It was a very different, but very special and exciting Thursday morning for the Vancouver based indie group Peach Pit. After many months of tour cancellations, social distancing and lockdowns, the quartet finally got to perform their latest release ‘You and Your Friends’ at the Commodore Ballroom for the very first time. And while the live crowd was missing, the band’s talent definitely wasn’t.
Peach Pit’s vibe has always been a smooth, quirky ‘70s take on indie-pop and the band established this whilst rocking up in outfits that can only be described as the ‘70s alternative equivalent of the boy next door. Their intimate livestream never strayed too far from their original path, soft-indie pop that got heightened to a new level with smoky changing lights and a dark atmosphere. And even without the support from an audience, you could see the relaxation of being back on a stage after all this time. Their faster, louder and more energetic songs quickly turned into the peaks of the show as they managed to fill the venue with energy that could be felt through a screen thousands of miles away.
‘Live From Inside’ was the multi-part livestream broadcast series launched by Live Nation Canada and Embrace that Peach Pit took part off. For the event, they played two shows one in the morning for their European fans and the rest of the world and in the evening for their North and South American fans. This participation gave the quartet the chance to create an excellent atmosphere of high-quality sound and amazing visuals whilst still being emotionally connected to the audience. This particular livestream also created a unique aspect to the world of streaming. The audience that normally would sing along and or shout could make noise by tapping a button on the side of the screen.
The Vancouver band gave us a sneak peek of songs that’ll be released on their deluxe version of their sophomore album ‘You and Your Friends’ on the 2nd of October. Peach Pit proved that they manage to make their live shows the best part of their act, not only are they entertaining but they also amplify the quality of lead singer Neil Smith’s voice. Guitarist, Christoper Vanderkooy was the definite outstanding part of the band with his guitar solos that contained pure awesomeness and raw talent.
Peach Pit relocated us to another world with their soft melodic tracks with eloquent sounding words. Part of this illusion was created by the band’s lack of talking to the audience and their perfectly toned mellow music. One of the songs that made everyone forget their problems and anxieties is ‘Shampoo Bottles’. This melancholic masterpiece sounds like the backtrack of an indie coming of age movie and it sounded even more nostalgic live.
2020 was supposed to be a major year in Peach Pit’s career with the release of their second album and the world tour that would’ve happened. It’s almost surreal to think about all the other shows they would’ve played, conquered and made their own. This livestream almost suppressed the constant agony of missing live gigs but there’s still a small part of us that is patiently waiting to see the magic of Peach Pit happen in a dark lit room full of hundreds of others.
You can follow Peach Pit on Twitter and Instagram or listen to them on Spotify.
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Words by: Laura Weingrill & Lauren Dehollogne
This article was previously published in LDN Magazine.
GEM Magazine 