Precocious deep-groove pop trio PEAKES make effortlessly cool music for such a tender age. Female singer Molly Puckering’s accomplished vocal brings the songs to the foreground over magical surreal landscapes from musical scientist Maxwell Shirley. Hailing from Leeds PEAKES have built a community from the bands that centred around their first headline show and single launch at The Brudenell Social Club earlier this year. The single was premiered on Line of Best Fit and tickets sold out after only a few days on sale. This is remarkable considering they have only been playing for a year and quickly climbed through the troublesome ranks that all new artists must struggle through. Surviving a series of challenging support slots (including Dan Croll) they decided that they would go out and work to their own set of rules and no one else’s. Writing and recording from home Shirley spends ‘hours and hours’ developing original sounds on his synthesiser and software...something he is aware that many others do not bother doing. Drummer Pete Redshaw also uses ‘unorthodox’ sounds and wants to push his instrument, an attitude that the others share completely. Puckering says they want to make pop music which is challenging and unusual. This is the story so far. The feeling is that there is a very exciting future ahead of them.
The next single from their debut EP, Waves is a synth heavy sultry track with rushes of electronic texture and heavy drums. The track also sees the band breaking into more experimental territory with a warped and aggressive middle-eight section.
The single launch will take place on 2nd of November at The Servant Jazz Quarters in London where the band will come for an exclusive gig within the capital. It is also their first gig outside of Leeds and have put together a special set especially for it. They seek to create intimate but dramatic shows that effect their audience. The EP is out on the 27th of October.
The songs themselves observe the difficult relationships and experiences that their friends and those close have been through. The three share very different musical influences and bring together their styles into a melting pot of larger than life pop and trip-hop. Shadows of the Little Dragon and Tove Lo linger here. But they have played in various styles, even in punk bands and are accomplished musicians in their own right.
Considering PEAKES are a new group and they are still finding their feet and identity, they are self-assured and confident in their talent and performance abilities. It will be exciting to see what happens next for them. So far what they have done is very promising indeed.
