Paper Pistols is a Sacramento electronic/indie act founded by drummer, programmer and recording engineer Ira Skinner that began as his solo project and grew into a duo with vocalist Julie (Juliana) Lydell.[1][2] The act pairs live drums with programmed, electronically-produced music, building songs that the members perform largely live off a laptop because, as Skinner put it, "there are not six of us."[1][2]
At a glance
- Sacramento band; described repeatedly as a "Sacramento band" and a "local" performer.[1][3][2]
- Founded by Ira Skinner as a solo project: live drums played over programmed music he composes.[1]
- Evolved into a duo with vocalist Julie/Juliana Lydell.[4][2]
- Released debut album Deliver Us From Chemicals (self-released) on June 14, 2013.[2][5][6]
- Named to Submerge's Top 30 Albums of 2013 (a list roughly 50% local acts).[5]
- Self-described genre tags (Bandcamp): DIY, electronic, indie, rock, soul.[6]
Origin and formation
Paper Pistols originated as the solo project of Ira Skinner, consisting of Skinner playing live drums over programmed music he composed himself.[1] Skinner is identified as a drummer, programmer and recording engineer who owns a recording studio in Midtown Sacramento, and who spends most days recording bands and running sound for local venues.[1][2] As of early 2011 he was preparing a self-titled five-track EP drawn mostly from older songs recorded at various West Coast studios that he had been dissatisfied with.[1]
By 2013 the project had become a duo, with vocalist Julie Lydell (also referred to as Juliana Lydell) joining Skinner.[4][2] Coverage frames Lydell's arrival as transformative: Skinner, who had not wanted to start another band after his prior group, said playing with Lydell renewed his desire to write music.[2] The band's backstory holds that Lydell canceled a planned return to Austin, Texas, to keep working with Skinner on Paper Pistols, which led to the debut album.[2]
Local status
Paper Pistols is local to Sacramento. Submerge tags and text repeatedly identify it as a "Sacramento band" and group it with other "local performers" such as Doom Bird and Dusty Brown who "instilled the 916 pride" at the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival.[1][3][2] Founder Ira Skinner is embedded in the Sacramento scene, owning a Midtown studio and running sound for local venues.[1][2] (Confidence: high.)
Sound and performance
Paper Pistols combines live drums and vocals with electronic, computerized production; the members physically play most parts on the record and reproduce them live off a laptop because the full arrangement exceeds two players.[2] Skinner has emphasized that despite the small lineup the band aims to be a "dynamic band" with strong live energy rather than sounding "robotic or fake."[2] He describes his own compositional specialty as "epic" and notes he has written film scores, while Lydell describes favoring tension and "decadent" layered passages — a pairing the band frames as a collaboration of opposing forces.[2]
Releases
- Self-titled five-track EP (forthcoming as of March 2011): Skinner said the recording process had been slow and that he planned to dedicate one day a week to finishing it; the songs were mostly older material re-recorded.[1]
- Deliver Us From Chemicals (released June 14, 2013,[6] self-released): the project's debut album, examining loneliness, technology, austerity and a "conflict between isolation and community."[2][5] The album contains 9 tracks — Oil (4:50), Industry (4:02), Hipbones (3:12), Unidentified Object (4:38), Creature Comforts (2:57), Star Death Interlude (4:45), Applied Science (4:11), Boxing Gloves (6:21), and Astronaut Food (5:12)[6] — opens with "Oil" and closes with "Astronaut Food," which the members describe as an anthem summing up the record; lyrics deliver the album's title line "Deliver us from chemicals."[2] According to the Bandcamp release page, all proceeds go to The National Resources Defense Council and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.[6] Submerge ranked it on its Top 30 Albums of 2013.[5]
Scene relationships
Ira Skinner's Sacramento roots run deep: he previously played in The Evening Episode, which he started, and over the years has played with several of Sacramento's "most beloved bands."[1][2] As of 2011 he also played drums in the local band Pets, though not as a full-time official member.[1] His studio and production work tie Paper Pistols into a broader local network — notably the electronic duo Tel Cairo, whose member 7evin moved to Sacramento around 2005 specifically to work with Skinner, and whose debut Voice of Reason Skinner produced.[4] Paper Pistols vocalist Juliana Lydell also appeared as a guest vocalist on Tel Cairo's Voice of Reason, singing on the track "Nirvana" alongside Caleb Heinze.[4]
Lydell grew up in Sacramento and before Paper Pistols performed in The Dreaded Diamond.[7][8] After Paper Pistols she relocated to Los Angeles and formed the solo project June Swoon, releasing her debut album This Town Could Be Big Enough for the Both of Us in October 2019.[7][8]
Notable shows
- Performed at the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival (SEMF) 2012, listed among local performers who represented the city at the festival's Day 1 (May 3, 2012) at Harlow's / MoMo Lounge.[3]
- Scheduled to play Davis Music Fest (City Tavern Stage) on June 22, 2013.[2]
- Scheduled to play Launch Music Festival at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Sept. 7–8, 2013.[2]