Words: JT

Peaches XL Recordings

Klublife: The new album sounds as though you took a little more time from a writing perspective. Did you take more time from a songwriting aspect on this one?

Peaches: Yeah. I would say that on the first two albums, it was very important for me to prove that a) I can do everything myself, b) produce it, c) make everything from this one machine, d) not do anything, but like you said, be really in your face about lyrics and try not to, you know, sing too much or anything. So after I proved that for two albums—and I think I got pretty far doing that—I feel like it’s time for me to expand and feel comfortable getting into songwriting more, become a better producer and learn more about production by working with a co-producer and stuff. So yeah, it was all very exciting and, you know, all my sounds from the machine were replaced by original Mooks, Jupiters and Junos, you know, those keyboards. All the guitars were played actually by me but through, like, Les Paul Junior guitars and Marshall amps. And all the drum machine sounds were replaced by like original 808s and this drum machine that I love called drum tracks, Lynn drums. And all the warmer, original ones. And then also, Mickey’s really amazing at recording live drums and stuff. So I got to use full kits this time and everything.

Klublife: You also have some interesting collaborations on this album which are sort of out of left field for you, but maybe they’re kind of a branch of an extension of what you’re doing as an artist. I mean Joan Jett got involved on the record?

Peaches: Yeah. On my last album I had a song called “I Don’t Give A” which basically was a full-out right, all the music was just a sample of her song, “I Don’t Give A Damn About My Reputation”. And when she heard that, she thought it was brilliant—a brilliant up state of what she wished she could have said when she made that. And then she listened to my album—I don’t know what you have to edit out—but my album “Fatherfucker,” and she thought that album said a lot of things that she wished she could have said back then, you know? So she became a big fan of that album and she was in town while I was in the studio and called me and just said “Hey, it’s my 47th birthday, you want to come and hang out?” And she came and hung out. And it was like, we were working on that song and she was like “Oh, it’s a cool song” and I’m like “Do you want to play guitar on it?” and she was like “Okay.” “Do you want to sing on it?” “Okay.”  

Klublife: Wow. It was that spontaneous, eh?

Peaches: Yeah, yeah. So, I mean all the collaborations I’ve ever done, they just kind of come up. Which is so cool because I’m not like “must get Joan Jett on album, had Iggy on last album,” you know?

Klublife: You also have a unique ability to bring fresh blood into the band and the creative process. How did you pull the people in to be on the band? Is this something you brought—you know, did Samantha Maloney come in a do some drums on the albums or were these like invites after the album was done?

Peaches: Well actually, Samantha Maloney came into the picture early on. I met her on New Year’s Eve in New York. New Years going into 2005. She came to see me play at this New Year’s show and we got together and she’s like “I’m not just a rock chick, you know? I make beats and I’m a Queens’ girl and I love hip hop.” It’s true, she’s such a hip hop girl and she loves the slow jams, she’s hilarious. She came to Berlin like, just on a whim—just saying, “Hey, I want to work with you, let’s work together.” We hardly knew each other, we hung out for 10 days and just made beats and it was—and she actually got a drum kit flown to her because she’s sponsored by Sonor. She’s like “Yeah, uh, I need a drum kit” and they just like fly her one. We’re in Belgium and she’s like “Yeah, I need cymbals” and they send her like this gorgeous kit. And then we made beats and jammed and um, she’s so amazing. And totally inspiring. Yes, I was really excited that she was a girl too, you know like, not to say……but to just, like, hang out with another girl and just like totally makes beats, hang out, laugh—it was really fun. And “Hit It Hard” and “Rock the Shocker,” those came out of, like those beats came out of that session. I learned a lot, I mean I didn’t know midi and stuff, I was like “no-o avoid, avoid.” She was in Hole and then she was in the Courtney Love Band and so was Radio Sloan. So she, she suggested Radio Sloan to me. That’s the only person I didn’t know, Radio Sloan. And JD (Samson from Le Tigre)’s a really good friend of mine, and I asked her like a few times to be in my band and she was like “ummm.”  

Impeach My Bush hit the stores July 11th this summer and showcases Peaches in some familiar settings while giving you a taste of something new and juicy. Her songwriting and collaborations are taking a fresh new direction that will take you by surprise. But don’t worry, she hasn’t lost that 303 kick with sex appeal, it’s still there with the straightforward, in-your-face lyrics and beats. Look for her tour to hit this fall across Canada.