Air Traffic Controller Announce First Tour Since the Pandemic

For the first time in almost four years, Boston indie rockers Air Traffic Controller will hit the road — and the short summer tour of the Midwest will also mark ATC’s overdue first time showcasing songs from their latest self-released album, Dash.

“We took our time making Dash — no shows, just writing and recording. That was our choice,” explains singer, songwriter and ATC leader Dave Munro. “Then the world stopped: no touring, no nothing, not a choice! We finished just as things were getting back to ‘normal,’ and now that Dash has been out there for months, our fans have had some time to absorb it. This is good!”

Mostly written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dash — ATC’s fifth studio release — arrived in November 2022. A repeating chord progression that drummer Adam Salameh had on file served as the foundation for “20,” the album’s first single. And in that song, Munro revisits his life prior to the band — as a U.S. Navy air traffic controller.

“When I was 20, I moved from the barracks to an apartment with two fellow air traffic controllers,” he recalls. “Getting outside the confines of the Navy base was a life-changing event. I was finally able to live out my late adolescence, and just put on a uniform and go to work like everyone else. I was writing my first songs, pursuing my career in aviation — things just seemed to be going well.”

Munro categorizes all 13 songs on Dash as “personal,” adding that his band “has always had a way of connecting with listeners from afar. That’s the beauty of releasing music, but the bond gets even stronger when we can get out there in front of people.”

To say that ATC are ready to hit the road and showcase their latest album is an understatement. An even greater expedition is addressed by the album being titled Dash: It speaks to a lifelong journey, referencing the dash between your birth date and death date, according to Munro.

“We have weathered the changes in and around this band, and we’re coming out stronger,” he adds. “The best way to show our fans our gratitude is in person, to give every bit of ourselves to the folks who stuck with us through it all, and build it back up.”

Munro emphasizes that ATC’s summer 2023 Midwest run is "like a family reunion with our audience — we’ve missed them so! Our streaming listeners have also increased significantly over this period. Who are these people? We cannot wait to meet them!”

Munro isn’t kidding about his band’s streaming numbers. Through the years, they’ve racked up millions of plays on Spotify, with “This Is Love” leading the way at 24 million. And from the start, ATC have also connected with the music press; Billboard and American Songwriter are among the publications that have sung their praises. Along the way, Munro and his bandmates have performed at South by Southwest and other prestigious festivals, and they’ve had their catchy, clever music licensed by major TV networks.

Ticket info for all shows can be found here.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER 2023 TOUR DATES:

Thu., July 13: Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
Fri., July 14: Cheyenne, WY – Fridays on the Plaza**
Sat., July 15: Fort Collins, CO – Private House Concert
Sun., July 16: Council Bluffs, IA – Maloney’s
Mon., July 17: Kansas City, MO – minibar
Tue., July 18: St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
Wed., July 19: Madison, WI – The Bur Oak
Thu., July 20: Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Shack Room
Sat., August 19: Wellfleet, MA – Beachcomber

**Opening for 3OH!3

Air Traffic Controller have created a place all their own in the indie pop world. While serving in the U.S. Navy as an air traffic controller, singer-songwriter Dave Munro sent home demos of his songs. This was the first chapter of ATC. Over the next decade, Dave created timeless and classic indie-folk-pop music that is heartfelt, luscious and authentic.

From the Boston scene, the band released four critically applauded albums and toured steadily with an electrifying group now made up of Dave Munro, drummer Adam Salameh, bassist Joe Campbell, guitarist Bobby Borenstein, vocalist-keytarist Emi McSwain, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Scott.

Photo credit: Yaz

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