The members of Popsiclestickairport are fully aware that their name generates some distinct reactions. If anything, the Gilbert-based group — composed of singer Rhys Green, guitarists Kaden Heyl and Ethan Webb, bassist Gage Powers, and drummer Gunner Burton — happily welcome it all.
"The person who came up with that name is actually not in the band anymore," Green says. "They've moved on, which kind of makes it even more funny. We're stuck with this silly, confusing name."
He adds, "I guess the idea is to always focus on the music. I've just wanted to make music and the name was never a thing. So when someone else just came up with the name, we just ran with it. I've always thought that the whole process [of being in a band] is going to be against the grain. When you're going to carry the banner that says 'Popsiclestickairport,' everyone's going to scoff, and that's going against the grain."
It's a tendency toward the bizarre-but-meaningful that the members, all of whom are in their early 20s, have carried with them since becoming friends in middle school.
"We had this thing called Physics Boys, which was an abomination," Green says. "It was this kind of tongue-in-cheek rap group where we rapped about, like, whipping the golf cart in the cul de sac."
But silly ideas and band names aside, the group unite the most around that core tenet of every truly effective musical project.
"We all just realized that we played instruments and we just had a lot of energy to get out, and that's why a lot of our songs revolve around just performing and energy," Green says.
And through that shared interest, Popsiclestickairport have already accomplished a lot creatively. Their sound, which could be described simply enough as indie pop, reflects some rather diverse influences.
"I like Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, A.G. Cook — the PC music scene," Green says. "Gunner is very hardcore; Ethan is into shoegaze; Kaden loves his post-punk. The way I think of us ... what would Charli XCX sound like with guitars?" The music-making process hasn't always been perfect, but they've tried to respect and engage those diverse ideas the best they can.
"I think I think you're always going to have doubts," Green says. "And I know that all of us being multifaceted, like you said, it can create some confrontations. It just seeps in ways that you're not going to notice consciously, only subconsciously, right?"
He adds, "Gunner is the most difficult; how is his hardcore thing going to break into what we're doing? But if you listen to the new project, he's actually showing his true colors more than he ever had before. He was given the most freedom he's ever had. And I think it really works out. Someone who's a fan of hardcore is not really going to listen to us, but they're going to get a little nod out of what Gunner threw together."
A lot of that greater sensibility, according to Green, was cultivated while growing up near Gilbert and the east Valley in general. They've seen a lot of other young, hungry bands, and knew from day one they needed to make a certain statement.
"It seems like Mesa bands just lean into pop-punk or emo-pop-punk. No shade, but that's not exactly what we wanted to do," Green says. "Being a teenager and starting a band, there's so much pent-up anger. I think there's very obvious ways you can express it, and then there's maybe a little bit of being an 'underdog.' I would say the way we express our teenage angst is maybe more like that of an underdog."
And by "underdog," Green is really getting at those ideas of not only standing out but doing so for all the right reasons.
"I'm trying so hard to not come off as someone that someone else is going to roll their eyes at and say, 'This dude's only 21.' I just think I've always wanted to think bigger," he says. "I mean, we love The Strokes and garage rock that's our biggest influences. But are we really just going to be in a garage forever?"
There's little denying that this approach has been markedly successful for Popsiclestickairport since they formed in early 2019. They've self-released a handful of EPs — Blossom, Telephone, and Sounds That I Hear — and played some well-attended regional shows. But there's more coming down the pipeline, including an October 21 show as part of KDKB's Rock It Up music series at Tempe Marketplace and a slot on November 8's #iVoted Festival livestream.However, the biggest honor likely comes at the end of November when they play Japan's Tokyo Beyond Festival. (They're one of just two U.S. acts chosen for the event, per their management.)
"I don't know if we would ever get to a place where it's like, 'Okay, well, this is crazy. Now we need to have a difficult conversation about what to do here,'" Green said of the band's reaction to these big career moves. "So far, it's just a one-day-at-a-time kind of thing."
However, he was just as quick to add that while these "markers" of success are indeed nice, there's so much more to be done.
"A true artist is always striving," Green says. "So if you're always looking for that next big thing, you don't have time to look back."
At least some of that is from the band coming of age amid the early days of COVID. It was a singular experience that's helped shape their perspective on art and life in general.
"COVID made a lot of sense for the band anyways," Green says, adding that they all got to accomplish other things — Green moved to Utah for college, and commutes back to town for gigs — and still focus on making music.
