Bryan Piironen walked into the KHOL studio on a sunny June afternoon with his “Key West Coral”-colored Silvertone guitar. He was fresh off a shift at Nora’s Fish Creek Inn and ready to flip on his Fender tweed amplifier. Drummer Alex Wells had been sitting behind the kit for some time, warming with intricate drumfills. My Model Airplane had only played two shows, but their musical telepathy reflects a deeper connection.
The band released its first album, “The Loft,” in December 2025. It wasn’t long after the self-produced release that [one of] Piironen’s cassettes was hand delivered to KHOL, a rare treat in the digital age for the station’s music department.
Taking a page from the book of Jim Pollard, of Ohio rock band Guided By Voices, Piironen sought to use whatever equipment he had available to capture the sounds of his loft in Wilson. He grew up in Chicago but came to Jackson in 2022 after seasonal work in Alaska and Washington State. He brought with him his TASCAM Portastudio – a version of the first home recorder setup from the seventies – and a strong sense of DIY ethics.
“I just like how [the tape machine] sounds, it’s accessibility. We’re jammed up in a loft and there’s a lot of carpet and sound deadening, so it works with simple mic setups and we can perform live and just share it immediately. And I don’t have to use a computer,” said Piironen.
A 4-track recorder accentuates the rough-around-the-edges, lo-fi sound Piironen wants to capture and translate to tape. Having Wells behind the kit allows the tracks to breathe naturally, reaching peaks and valleys while staying true to Piironen’s sonic vision.
Wells said part of the songwriting process involves drawing those swells on paper.
“It’s a lot of graphs,” Wells said.
Piironen understands the significance of having a place for punks to gather in Jackson. Now dubbed as “Noisy Nora’s,” he’s booking shows with local rockers Screamo Ranchero and church bats to show Jacksonites how to let loose. Wells and Piironen also play in Screamo Ranchero on their respective instruments. While they both enjoy more opportunities to gig, My Model Airplane offers them a space to be more creative and sharpen their own sound.
“Playing with My Model Airplane fills the creative side for me a little more. I get to come up with something new and fresh and I really want to make sure each song stands out,” Wells added.
Heavy music isn’t exactly at the core of the Jackson’s scene, but My Model Airplane wants to foster a space where that style of expression is encouraged. Bluegrass’s grasp will be hard to shake, but along with Screamo Ranchero and church bats they’re receiving positive signals wherever they go.
“Maybe sometimes they want to move and get sweaty or just run around, or maybe think, too, if they listen in on the lyrics or structures,” said Piironen.
The future of noisy rock and roll in the Tetons is a bright one, but the pair said it takes the community to show up and support. As with any DIY scene, participation is key and Piironen feels reassured to continue experimenting with riffs that are delightfully unfamiliar to most Jacksonites.
My Model Airplane is slated to return to Nora’s on Monday, July 13 with a free show open to the public.
Listen above for KHOL’s full conversation and live performance with My Model Airplane.
Support for this arts and cultural coverage comes from the Wyoming Arts Council.
