Silversun Pickups

Silversun Pickups are an American alternative/indie rock band from Los Angeles, California that have diverse influences ranging from The Velvet Underground to shoegazing bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine to (critics have suggested) The Smashing Pumpkins. The band is signed to Dangerbird Records. They released their debut Pikul EP in July of 2005, and their full length album Carnavas on July 26, 2006.

The band consists of Brian Aubert (vocals/guitar), Nikki Monninger (vocals/bass), Christopher Guanlao (drums), and Joe Lester (keyboards). The band members are friends who had played together previously or in mutual friends' bands.

Silversun Pickups have been compared to The Smashing Pumpkins (possibly due in part to Brian Aubert's vocal style) and Shoegaze / Dream Pop bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Lush and Slowride, as well as other influences such as The Velvet Underground. Silversun Pickups claim they have been heavily influenced by Modest Mouse, as well as other lesser known acts.

Their first break came when a friend mailed a boombox demo to CMJ and they were accepted. They got their start in many of the most important L.A. clubs and began to draw a strong following upon the release of the Pikul EP. This culminated in frequent touring, including a co-headlining stint with Viva Voce.

The band finished a three-week tour opening for Australian rockers Wolfmother on December 9, 2006, and have toured with OK Go and Snow Patrol on their U.S. spring tour, which ended on April 10, 2007. The Pickups played at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007.

The band supported Foo Fighters, along with Nine Inch Nails on August 21st 2007 as part of the 'T on the Fringe' music festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, and then on the 22nd in Marley Park, Dublin, Ireland. They also performed at the Carling Reading and Leeds festivals on the 25th/26th August 2007 and supported Kaiser Chiefs on their Autumn European tour and Snow Patrol on their tour of Australia (with Paolo from Snow Patrol joining them regularly to play Guitar on Lazy Eye and Nikki guesting on vocals for Snow Patrol's Set The Fire To The Third Bar onstage). On some of these dates the band have been covering Joy Division's Shadowplay and Bjork's Big Time Sensuality, both of which have been recorded for web or radio sessions.

They are currently playing in the studio for ideas for their next album.