Silversun Pickups joined Nic Harcourt live on The SoCal Sound broadcast for a special in-studio session and conversation celebrating the release of their brand-new album, Tenterhooks. The appearance marked a special release-day moment—shared in real time with SoCal Sound listeners on 88.5 FM Southern California and on the free SoCal Sound app—with the conversation interspersed with live performances, humor, and reflection.
Two members of Silversun Pickups, Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger, reflected on decades of making music in the vibrant Los Angeles music scene, tracing their roots back to the ’90s (around the same time Nic first met them—at “the other place”). This appearance also marked their second session in this studio.
Brian and Nikki spoke about the pivotal role producer Butch Vig played in the recording of Tenterhooks. Brian described the freedom that comes from working with someone who can harness chaos, capture instinct, and keep the creative process moving quickly—something that has now become indispensable to the band’s recording life.
The making of the album was not without hardship, which hit Brian on a deeply personal level. Throughout much of the writing and recording process, he was dealing with a severe ear infection that led to creating under unusual circumstances, including a period when his hearing was compromised. The band relied heavily on trust, experience, and instinct to move forward, leaning on one another for mix notes and perspective when Brian couldn’t fully hear the work himself.
At its heart, Tenterhooks is “a tight record for vinyl,” as Brian explains it: ten songs, under forty minutes, with a symmetrical five tracks per side. In an era of disposable listening, the band set clear rules for themselves—to make an album meant to be heard as a complete work. Inspired by younger bands and a renewed love for loud guitars and immediacy, Tenterhooks is built to hit, move, and end—then invite you back in again.
The session also served as a prelude to a milestone night in Silversun Pickups’ hometown, as the band took the stage later that evening at Hollywood Forever for a release-day performance at the Masonic Lodge. From studio to stage, it was a celebration of community, connection, and the power of local spotlight music.
Silversun Pickups Tenterhooks is out TODAY to stream anywhere and available on Vinyl LP from New Machine Records at https://sspu.lnk.to/merch
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- · Filmed & Edited & Photographed by Matt Blake
- · Audio by Tristan Dolce
- · Host: Nic Harcourt
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