Hail Hallucinator, Pilot To Gunner’s fourth record, may only exist because the members of the band were locked indoors during the pandemic. Scott Padden and Patrick Hegarty are, as always, holding it down on vocals and guitars and are joined by Gregg Giuffre (Hunters) on drums and Eric Odness (Chariots, Primitive Weapons, Ageist) on bass.

Hail Hallucinator is the third record the New York band recorded with celebrated producer J. Robbins (Dismemberment Plan, Against Me!, Shiner, etc.), and their second album for both Arctic Rodeo Recordings (Walter Schreifels, Garden Variety, Jawbox), who will offer the LP, and Thirtysomething Records (Appleseed Cast, Far, Superbloom) who is releasing it on cassette. Physicals ship August 12.

Dan Coutant (of Spoils System) mastered the album at his Sun Room Audio (War On Women, Chamberlain, Bob Nanna) and the band enlisted Portland-based painter and printmaker Josh Keyes to provide the album and single art.

Today, Pilot To Gunner offers a stream of Hail Hallucinator. About the album, Scott Padden says, “We managed to squeeze 10 rippers into just around 30 minutes, which is nuts. It was a real seat-of-our-pants kind of thing. We started one of them two days before we went in, ripped off some late-era Afghan Whigs more than once, got J to jump in on ‘Animal Control,’ got a little Goth Chorus on one of the quicker ones, Eric and Gregg threw in lots of little ins and outs last minute, harmonies, beercan shakers, piano plunks, I’d say ‘nuances’ but I think that’s definitely pushing it. Oh this record has our first-ever curse words on it, but we get a pass because they’re not used in anger and we are well-adjusted middle-aged men and not angsty zitty teens after all. Hey look at us we’ve got a solid four-record catalog now and we only remember how to play six songs.” 

Order the LP here, the cassette here, and follow the band here.