Contributor Rachel Salinger talked to The Aviators as they discussed the new album Flowers and Moonshine, is Rock music really dead and more! READ IT HERE

By: Rachel Salinger

Rachel Salinger: The rumor is rock is dead. no more. What do you say?
Matt Purdy: Well, that rumor has been around the past 5 decades, and thinking about bands like the Stones, the Foo Fighters, BlackBerry Smoke, the number of festivals like Bottle Rock, SXSW, and Cal Jam--rock bands can travel the world and sell out arenas nightly...I'd say it's alive and kicking.

RS: What do your live shows look and feel like, do you only play covers or do you throw in your original material too when playing live?
Matt Purdy: Our live shows vary. Locally, we play primarily covers and add in originals as we see fit. We are pretty intuitive as to what my work when with the energy of the crowd. We have had more requests for our originals this past year, so that is encouraging...when we are on a bill as direct support for a national act, we play 95% original music and maybe throw in a cover that supports our identity and articulates our strengths.

RS: Talk to us about your fourth album 'Flowers and Moonshine.' 
Matt Purdy: Our fourth album is a culmination of the time spent growing collectively as a band and individually as musicians. The core of this band has been a unit for the past four years; we've played in front of live audiences consistently, honing our skills and insights as to what works for us and what not to do. We had a lineup change two weeks before hitting the studio, which had its challenges, but the end result reflects the core of our sound rooted in the classics but also hinting at what we can expand into. This is possibly our most ambitious version of the band that can hang in diverse musical situations.

RS: Any particular tracks from this album that had/have challenges in production and live?
Matt Purdy: I don't think there were any challenges on this album for us that we ran into during recording or performing live. The best thing about our band is the live show--what you hear on the record is exactly what you will get live, if not better. We thrive in our live performances, and we try to capture that in the studio. We had the songs worked up before we hit the studio, and recorded the parts in one day. A long day, but it was quick--we like to work that way to capture the vibe.

RS: Who have been some of your influencers musically along the way?
Matt Purdy: Our musical influences seem obvious: Aerosmith, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, the Black Crowes...I'm sure we each have some others, but you can hear these bands the most prominently. We are not afraid to wave that flag either--we wouldn't be a band if it weren't for those bands inspiring us to play music. These would also be the guys we'd like to meet and jam with--we play a bunch of their songs already so we'd at least have some songs to play--haha!

RS: You have toured and played extensively. Describe the perfect venue/club to perform in.
Matt Purdy: After all our time in different clubs and venues, the perfect scenario is when we have solid sound support and an audience that is hungry for something. We've had the good fortune of meeting and working with some great venues who have taken great care of us and really worked at making our product sound amazing--the Whisky and the Rose in Pasadena stand out for sure. It makes it easy for us to do what we do best--Rock & Roll.