Rock artist PIECES has been around for sometime, releasing a debut track, along with much more music on the way as well this summer! The man himself behind this act goes into discussion's about his music and what he has planned next.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Erm, it’s just me, Paul, aka pieces. The project started during the Covid lockdown of 2020 when I was gifted all this extra time to really invest in my own personal goals in life. It was an opportunity I’d never really had before, or maybe I did but I was just too busy procrastinating or making excuses of why it was out of reach. I had a vision for the music so pursued it on my own to keep it simple, but I’ve been working with some incredibly kind and talented people to bring the project to life, namely Groove Machine duo Alex Condliffe and Noah Booth (Ratboy & Low Lying Sun), ex Prodigy and Pitchshifter guitarist Jim Davies, and Ramon Blanco, grandson’s lead guitarist. These are artists who’ve all had a massive impact on my own musical upbringing, and they’ve shaped what I’m creating today. Plus I’ve got some great friends who have listened to endless mixes and versions of tracks, giving feedback and providing ideas - they’ve all helped me on the way. Putting together a band is the next step.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
My mate Mick actually chose the name ‘pieces’ and it really struck a chord with me, and I’d wasted enough time worrying about a name and just wanted to get the music out there. pieces is a reflection of where I’ve come from… Having recovered from a hopeless drug addiction, I felt like I’d been picking up the pieces of my life over the past few years, and I’m now in a place where I seem t have got my shit together, enough for me to throw myself into my music anyway. The music is a piece of me, all the songs are deeply personal and writing and creating them as helped me heal.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
I’m born and raised in Essex. I’m of mixed heritage, my grandparents were Windrush generation from Guyana (but their ancestors were Indian), and my dad’s family were Welsh. In Essex, the scene is on the up - we’ve got some great bands, artists like Low Lying Sun and Bilk are killing it. Plus we’ve got some real biguns like Nothing But Thieves.
4. How would you describe your style?
It’s so difficult to put myself in a genre, I just think it’s rock music. It’s noisy, aggressive and electronic, but everything’s rooted in bastard heavy guitar riffs.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
My debut track ‘soul’ came out in April. After a number of years clean and sober, I wrote it as a reminder of the chaos I’d left behind in the madness of day-to-day drug addiction. It keeps me focussed on staying out of trouble, trying to be a better person and helping others… I hope the song might help someone else who’s still desperately trying to find a way out.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yep there’s plenty more to come. My next track ‘RIPs & likes’ comes out on June 10th. That and ‘soul’ will form part of an EP this year, with around 5 or 6 tracks on it. There’s more in the back pocket too and I’m always writing.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
That’s the next step for me. Like I said, I don’t even have a band yet. So if anyone likes what they hear, hit me up.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
As an artist, I just want to create something I’m proud of, something that I can say ‘fuck, I did that’ and if people like it, that’s a bonus. I don’t really have a plan, as long as it stays fun and gives me some purpose in life, I’ll keep doing it and see where it takes me.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can listen to my stuff on most streaming services, my socials are all @thisispieces.
I’m not even selling merch yet! I have one ‘pieces’ T shirt and I sent that to Ramon, fingers crossed he’ll wear it when grandson plays at Download! If this is out before then, come find me in the pit.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
That’s pretty deep, not even sure of the answer! I just hope they really feel it, turn it up loud and hopefully they might get 3 minutes peace from whatever they’re dealing with in life.
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