We sit down with Canadian indie pop band, Peach Pit, based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Members include singer and rhythm guitarist Neil Smith, lead guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy, bassist Peter Wilton, and drummer Mikey Pascuzzi. The boys chat all things music, dogs, COVID19 and their upcoming global “New Music, New Clothes” tour, in our one on one interview.
1. Who Are Peach Pit in three words only…
Neil: Four Greasy Deaners
Mikey: Band of brothers
Peter: Very average dudes
Christopher: Neil, Mikey, PeterChris
2. Why Music…
Neil: Because to me itâs the most fun creative outlet. And I get to hang with these 3 losers and travel all over the place.
Mikey: Iâve liked making sound and noise ever since I was a little guy.
Peter: Cause my dad did it.
Christopher: Cause what the heck else am I good at?
3. My creative process isâŠ
Neil: If Iâm feeling stuck on something I just go back through my notebook and try to find a creative spark in the random notes I have. Also, weed helps my creativity.
Mikey: Listen to good music, get inspired by good music then attempt making good music.
Peter: Pretending to be creative.
Christopher: Sitting in my underwear starring at a wall.
4. What’s it like being a band from Vancouver, Canada and how has that influenced your sound?
Neil: Itâs great! We have a pretty small and tight knit music community here. Everyone kind of knows each other and lots of bands are good friends which is sweet. With regard to how that has influenced us; a lot of the Vancouver bands we grew up idolizing were sort of in the west coast folk rock scene and so I think even if it might not be super obvious we are very influenced by folk music.
Mikey: Itâs kind of like being a band from Seattle but weâre 200 kilometers away. (notice how I used Kilometers instead of Miles?)
Peter: Chris nailed it. Emphasis on Nickelback.
Christopher: Vancouver is just a beautiful city to live in, but Canada turns out a HUGE amount of good music relative to it’s population. There’s a point of pride being from the same country as so many of the greats. (Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Nickelback)
5. New track/Music: ‘shampoo bottles’ is about….
Neil: my ex-girlfriends things that seem to have hung around my apartment for too long.
Mikey: Probably about all the stuff I left at his apartment.
Peter: Once again, a song about Neilâs love life!
Christopher: You’d have to ask Neil what the lyrics are about but I wrote the guitar riff about my childhood cat named Poosh Poosh.
6. Which artists are do you currently have on repeat?
Neil: John, Paul and George. Not much Ringo (sorry Ringo!I love you!)
Mikey: Toro y Moi, Ariel Pink, Neil Young
Peter: Currently hooked on Tom Misch, but also Dawes and George Harrison
Christopher: Ty Segall, Mazzy Star, The Beatles
7. Besides music what else are you passionate about?
Neil: This is where you find out how selfish I am. I love playing poker and golf. Those are my two biggest hobbies besides music at the moment.
Mikey: Paranormal investigations and ghost hunting.
Peter: Building shelves for my mom.
Christopher: Spending time with my mom.
8. So we know you’re a big fan of dogs but what animals freak you out?
Neil: Dogs! Iâm actually kind of scared of dogs that I donât know. I never had one when I was a kid so Iâve always been nervous around them. If me and the dog are already friends then Iâm fine!
Mikey: Peacocks and Turkeys
Peter: Puppies. Absolutely terrified of âem.
Christopher: Bro please, this is a trick question. I love all animals and I don’t discriminate.Â
9. Speaking of collaborations who would be your ultimate collaboration?
Neil: Neil Young probably. Or maybe Frank Ocean? I want them to teach my how to write those really sad ones.
Mikey: Maybe Kevin Parker or Gucci Mane
Peter: Alienscum
Christopher: Bernard Purdie, famous drummer, inventor of the Purdie shuffle. I could watch that guy talk and play forever.
10. Whatâs the most interesting thing youâve read or seen this week?
Neil: I found out that there are twice as many Tigers in captivity in the U.S. than in the whole of the wild. #JoeExoticforpresident
Mikey: Not seeing any of my friends because of quarantine.
Peter: I saw a makeshift face mask that consisted of two wads of toilet paper stuffed up the nostrils.
Christopher: That the 5th oldest known tree was burnt down by a woman from Florida who was smoking meth inside it, in 2012.
11. What do you wish you’d get asked in interviews?
Neil: Why are you so goddam good looking?
Mikey: Whoâs being the most fun in the band right now?
Peter: This exact question
Christopher: Why we won’t tour to Florida
12. Favourite lyric/bar of all time….
Neil: âTell me that youâve heard every sound there is! And your bird can swing! But you canât hear me!â â and your bird can sing The Beatles (I donât have a favourite of all time, there are too many good lyrics. But this one I really like right now, itâs just so fun to sing âAnd your bird can swing!â with John Lennon.
Mikey: âThirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six oh what a winning handâ
Peter: âWould you be an outlaw for my loveâ
Christopher: “It’s a girl my lord in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me”
13. Motto I live by…..
Neil: You only Yolo Once
Mikey: Another day, another beer
Peter: Try everything 2018
Christopher: If you ain’t first, you’re last
14. What’s next for Peach Pit?
Neil: A butt load of touring hopefully! And a lot more song writing so that we can put out another album ASAP.
Mikey: Playing the new songs for our amazing fans.
Peter: FaceTime band practice. The lag is going to be an issue but weâre hopeful.
Christopher: Hugging each other, this quarantine turned this band into an online friendship and I just wanna give my homies a tight squeeze.