"We decided we needed a drummer more than we needed pirates..." Q&A with UK band PEGGY SUE

[First Published on DC Setlist on Tuesday, March 27, 2012]

“Acrobats [Second album, released 9/12] leans less toward folk and heavier toward rock. It plays with darker textures, like discordant vocal harmonies, and relies more on electric guitar.”— NPR “Weekend Edition”

Q:  So Peggy Sue used to be called Peggy Sue & the Pirates.  What happen to the Pirates and who are you now?  Please introduce your band.

A:  We decided we needed a drummer more than we needed pirates so now we are Katy and Rosa - vocals, guitars and miscellaneous and Olly -drums.  We also sometimes are joined by three members of the band, The Mariners Children - Ben, Emma and Becca on bass, violin and cello.

Q:  We saw you a few months ago here in DC at Montserrat House and we LOVED you!  When telling friends about you we described you as Wild Flag meets _______ ????  Can you fill in the blank?  How do descibe your sound?  Would you say a Wild Flag comparisson is accurate?

A:  It is a huge compliment. We played some shows with them earlier this year they were amazing.  We tried to learn some of their moves but haven't got them down yet.  I suppose the other part would have to be someone a bit folky and very percussive - maybe the Dodos. 

Q:  You hail from Brighton, England.  Did both of you grow up there? Who influenced you growing up and who did you see play live in your village?

Brighton is a pretty great town for music actually most bands stop by there and lots of other great music has come out of it. We all grew up in London and moved to Brighton to study at 18. Influences are pretty broad. I was very into R'n'B in my youth and Rosa had a big riot girl phase. Olly loves old rock and roll.

Q:  You ladies have a gig with Swedish band First Aid Kit at the Black Cat March 30th!  How's it been touring with your Swedish counter part?

A:  We haven't hit the road with FIRST AID KIT yet but we've played some shows with them before because we have the same label in the UK. They are great, their voices are beautiful- looking forward to seeing the new songs live. 

Q:  We love stories from the road.  Any stand out shows or wacky or particularly inspirational nights you care to share with us?

A:  Our first US tour was a pretty crazy affair.  We were travelling in an RV with our friends Sky Larkin and we had ridiculous drives to do.  One night we ended up driving down a ditch onto some railway tracks covered in animal bones because the guy driving us had gone a bit nuts from no sleep and lots of energy drinks and thought he had discovered a short cut.  That tour we also played in the town hall of a suburb somewhere in the Midwest because a guy called Joe really wanted to see us.  The whole town came out to watch and brought kegs and cakes and it was very surreal but kind of amazing. 

Q:  Are you heading to SXSW in Austin, TX??  If so, are you playing a specific showcase or party?

A:  Sadly we are not this year. I have to give up the Internet usually over sxsw period because I get too jealous. Austin is one of the coolest places I've ever been.  

Q:  For those of you who want to follow Peggy Sue whats the best way?  Do you tweet?  Have an FB page or website?

A:  We have all three and we do a bit of each.

Here's our: FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!

Q:  What's the most creative way you've seen a band leverage social media to get their music heard & do you yourselves take advantage of the social media platforms out their.  If yes, which ones do you use/like, if not, what's your strategy?

A:  I think artists who make interesting videos with a really strong identity are great.  We've been trying hard to do this more recently.  I think if you just use social media quite honestly as an outlet they work best- people can see through it if you are posting simply for self promotion and not because you enjoy it.  It's not a band but there is a really cool company in London called Secret Cinema who put on these amazing film events they use Facebook really well to get you excited about the event and make everything a bit of a mystery.  

Q:  When can we expect a new album or video?

A:  We have just started writing songs for the new album which is very exciting but we probably won't do any recording until after the summer.  But we just finished recording a cd of covers- it's a collection of  50's/ 60's songs which make up the soundtrack to Kenneth Anger's cult film Scorpio Rising and that is going to come out very soon.  

Q:  What are the 3 songs & artists that have been looping on each of your iPods this week?

A:  Damien Jurado -Arkansas / Beyonce- Love on top / Eternal summers- bully in disguise