No band to have come out of burgeoning Birmingham scene has travelled as far and fast as Peace. In the last year and a half they’ve toured relentlessly, playing all over the UK, throughout Europe and several dates in the US, including a recent pilgrimage to Texas for SXSW festival where pop prince Usher was stageside to check out what the hype was all about.
Having signed to Columbia Records, the boys hooked up with producer Jim Abbiss, a guy who’d previously manned the mixing desk for the Arctic Monkeys and Adelle, to record debut album ‘In Love’ at the end of 2012. Released last week, the debut record is a collection of pop-centric guitar tracks full of infectious hooks and heartfelt lyrics, with sing-along choruses that are sure to go down a treat at the numerous festivals Peace are playing this summer.
ClashMusic caught up with lead singer Harrison Koisser to discuss the songs that soundtracked his childhood, growing up in an area that few would have predicted would have produced quite so many breakthrough bands in 2013.
Tell us about a song you danced around in nappies to:
SMOOTH OPERATOR – SADE
"I can remember this being on and dancing around and seeing my reflection in the tiny (seemed massive at the time) TV we had in our family bungalow on Pitt Street in Kidderminster. Every time I hear this song I'm taken back to that image of seeing myself in the TV and being maybe 1 or 2 years old. That's probably my earliest memory. I want to say I was holding a yellow plastic French horn but I might have imagined that."
…sang in the schoolyard:
SUBSTITUTE – THE WHO
"The Who were my first favourite band when I was 9 or 10. My dad had ‘Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy’ on vinyl and was completely obsessed. This was my favourite song for some reason. I liked the image of having a plastic spoon in my mouth but didn't know what that meant at the time. I can remember singing this on the playground when we moved out of Kidderminster."
…first bought with your pocket money:
A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION A LITTE MORE ACTION – ELVIS VS JXL
"I can remember making my mom buy me Aqua ‘Barbie Girl’, Led Zeppelin ‘II’ and James brown ‘Sex Machine’ but I think the first CD I ever bought by myself, with my own money, was the Elvis vs JXL single. It was everywhere and I thought it was so fucking cool."
…entered your teens to:
RAPE ME – NIRVANA
"I got into Nirvana when I was 13 or so. Me and my best friend Tyler listened to ‘Rape Me’ on repeat all the time. Legends."
…heard at your first gig:
MUSTANG SALLY – THE COMMITMENTS
"My dad's band Blind Lemon have been going since way before I was born. They have a strong Commitments vibe. They've always ended with 'Mustang Sally'. They were my first gig and I thought them playing 'Mustang Sally' was the best thing I'd ever heard. Wait it was the best thing I've ever heard. So good."
…played in your car when you first passed your test:
SHE'S A RAINBOW – ROLLING STONES
"When I passed my test, I gave my friend Lauren a lift to college and this was her favourite song. I did air piano."
…heard on your first visit to a club:
MY GENERATION – THE WHO
"They played 'My Generation' at the first sticky floor indie night I went to when I was 16. It was an old trance club and had no lighting except lazers. When they played The Who I tried to climb into a speaker. I also put a cigarette out on my leg that night #yolo."
…sang live…
DONT STOP ME NOW – QUEEN
"When we were 17 me, Sam and Dom played at a friend's birthday party and covered this. In fact that was the first time we played together. We absolutely smashed it."
