Getting intimate with Scott Reitherman

by Samuel Hernandez

Scott Reitherman’s work in Throw Me the Statue (his previous band) and Pillar Point (his current project) is a discourse between melancholy lyrics and jubilant instrumentation. Out recently, the new project and new album, self-titled for easier digestion, is a dance music reflection on the feeling of isolation that can occasionally spring up while on social media.

The record is synth heavy and beat driven, a storm of electronic instruments with Scott’s voice providing the intimate human shape. “If anyone keeps you here/it has to be me/see the arms spread wide,” he sings on “Black Hole”, later suggesting that the heart can feel like a black hole in your chest.

Pillar Point captures disconnect and attempts to drive the feeling away with dance. “Give me touch/give me life support,” Scott sings on “Touch”, a track dripping with feel-good vibes disguising the straightforward plea in the lyrics. While Scott sings about distance, the music literally compels foreign and strange bodies together, an experience of relieving tension that the all-surrounding social media we participate in seems to fail to do. “Give me love/give me touch.” Feeling isolated, with music that is driving our bodies closer together, he’s creating intimacy.

There are echoes of the baroque pop of Throw Me the Statue. “Curious of You,” toes the line, with strong guitar work, jangling synths, the even tempered drums and a mention of “Patrice”, which any audiophile can hope is a callback to the “Patti” of “Young Sensualists.” There is a narrative between the two bands, even if it is just Scott’s voice, as if both fit into the oeuvre of work being created.

During an interview I asked Scott what shaped the theme for the album, to which he replied he “wasn’t referring to the actual tools, but more the social media that permeates our life.” As if that wasn’t food for thought enough he continued: “Ways that we are increasingly distanced from each other. We’re aware with what’s going on with each other’s lives to such a large extent without actually being closer or any more intimate.”

“It was a real reality for me, going through tough times, feeling lonely, and logging onto Facebook to alleviate that pain, whether or not in a conscious way. And logging on is something everyone does, a microact in the middle of your day, trying to find some kind of relief, a massaging of that loneliness.”

Pillar Point is a dance album and dance music usually brings people together, so I couldn’t help but wonder what made Reitherman decide against the baroque pop he’d been doing before:

”The thinking of moving towards a dance album,” he responded. “There was this cathartic feeling when I danced to pop and dance music which I really respect, I wanted to create that thing within my own music as a way to process and deal with the feelings that I was experiencing. I also knew that when I played a tune with a dance beat to it there would be an immediate reaction from the crowd. I wanted to be less cryptic, less coded and really connect with the people coming to the shows and the people listening to the record. Hopefully there is a moment of shared participation and it creates a really nice show and moments in life.”

Reitherman felt that Pillar Point was fundamentally different from Throw Me the Statue, according to him it felt like a completely new phase of life. Though the two projects go hand in hand, it seemed disingenuous to call it the TMTS record.

In the early stages when Reitherman started working on a personal batch of music he spoke to Charlie Smith (who produced this record) about the direction. They agreed that the album would be more synth oriented with some elements of dance music:

“Without having the name on our minds, we knew we were embarking on a project that could shape-shift into something different than we’d done before.”

The new album is an expression of intimacy with booty shaking. Dance music is the flailing about we often experience in life, but much sweatier and much more fun. Download Pillar Point’s self-titled release now.