November's Up-And-Coming Band Feature - The PJP Band

http://youtu.be/RdVD010pJmc Real-life has now taken over and I'm not available to write as many reviews/features as I'd like - hence the gap between this feature and my previous one - but, anyway, here's November's up-and-coming band feature. The band: PJP Band. On the release of their debut EP, American Lover, released in 2011, the band were immediately invited to play that year's Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing Stage. This resulted in the band spending a huge 40 hours as the 'most-shared' act on BBC Glastonbury's homepage. Playing a brand of imaginative, anthemic pop, the band then toured with Hard-Fi and released their second EP, Reasons To Move On, which further saw their fan-base grow. Now, though, the band has recently finished another tour and have scheduled their debut album for release in early 2013. I caught up with the guys for a quick chat today and learnt a bit more about them.

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WC: For people who might not have heard about you guys before, can you give us some history about the band?

PJP: I started as a solo project with just a keyboard and a bass drum, as a kinda one man band outfit. The progression in songs were begging bigger arrangements, and we put the band together around these songs. Since then we have put out a few EP's, played BBC intro stage at Glastonbury 2011, and done a UK tour with Hard-Fi. WC: How did you first have the idea of forming the band? PJP: Tim and I were making bedroom recordings of ideas we had, and I think it just progressed to outside the bedroom, and then Mike moved back from London. It just seemed fitting we should start working the circuit again. We have recently added a 4th member; Chim has started bringing some guitar noises to the table, which is a nice progression for us. WC: And how long have you been together as a band? PJP: About 2 and a half years now. WC: How many releases have you got out there? Are you signed? PJP: Ah, well we have a few but they are all bedroom recordings, very DIY. We have about 4 EP's that are out there somewhere in the ether... We have never been signed, just done it on our own label OUF records. Our latest release 'I AM A RACER' is the first release from our coming album. WC: What€™s next for you guys? Any tours planned? PJP: We have an album that we recorded with Peter Miles waiting to be released next year, so we are getting everything in place to be releasing that really. We plan to tour the album as much as we can... WC: Who are your favourite bands? Main influences? PJP: We come from a mixture of Alt american bands, classic songwriting and 90's grunge. Its easier to say who we have been related to, like Les Savy Fav, the Stooges, John Lennon, At the Drive-In, Wolf Parade. WC: If you could describe your sound, what would it be? PJP: I'm just in for power songs that people can get behind. So anthemic garage pop i guess. It's not really for me to say, the songs are keyboard/organ led so that sometimes puts us in a certain box with some critics, but we come from a background of loud energetic shows, full of sweat and fury, so anything less would feel we didn't play right. We like to try and fit into the punk scene with our crossing genre of music, only because it's where people appreciate sweat and fury.... WC: Do you have any funny band stories? PJP: Well the whole tour we did with WOAHNOWS in October was ridiculous from start to finish, touring in the slowest van on earth, with 8 people on board, sleeping on floors and getting onto last minute bills. That's the kinda stuff that makes the stories in the end. WC: Favourite gig you€™ve played so far? Favourite bands to play with? PJP: Well, we have shared a few bills with WOAHNOWS and DAMERELS, who love to bring the volume, and we all love that. Favourite gig is a hard one as we have played far too many to remember what was good and what was not. For me, personally, playing the roundabout in Plymouth as part of a DIY music event, it was the hottest day of the year, and everyone was riding those sun vibes, all loose and begging for a party. By the time we got to the last song we tripped the power, and ended on an impromptu drum solo and audience chorus... I guess that stuff stays with you. WC: Do you drink on stage? Or do you prefer to play sober?PJP: I'm always driving so its usually sober for me, but we ain't straightedge if thats what you mean... WC: What do you guys do outside of the band? PJP: We have day jobs, I do whatever i can to pay rent, which involves anything from gardening to driving bands to playing jazz in a local cocktail bar to session work. Tim works at the uni taking notes and looking after people with disabilities, Mike teaches music, and Chim plays in some other bands and works at the youth centre.

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