The Airborne Toxic Event

The Airborne Toxic Event formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2006. The band’s formation followed a period of personal difficulties for frontman Mikel Jollett, including a breakup, his mother’s cancer diagnosis, and his own diagnosis with an autoimmune disease. These events profoundly influenced his songwriting and led to the band’s name, derived from Don DeLillo’s novel “White Noise,” reflecting themes of mortality and media consumption. The initial lineup included Mikel Jollett (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Chen (guitar, keyboards), Daren Taylor (drums), Noah Harmon (electric bass), and Anna Bulbrook (vocals, violin). The band quickly gained attention, being named one of the “Top 25 Bands on MySpace” by Rolling Stone in December 2006 and receiving positive press from the L.A. Weekly and Los Angeles Times.

In 2008, The Airborne Toxic Event signed with Majordomo Records and released their self-titled debut album. The single “Sometime Around Midnight” gained significant radio play on stations like KROQ-FM and Indie 103.1, eventually peaking at No. 4 on the US Alternative Radio Chart and selling over 400,000 copies. The album spent eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart and sold over 200,000 copies domestically and 300,000 worldwide. They embarked on extensive tours, including a “30 Shows in 30 Days” tour across the United Kingdom in November 2008 and a headlining tour in North America and Europe in 2009. Notable performances included appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, often accompanied by the Calder Quartet, showcasing their signature orchestral integrations.

Over the years, the band released several more studio albums, including “All at Once” (2011), “Such Hot Blood” (2013), “Dope Machines” (2015), “Songs of God and Whiskey” (2015), and “Hollywood Park” (2020), the latter serving as a companion piece to Mikel Jollett’s memoir of the same name. They continued to engage with their audience through unique events like “The Last Night On Earth” destination event in Palm Springs and various acoustic tours with orchestral accompaniment. In 2014, Adrian Rodriguez replaced Noah Harmon on bass. The band released new singles such as “Faithless” (2022) and “Glory” (2024), with the full album “Glory” following in September 2024. These ongoing activities demonstrate their commitment to both recording new music and maintaining a strong connection with their fanbase through live performances and special events.