He added, "Sometimes I joke and say I'm 21 years old, but musically, I'm 19 or 20 'cause I had those years ripped from me. I say every time we have a new show, this one's going to be the biggest one. And it's true! Not necessarily a bigger draw, but a bigger opportunity for the band."
It's a collection of values and sensibilities they've further honed with their latest, EP for Fairies, due out October 21. Produced and mastered by Matthew Keller, who worked with local faves like The Maine and Katastro, the five-track effort exemplifies the band's commitment to carving out their own space.
"When we were working on one of our songs, 'Best Friend,' and our producer threw in a part where there's a crash cymbal," Green says. "It's like, 'This is what a professional guitar player would do. This is what a professional drum player would do.' Great, then everyone's doing it, essentially. If you're going to convince me that the crash makes sense right here, then we'll take it out because that's the identity."
Green adds, "It's going to be a little too on the nose to reference, but The 1975. Their song 'People,' there's not a single crash in it and it's a punk song. That's exactly the direction I want to go. Like, do the backwards thing, and I think you'll find it won't even be that strange."
The entire process has left Green extra reflective of a big idea Popsiclestickairport are collectively obsessed with: presenting the best version of themselves to speak directly to an audience.
"I've always wondered if I'd ever release a project that I'm 100 percent proud of or if that's unrealistic," he says. "I have this little mantra about striving is the more virtuous thing. I don't think I can ever be David Bowie, but striving to be Bowie is what we all need to be doing. It's not about the destination, but the journey."
And aside from those potentially career-making shows in the coming months, the rest of Popsiclestickairport's forthcoming journey is pretty wide open. Green says they have some goals, like aspirations for national touring, but there's nothing definitive in the works.
"I think what we're going to do just whatever makes sense," Green says. "Opportunities are where preparedness means luck. So, we'll need to be handed luck, and we'll need to be prepared. We'll see if that continues with this band."
That doesn't mean they're entirely rudderless or anything. (Again, especially given those upcoming mega concerts.) Rather, Popsiclestickairport seem less interested in achievements and accomplishments than building something much bigger than themselves — off a silly band name, no less.
"We want to continue curating the community around us right now," Green said. "Whoever's attention we can get, and whoever just wants to be a part of the fun thing that we're doing right now, that's kind of the idea."
He adds, "I guess the idea is to always focus on the music. I've just wanted to make music and the name was never a thing. So when someone else just came up with the name, we just ran with it. I've always thought that the whole process [of being in a band] is going to be against the grain. When you're going to carry the banner that says 'Popsiclestickairport,' everyone's going to scoff, and that's going against the grain."
It's a tendency toward the bizarre-but-meaningful that the members, all of whom are in their early 20s, have carried with them since becoming friends in middle school.
"We had this thing called Physics Boys, which was an abomination," Green says. "It was this kind of tongue-in-cheek rap group where we rapped about, like, whipping the golf cart in the cul de sac."
But silly ideas and band names aside, the group unite the most around that core tenet of every truly effective musical project.
"We all just realized that we played instruments and we just had a lot of energy to get out, and that's why a lot of our songs revolve around just performing and energy," Green says.
And through that shared interest, Popsiclestickairport have already accomplished a lot creatively. Their sound, which could be described simply enough as indie pop, reflects some rather diverse influences.
"I like Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek, A.G. Cook — the PC music scene," Green says. "Gunner is very hardcore; Ethan is into shoegaze; Kaden loves his post-punk. The way I think of us ... what would Charli XCX sound like with guitars?" The music-making process hasn't always been perfect, but they've tried to respect and engage those diverse ideas the best they can.
"I think I think you're always going to have doubts," Green says. "And I know that all of us being multifaceted, like you said, it can create some confrontations. It just seeps in ways that you're not going to notice consciously, only subconsciously, right?"
He adds, "Gunner is the most difficult; how is his hardcore thing going to break into what we're doing? But if you listen to the new project, he's actually showing his true colors more than he ever had before. He was given the most freedom he's ever had. And I think it really works out. Someone who's a fan of hardcore is not really going to listen to us, but they're going to get a little nod out of what Gunner threw together."
A lot of that greater sensibility, according to Green, was cultivated while growing up near Gilbert and the east Valley in general. They've seen a lot of other young, hungry bands, and knew from day one they needed to make a certain statement.
