By Holly Louise & Milly Mcmahon
Celebrated for their infamous penchant for Polka Dots, preppy swinging 60’s musical inclination and inability to perform without an infectious sense of rhythm, style and whopping great smile, The Pipettes were the British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton who nearly took over the world way back when. Opting out and moving away from the musical scene the band have since been away working on new material, maturing and coining their new image ready for their imminent release back and here they are better than ever with a new album set for release and a new addition Annie to add to the great lot. We tracked them down to get the exclusive chance to catch up with the girls and beef up on the skinny of just where they’ve been and what we can expect from the brand spanking new forthcoming album!
Hello girls how are you?
A little bit nervous but very excited.
You have been away for quite some time now what have you been up too?
We have been cooking up the second Pipettes album. It's been a long process of deconstructing and rebuilding but we've finally finished and are ready to unleash the Pop Beast out into the world.
Nice. Do you think the break has done you good?
Most definitely, it’s given us time to develop, and to commit to new ideas and confirm our ideals.
What can we expect from the new album and how is it different from the last?
This album is both a document and a celebration of the time in which it was made, so in that sense it's similar in its purpose to the first album. Our musical horizons have broadened though, and a lot has happened, so in many ways it is a very different record. Most importantly though, this album doesn't just consist of songs about dancing, it just makes you dance!
When will you be back on the road? Will there be a tour?
We'll be back on the road before Easter, when our single comes out.
A little birdie tells me there is a music video in the works, does this mean there is a single set for release?
The video we've been working on isn't for our first official release 'Stop The Music' but for another song off our digital EP called 'Our Love Was Saved By Spacemen'. It's more than slightly ridiculous but is a very important part of cementing our visual aesthetic for the whole album and setting a tone. It'll be the first statement that we make as a new band.
Has your image changed, for the better?
Most definitely, we've been working very closely with Milly McMahon to refine and explore new ideas with our image. Whereas our first album was very much polka dots all the time, it was important for us to have the courage to tread new paths when it came to the second album. What we are looking at is creating interesting images and pushing new boundaries whilst keeping within the ideals of The Pipettes. There are certain rules that apply, certainly in the way in which we as women present ourselves whilst in the band that are very important but there's also a lot of scope to experiment. We don't want to be trapped by our own image and most importantly, we want to have fun with it.
You have been in music game for many years now, with a lot of experience under your belt what advice would you give new comers trying to make it into this industry?
Just surround yourself with people who interest and inspire you and learn from them.
Who writes most of your music or is it a joint partnership?
It's shared between us all, and that's very important.
Who are you influences?
The KLF, John Cage, SAW, Phil Spector, ABBA, Scritti Politti, Human League, Joe Meek and Bananarama...
Anyone you rate at the moment?
Micachu and The Shapes
Tell us something new we didn’t know already about yourselves? We're a two girl fronted six piece mega pop group consisting of two sets of siblings.
www.myspace.com/thepipettes
