Pete & The Pirates
BRM has done it again. We've hunted down, captured and documented the most innovative and exciting artists to recently emerge on a number of different scenes. All month long we’ll be running interviews with our discoveries to help get you ready for what’s to come in 2010. But to get a complete look at our full list of emerging artists, check out our current Winter issue.
When indie band Pete & The Pirates crossed the Atlantic, they never thought they'd receive such a warm welcome In New York City. Despite the fact that their previous record Little Death is not sold or distributed in America, their CMJ gigs were crowded, filled with rabid fans who had only caught a glimpse of their warm, sing-along melodies via MySpace and YouTube, as well as many a London transplant.
Although far from their families and main fan base in Reading, the group played the music marathon like true hometown heroes — wildly jiving on stage and rattling off fun, upbeat favorites like "Mr Understanding" and "Come On Feet," while also previewing some of their newest material.
Before Pete & The Pirates — Tommy (vocals), Jonny (drums), David (guitar), Pete H. (guitar/vocals), Pete C. (bass/vocals) — took the stage at our CMJ Happy Hour Showcase, they sat down with BRM to discuss how making music is a lot like cooking, why guns and bears are important to them, and just exactly what constitutes a "new, old song."
BRM: How's the recording process going for the new record?
Pete H.: We started recording months ago and it's going well. We're about halfway done. But we're not in a massive rush. The songs are there and done, but we are being quite precious about it… we want it to be perfect, so we are taking a bit longer. We don't work very well with deadlines...when it's ready, it's ready. Like cooking! You can't rush it.
Has there been any pressure by the label [Stolen Recordings]?
Pete H.: No! Not at all. They're encouraging us. They're very understanding.
What do you think is the difference between the previous album, Little Death, and this one?
Pete H.: It's a bit darker. I think these songs are more mature in terms of the writing. Our first album had a nice sort of innocence in it, which has been lost [laughs]. We've been playing the new songs for awhile, pretty much since we've been playing the first album. The new stuff has really been done for awhile, and we've been playing them awhile...they're quite developed.
Is it weird to be playing the "new material" way in advance?
Tommy: It's kind of the way it works, like when we released our first album it had been recorded for over a year. So when we play this new stuff, people are like "Wow, it’s new songs!" Great, but to us it's really old. Also, because we are never happy with our songs, they change a lot. Like we change our old songs even!
You guys sound like your own biggest critics...
Pete H.: We are terribly critical, so we like to change things up often. I mean, you could keep playing things exactly the same everyday, but why would you if you didn't have to? The only time [the music is] ever committed is when you record it.
Yeah, I noticed sometimes you play "new versions" of old songs, or new songs a bunch of different ways...
Tommy: It's good fun. It makes it more interesting for us to play it. It's allowing ourselves to change and have freedom. We try to kind of check ourselves and not just because we are bored, but to actually make it better. It forces us to change things often, but we like and want to improve. Not to diss other bands... but sometime I will hear their record and wonder: Are you really proud of this? Do you think it's the best it could be?
What have you learned from the old album?
Pete H.: We are now more used to spending time in the studio. It's a unique experience every time. At the time of Little Death we thought what was really important was to be tight and play it over and over, and in retrospect, I don't know how useful that actually was. We sort of thought we knew it when we started recording it, but it’s been more of a growing process because we don’t actually know it all, we still are learning. It’s quite a good thing to realize that sometimes.
What are some of the influences for the new record?
Tommy: Nothing that makes you know what the record will sound like. I never am conscious of what's influencing me. I never think, "This is influenced by this." It all happens but you never really know. I find it a bit suspicious when I hear someone say, "Oh I had this record and it influenced me to write this song." So it's like, what you basically copied that song and made it yours?
Pete H.: It's best to just write songs from inside you. 
Are there any specific songs that you want to talk about?
Pete H.: There's a few... "Things That Go Bump," I enjoy it but I'm not quite sure why. "Blood Gets Thin" — our live version is quite different than the studio version, there's a "wig out," where we break it down, and then we bring it back up. If you're familiar with the recorded version you'll be surprised.
Pete C.: Originally, we thought we knew what songs we'd put on the album, like concrete, absolute sure... but we don’t know anymore. We've kind of got too many songs. It's great to have the choice, but it makes it quite difficult. Tom wrote a song a few weeks ago that's good and that we wanted to put on the record, but it's such a late time!
Can you briefly mention some topics on the new album?
Pete H.: Our first album had a lot of stuff about beds, feet and sleeping. This one is more about sort of lots of guns and animals and girls and names.
This is not only your first time playing CMJ, but your first time in New York — how has the experience been so far?
The whole band: CMJ is insane! We checked out a band called JEFF the Brotherhood a few times here at CMJ, we love them! And New York is amazing.
Pete H.: My new favorite city in the world! It's gone quite quickly though. We are going back to London to do more of the record. But it freaked us out a bit to see all the people singing along with our songs, because we've only been to America once or twice just for SXSW and no other tours or dates. Plus you're really, really far away from us! Hopefully when our new record comes out, it will be distributed here! [laughs]
Words by M. Geslani
Photo by Naqeeb Stevens
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