"It seems like Mesa bands just lean into pop-punk or emo-pop-punk. No shade, but that's not exactly what we wanted to do," Green says. "Being a teenager and starting a band, there's so much pent-up anger. I think there's very obvious ways you can express it, and then there's maybe a little bit of being an 'underdog.' I would say the way we express our teenage angst is maybe more like that of an underdog."
And by "underdog," Green is really getting at those ideas of not only standing out but doing so for all the right reasons.
"I'm trying so hard to not come off as someone that someone else is going to roll their eyes at and say, 'This dude's only 21.' I just think I've always wanted to think bigger," he says. "I mean, we love The Strokes and garage rock that's our biggest influences. But are we really just going to be in a garage forever?"
There's little denying that this approach has been markedly successful for Popsiclestickairport since they formed in early 2019. They've self-released a handful of EPs — Blossom, Telephone, and Sounds That I Hear — and played some well-attended regional shows. But there's more coming down the pipeline, including an October 21 show as part of KDKB's Rock It Up music series at Tempe Marketplace and a slot on November 8's #iVoted Festival livestream.However, the biggest honor likely comes at the end of November when they play Japan's Tokyo Beyond Festival. (They're one of just two U.S. acts chosen for the event, per their management.)
"I don't know if we would ever get to a place where it's like, 'Okay, well, this is crazy. Now we need to have a difficult conversation about what to do here,'" Green said of the band's reaction to these big career moves. "So far, it's just a one-day-at-a-time kind of thing."
However, he was just as quick to add that while these "markers" of success are indeed nice, there's so much more to be done.
"A true artist is always striving," Green says. "So if you're always looking for that next big thing, you don't have time to look back."
At least some of that is from the band coming of age amid the early days of COVID. It was a singular experience that's helped shape their perspective on art and life in general.
"COVID made a lot of sense for the band anyways," Green says, adding that they all got to accomplish other things — Green moved to Utah for college, and commutes back to town for gigs — and still focus on making music.
He added, "Sometimes I joke and say I'm 21 years old, but musically, I'm 19 or 20 'cause I had those years ripped from me. I say every time we have a new show, this one's going to be the biggest one. And it's true! Not necessarily a bigger draw, but a bigger opportunity for the band."
It's a collection of values and sensibilities they've further honed with their latest, EP for Fairies, due out October 21. Produced and mastered by Matthew Keller, who worked with local faves like The Maine and Katastro, the five-track effort exemplifies the band's commitment to carving out their own space.
"When we were working on one of our songs, 'Best Friend,' and our producer threw in a part where there's a crash cymbal," Green says. "It's like, 'This is what a professional guitar player would do. This is what a professional drum player would do.' Great, then everyone's doing it, essentially. If you're going to convince me that the crash makes sense right here, then we'll take it out because that's the identity."
Green adds, "It's going to be a little too on the nose to reference, but The 1975. Their song 'People,' there's not a single crash in it and it's a punk song. That's exactly the direction I want to go. Like, do the backwards thing, and I think you'll find it won't even be that strange."
The entire process has left Green extra reflective of a big idea Popsiclestickairport are collectively obsessed with: presenting the best version of themselves to speak directly to an audience.
"I've always wondered if I'd ever release a project that I'm 100 percent proud of or if that's unrealistic," he says. "I have this little mantra about striving is the more virtuous thing. I don't think I can ever be David Bowie, but striving to be Bowie is what we all need to be doing. It's not about the destination, but the journey."
And aside from those potentially career-making shows in the coming months, the rest of Popsiclestickairport's forthcoming journey is pretty wide open. Green says they have some goals, like aspirations for national touring, but there's nothing definitive in the works.
"I think what we're going to do just whatever makes sense," Green says. "Opportunities are where preparedness means luck. So, we'll need to be handed luck, and we'll need to be prepared. We'll see if that continues with this band."
That doesn't mean they're entirely rudderless or anything. (Again, especially given those upcoming mega concerts.) Rather, Popsiclestickairport seem less interested in achievements and accomplishments than building something much bigger than themselves — off a silly band name, no less.
"We want to continue curating the community around us right now," Green said. "Whoever's attention we can get, and whoever just wants to be a part of the fun thing that we're doing right now, that's kind of the idea."
Popsiclestickairport. In support of Weathers, with Moontower. 7 p.m. Friday, October 21. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 East Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe. Free. Visit tempemarketplace.com.
