The Airborne Toxic Event

The Airborne Toxic Event emerged when novelist and musician Mikel Jollett assembled the group to merge post-punk energy with literate indie rock. Their 2008 debut displayed a rich blend of guitars, keyboards, and classical strings, while the 2011 follow-up All at Once climbed to number 17 on the Billboard Albums chart. In 2020 the band delivered their sixth album, Hollywood Park, which functioned as the musical counterpart to Jollett’s memoir of the same title.

Jollett launched the project in 2006 amid personal upheaval after growing up inside Synanon, the Santa Monica experimental community that devolved into a violent cult. The name derives from a passage in Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise. Initially a Los Angeles duo of Jollett and drummer Daren Taylor, the lineup expanded with the addition of classically trained violinist Anna Bulbrook on viola and keyboards, jazz bassist Noah Harmon, and guitarist Steven Chen. Their first performance under the Airborne Toxic Event banner occurred in fall 2006, sparking regional acclaim that drew interest from independent labels and praise in Rolling Stone.

Building on that momentum, the band issued the EP and single Does This Mean You're Moving On? in 2007, further elevating their profile in indie circles. Majordomo Records signed them in 2008, resulting in the self-titled debut The Airborne Toxic Event later that year. The track “Sometime Around Midnight” reached the Top Ten on modern rock charts, leading Island Records to acquire the group in early 2009. Two years later they released All at Once—their strongest commercial showing to date—while sharing a label with one of their chief inspirations, U2. Such Hot Blood followed on the same imprint in 2013 and reached number 27 on the Billboard 200. In 2014 bassist Noah Harmon was replaced by Adrian Rodriguez and the band moved to Epic Records. Their first Epic release, the electro-pop-oriented Dope Machines, appeared in February 2015 alongside the all-acoustic Songs of God and Whiskey, issued exclusively via the band’s website. Anna Bulbrook departed in 2019 prior to the arrival of Hollywood Park in 2020, which served as a companion to Jollett’s memoir.