Hi guys, first off, could you briefly introduce yourselves, name, age, instrument, what you’re up to at the moment (other than being in the band)?
Hi! We’re Ollie (26 / Bass), Dan (26 / Guitar, Vocals), Ben (22 / Drums), Stan (24 / Synths, Vocals), Josh (19 / Guitar, Vocals). And at the moment, we’re sort of a mixed bag of studying and working.
Well, I can imagine that you hear that question quite a lot, but why the name, „Pastel Colours“?
I remember seeing the two words together on TV a few years ago, and I have no idea why, but it stuck in my head. I just like the sound of the words together, so I’m sorry there’s no deep meaning behind the choice of name!
How would you describe your sound in a few words? Keep it short guys!
Loud, psychedelic garage from the bottom of a well.
Let’s talk about your newest single „She Can’t Decide“. The title is obvious, but what’s the song about? What’s the story behind it?
I think it’s generally about the indecision of some people and how it can lead to a collection of other problems in people’s lives. The title seems quite obvious but it actually belonged to another song I had written which had entirely different lyrics. We just lifted it for this one because it fitted so well at a time when we were really looking around for a suitable chorus.
The single is part of your labels (Art is Hard) Pizza Club concept. Could you tell us more about it? And which topping would you chose if you could create a very special Pastel Colours Pizza“?
We’re still unsigned actually, but the Art Is Hard Pizza Club was a great way of releasing something on a one off basis. It basically allowed us access to a fanbase which we hoped would be interested in us, but hadn’t had a chance to hear us so far. And the format of it is great, they release a few physical copies and they usually go very fast, but the track is always available as a free download!
Are there any plans of releasing an album or an EP in near future?
I’m not sure we have any current plans to do either, but I wouldn’t be averse to doing an EP at some point in the near future. If I’m honest, I really love the idea of putting out singles at the moment. I just feel like they’re the perfect medium of music. I love an album the same way that I’d love a 20-minute drone EP or a 3 minute single, but I think that at this point in our trajectory the greatest representation of what we’re trying to do is the single.
What are your biggest influences?
Well I can’t speak for everyone, but even speaking for myself is pretty hard. I’d probably go with saying it’s really a mixture of late 70s/early 80s post-punk and generally psych of all ages. The psychedelic part seems obvious, and I can’t really say it’s not important, but there is genuinely a good range of influences in this band. Ben and Stan are both into Tuareg music at the moment; Dan’s a big fan of Captain Beefheart and Ollie’s into The Zombie’s and 13th Floor Elevators.
Some of the main influences might be seen as psychedelic obviously, but its definitely interesting at the moment when you read reviews and they’re already beginning to create a scene and pigeonhole the influences of the said bands within the scene. It’s just good to remind people that you don’t just listen to the style of music you make.
Does your hometown Falmouth have any impact on your work?
I haven’t lived in Falmouth for very long, I’m originally from London, but I’d definitely say that it gives you the space to breathe and create at your own pace without too much pressure to get playing live immediately. It does have its restrictions, like not having too many great venues for bands and it is miles away from a lot of big musical centres like Bristol and London. But it does have a bunch of great bands for the small size, The Red Cords and The Black Tambourines are from round here and they’re pretty rad.
What you’ve been listening to lately?
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) – Brian Eno
Monomania – Deerhunter
Please Turn Me Into The Snat – Connan Mockasin
The Pseudoteutonic Sounds Of: The 14th Prae Kraut Pandemonium
Rise Ethiopians – I. Haicideons and I. Jarzif
The Continent Lashes Back – Pebbles Vol. 25
Got To Get Your Own – Some Rare Soul Grooves Vol. 1
Philwit And Pegasus – Mark Wirtz
Separations – Pulp
Hung At Heart – The Growlers
The artwork of your first release „Hands Like Silk“ is pretty sick! Which artists design your artworks? And what do they reflect?
Hands Like Silk was done by an artist friend of ours called Fruschian Void, and all of her stuff is amazing. I don’t think it necessarily reflects us, but I definitely think it’s a big attribute to the sound in general. We’d love to have a dedicated light show at some point in the near future. It’s quite a big thing to have though so who knows.
Now it gets slightly less serious… What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you at a gig?
I remember playing an in-store gig at a barber’s in Falmouth, which is pretty weird anyway. And it went completely insane, with people jumping all over the place and crowd-surfing in this tiny room where we’re pressed up against the wall. I was trying to play something vaguely normal but in the end just gave up because my organ kept falling off the stand. Some guy was hanging from a beam on the ceiling, which was pretty cool. Not sure how he got down though.
And last but not least! What would you call a perfect Friday night?
It depends on what sort of Friday it is I suppose. But if it’s a perfect Friday then I guess just going out and seeing what happens. And if it really is perfect, then it’s usually not finished until the next day.
Hier gibt’s die aktuelle Single in voller Länge:
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Yannick