Polyvinyl bands, and now you’re going on tour with of Montreal. Has being signed to Polyvinyl opened a lot of doors for your music career?
Reitherman: It has been really great to be with PV. Great people, very supportive, and it has opened up relationships with new bands and people that’s been amazing.
Check out Reitherman, aka Pillar Point, tonight at Mike ‘N Molly’s with Tigerbeat and Jack Anthony & The Desperadoes.