Interview with Sierra Pilot & New Video The Thief
“The Thief” is the second of three singles Waterloo, Ontario-based rockers Sierra Pilot will release in 2023 leading up to their album “Phantom Pains”, available on September 15, 2023. The release comes just ahead of three Ontario tour dates with Buckcherry in July and a twelve-date Canadian tour with Skid Row and Buckcherry in October.
Inspired by songs such as “Black Chandelier” by Biffy Clyro and U2’s “With or Without You”, “The Thief” has a strong anthemic feel and vibrant melody with a power ballad undertone.
Sierra Pilot leader Taylor Leith wrote the track after watching a friend struggle through a series of toxic relationships, although the song could apply to a host of situations.
Click below to watch “The Thief” and keep scrolling for our interview with Sierra Pilot!
You’ve just released your latest single “The Thief”. Can you tell us about the song’s lyrics?
The lyrics for “The Thief” tell a very familiar story that will resonate with a lot of people. I was inspired to write this song when I was watching somebody that I hold very dear to my heart go through one bad relationship after another and are oblivious to why this keeps happening to them. “The Thief” is that person starting to realize that they crave this type of love.
Does the song take inspiration from any other artists or songs?
I took huge inspiration from Biffy Clyro. Their song “Black Chandelier” is one of my personal favourites. Both songs are about dark and twisted love realities.
What was the inspiration behind the music video?
The music video is quite literal to the lyrics. You get to watch a time-lapse of a relationship that gets significantly more toxic and violent throughout the video. You start off watching a loving couple interact but the whole dynamic switches very quickly. We didn’t want to dive too deep into the imagery because we wanted to leave it open to interpretation.
What was one of your favourite memories from shooting The Thief?
Having to “act” was interesting! When we were shooting the parts where the female lead and I are verbally fighting we were just yelling the most random stuff at each other and we were cracking up. We were yelling about stuff like what the best colour is, and I think at one point someone screamed “what the fuck is up with turtles”. We were told after the fact that the staff in the studio downstairs could hear us and were having quite a laugh!
The single is leading up to your album “Phantom Pains”, what can you tell us about the upcoming album?
The songs on Phantom Pains run the gamut from alternative/modern rock to hard rock, so anyone who likes rock, in general, should find a connection to the album. The songs are anthemic and melodic with lyrics that are meaningful and relatable, so I have always envisioned fans driving in their cars and singing along at the top of their lungs! We’ve been waiting to release this album for what feels like forever and I can honestly say we have poured every ounce of our energy into recording it and making sure it translates properly in a live setting. I wrote with some amazing writers, had a lot of late nights recording the album, and a lot of tequila in the process. We are really excited to get this released and to play all the songs from the album live.
You’ve got some upcoming dates with Buckcherry and Skid Row! What are the details and how excited are you?
Sierra Pilot will be joining Skid Row and Buckcherry on the “Gang’s All Here” tour this October in Western Canada. We will be doing a total of 11 dates with the tour and one additional show with just us and Buckcherry. If there was a meter to gauge our excitement, the thing would explode! We feel so incredibly privileged to share the stage with these rock titans. It’s truly going to give us an exceptional platform for the band to get in front of new audiences and we can’t be more thankful and eager to hit all these cities and venues we have never played before! As a warm-up to the tour, we are also doing 3 shows with Buckcherry in Ontario, July 3-5 in Hamilton, London, and Oshawa.
Have either of these bands influenced your music?
I was brought up on a lot of 80s and 90s rock and Skid Row was a band I listened to a lot. I worked a dishwashing job in high school and we were allowed to play our own music in the back. Little teenaged angst me made a point of starting every shift blasting “Slave to the Grind” (the song), and then naturally the rest of the album followed! Buckcherry has influenced the music we are writing and recording now more than Skid Row. The first Buckcherry song I ever heard was “Sorry” and after that, I dove in pretty deep. I’d blast them at any party I went to or just whenever I needed to pump myself up for a good time. It’s hard not to love them! Sierra Pilot opened for them back in 2019 in our hometown of Waterloo, Ontario and I was pretty much in awe the whole time. So I can’t state enough just how mind-boggling it is that Sierra Pilot is going on tour with them!
What is one of your favourite live music memories?
In February 2023 we were invited to be direct support for Canadian rock legends Big Wreck at a show in Ottawa. We were in the middle of the first chorus of our song “Alive” and I saw people singing along, which blew my mind. By the time we got to the second chorus, the audience was shouting the lyrics back at us! I think every artist experiences a thrill and feeling of recognition the first time that happens. And nothing has beat that feeling… yet!
Aside from the tour and album release, what’s one thing you are excited about coming up in 2023?
We have another single coming out before the album and it’s a banger! We will be revealing the details on our socials, so stay tuned!
What are some of your favourite Canadian bands right now?
There are a lot of great Canadian bands who are under the radar or just on the cusp of breaking. The Jailbirds, Excuses Excuses, and Revive the Rose are just a few of the bands you should check out.
Do you have any last words to share with our readers?
These days every number counts whether it’s a stream, view, or new follower. So please go check out our music videos on Youtube and our social media pages! Every click counts and is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading while I ramble! Cheers!
To find more information on Sierra Pilot visit
https://www.facebook.com/SierraPilotMusic/
https://www.instagram.com/sierrapilotmusic/
And if you want to watch Sierra Pilot live with Buckcherry you can see them at
July 3 The Studio @ First Ontario Concert Hall Hamilton, ON
July 4 London Music Hall London, ON
July 5 Biltmore Theatre Oshawa, ON
Interview by: Jesse Read
Photo Credit: Junior Walker
