Silversun Pickups

Los Angeles alternative rock outfit Silversun Pickups emerged with an organic yet richly atmospheric sonic approach that helped establish the Silver Lake scene through critical and commercial achievements in the 21st century. After debuting in 2005 and building a following on indie stations, the band reached mainstream audiences when Swoon appeared in 2009. Later albums showed ongoing development as the group added orchestral touches and synth textures to its propulsive foundation, heard on the 2012 chart-peak release Neck of the Woods and on Widow's Weeds, produced by Butch Vig in 2019. The quartet issued its sixth album, Physical Thrills, in 2022.

The ensemble came together in 2000 under the name A Couple of Couples. That early designation referenced the initial roster, in which lead guitarist Brian Aubert was paired with drummer Elvira Gonzalez and rhythm guitarist Jack Kennedy was paired with bassist Nikki Monninger. Following the dissolution of both relationships, lineup shifts occurred; Gonzalez and Kennedy departed in 2003, after which keyboardist Joe Lester assumed guitar duties and Christopher Guanlao joined on drums. Adopting the name Silversun Pickups, the band became fixtures at venues such as Spaceland and the Silverlake Lounge, cultivating a dedicated audience.

Silversun Pickups issued their first EP, the six-song Pikul (seven tracks counting the hidden bonus cut), on Dangerbird Records in July 2005. The same imprint released the full-length Carnavas in September 2006. That album placed “Well Thought Out Twinkles” and “Lazy Eye” inside the Top Ten of Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, reached number 80 on the Billboard 200, and supported touring alongside Wolfmother, Snow Patrol, and OK Go in the United States plus opening slots for the Foo Fighters in the U.K.

Carnavas paved the way for Swoon, which entered the Billboard 200 at number seven upon its April 2009 arrival. The album prompted a Best New Artist nomination at the 2010 Grammy Awards, an outcome that sparked discussion among fans who noted the band’s established tenure. Neck of the Woods, produced by Jacknife Lee, followed in May 2012 and climbed to number six on the Billboard 200, then the group’s strongest showing; the band also appeared at prominent North American festivals, though bassist Nikki Monninger missed several 2012 and 2013 dates during pregnancy, with Sarah Negahdari of the Happy Hollows filling in. Their final Dangerbird outing, The Singles Collection, gathered prior singles alongside the previously unreleased “Cannibal” and “Devil’s Cup.”

In 2015 the band launched New Machine Records with its fourth album, Better Nature, which included the singles “Latchkey Kids” and “Nightlight” and reached the Billboard 200 Top 20. A 2017 companion, Better Nature (Revisited), offered remixes of the three singles by MNDR, JR JR, and Joywave plus acoustic renditions. After that cycle, Brian Aubert addressed personal challenges around emotional health and sobriety, themes that shaped the next record. Widow’s Weeds, again produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, Garbage), arrived in 2019 and featured the singles “It Doesn’t Matter Why” and “Freakazoid.”

Pandemic conditions postponed touring, yet the group resumed road dates in 2021 to conclude the Widow’s Weeds period before delivering Physical Thrills in August 2022. Once more produced by Vig, the album was written between March 2020 and April 2021 and captured Aubert’s lockdown reflections within the band’s characteristic urgent, buzzing style.