Yellow Paper Planes formed somewhat out of necessity after Joshua P. James and Brandon Woods spent a few months on hiatus from touring as Joshua P. James and the Paper Planes. Woods and James started playing together in early 2011, touring fervently through 30 States and some 150 shows. That early collaboration on James’s solo material naturally dissolved as lineup changes sucked the momentum out of two packed years peddling tunes on the road, but there were still songs to be sung.

In August of 2013, after writing an entirely new set of music, this time with a band at the center of the songwriting motivation, a newly formed foursome including bassist, Peter Mendenhall, and multiinstrumentalist, Jeremy Ebert, played their first show as The Paper Planes. Several early setbacks made it seem like the ghosts of music future didn’t want the band to get off the ground. Right out of the gate, threat of legal action prompted a name change from “The Paper Planes” to the current Yellow Paper Planes moniker. Then, in the winter of their first year, Woods (drummer for the band) broke his hand, which required 3 pins and extensive physical therapy to get back to even holding a drum stick.

During that time, James re-evaluated the set of songs they had written and were planning to take to the studio that spring. The conclusion was to scrap it all and strip everything back to the studs. This happened several times. It wasn’t until after the release of their debut, “Feather’s Touch”, a cathartic 5 track EP, that they were able to establish a clear focus on what they were set out to do. Each of the members of YPP recognizes the recording of that debut EP, which premiered in GhettoBlaster Magazine in June 2015, as the turning point in the band.

The experience in the studio was a bit of a metamorphosis for Yellow Paper Planes, a palette cleanser, spring cleaning as it were. Immediately after finishing up, they started fine tuning and writing new songs James had waiting in the hopper thoughtfully exploring what made the great moments great. They were finally all speaking the same language and it started to show as new songs took form. Yellow Paper Planes has finished recording their follow-up full length (12 all new tracks titled “Building A Building”) with an anticipated release in early 2017. The album track list continues to skirt any notion of easy genre classification taking cues from late 60’s British Blues a la The Kinks to the 90’s alt-scene (Sebadoh and Built To Spill) through to modern indie pop and rock. The forthcoming album tackles themes personal and universal drawing on existential themes that are natural to introspection but presented with earnest passion and plenty of hooks. Yellow Paper Planes looks to 2017 and the release of “Building A Building” with intention and an eye on bigger things.