Experimental Aircraft

Hailing from Austin, Texas, the quartet Experimental Aircraft unites guitarists and vocalists TJ O'Leary and Rachel Staggs with bassist Mark Smith and drummer Jason Ferguson. The group traces its beginnings to 1997, the year O'Leary and Staggs first met, after which the completed lineup quickly took the stage across Austin's club circuit and built a devoted, energetic audience. Weaving intricate yet melodic lines through spacy experimental rock textures, and drawing from Sonic Youth, Sterolab, and the Velvet Underground, the Texans shape immersive sonic voyages that flow through shadowed alternative pop/rock currents while carrying touches of mellow indie pop. Their self-titled debut, Experimental Aircraft, surfaced in mid-2000 on the Devil in the Woods label. The band sustained its distinctive, bliss-tinged motifs through mesmerizing live performances before entering the studio in late 2001 to record a second full-length album.