Piney Gir’s 2011 album Geronimo was another chapter in what is an under-rated career. She was able to craft beautiful indie pop songs that owed a debt to the 60s sounds of Spector and the Beach Boys. It was music to swoon to, music to dance to and music to harmonise to – it certainly was an interesting day in the Bowlegs office when we tried to combine those three elements while listening to the album. An interesting day and one we shall never speak of again. That aside, we thought we better catch up with Piney and give her a Call Back.
Bowlegs: Which album has been a major influence in your life, and why?
Piney: Well I’d have to say the Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds. I wasn’t allowed secular music growing up because of my strict religious upbringing, but for some reason my dad allowed this album in the car (I guess it’s a pretty wholesome album innit?) So I’d sit in the back seat and sing-a-long word for word. I think this has greatly shaped my musicality because I was so hooked on the strong melodies and I learned to sing harmonies from a very young age. Thank you Beach Boys, for the education!
Bowlegs: What was the last album you bought?
Piney: That’ll be The Rip Tide by Beirut. I love his silky voice and the mariachi trumpets meets eastern European gypsy vibe. Amazing!
Bowlegs: Which bands have you been listening to this week?
Piney: I’ve recently made a Spotify playlist that includes Johnny Cash, Elvis, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and, of course, Jose Feliciano.
Bowlegs: Name an up-and-coming band Bowlegs should look out for?
Piney: Well, I really like Lana Del Rey’s song Video Games. Her album is out soon and I can’t wait to hear it. If it’s all as good at that single, then it will be ace!
Bowlegs: What was the last gig you went to?
Piney: That would be Crystal Stilts at the Scala – it was so good! They really capture that 60s vibe, but they also seem kind of timeless and modern. They were great live – I loved the trumpet playing.
Bowlegs: Who is the best band you have ever shared a bill with?
Piney: Oh my goodness, I’ve played with so many ace people, but I have to say sharing a stage with Wanda Jackson was pretty incredible. She’s such a rockabilly legend and it was an honour to support her and meet her, and she even said how much she liked my music, which meant a lot to me.
Bowlegs: What was the first gig you ever went to, and who did you go with?
Piney: I went with my mom to Worlds of Fun (an amusement park just outside Kansas City where I’m from) and Juice Newton was playing there. She was this amazing Stevie Nicks looking hippie chick and sang her hit Angel of the Morning, with her long blonde hair and tight, flared jeans. It was amazing and was such a change from the church music I was used to. Her band looked like extras from The Dukes of Hazzard TV show. It was the coolest thing I ever saw.
Bowlegs: What made you realize that being a musician was the career of choice?
Piney: For me it’s not a choice. I am not myself if I don’t make music and I do it regardless of the fact I don’t really earn much from it. If I didn’t make music I’d be in a coma, it’s just what I do and I’ll do it forever. The word career doesn’t come into it; it’s who I am.
Bowlegs: What is your favourite music documentary?
Piney: I liked Gimme Some Truth, the John Lennon documentary. It’s brilliant because you see Yoko there telling Phil Spector how to sing backing vocals. It’s like ‘really?’ It’s so funny and so heart-warming, and there are also some real cringe moments. It really captures what it’s like to be in the studio making a record and a lot of documentaries try to glamourize that process. It’s not actually that glamorous, even when you’re someone like John Lennon apparently.
Bowlegs: What was the last film you saw, and was it any good?
Piney: That would be Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. I got it from my local video store because I think Michael Cera is a sweet actor – he’s like the geek boys I fancied in college. The film wasn’t all that, but I liked what it was trying to do. I think it was trying to be a sort of ‘new’ John Hughes-style teenage film, but it didn’t have the same finesse. I did really like that there was music all the way through the film and it was so heavily featured throughout – it was as if the soundtrack was an additional character in the movie. I wouldn’t say it’s a must see though.
Bowlegs: Name three great books Bowlegs must read?
Piney: Oh sure! I love reading. I enjoy the Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin. I like Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (much darker than the film!). And it may seem a little teenaged to like this next one but I love Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. If comic books count, I like Scott Pilgrim too.
Bowlegs: What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Piney: I guess that depends on my mood. Sometimes I see a fat smug face, well kind of. Other times I think I look like a muppet or a cartoon. Sometimes I see my grandmother looking back at me, like the pictures I’ve seen of her when she was young. And if I’m headed out I smack on the war paint and it’s fun to see my face transform from normal to ‘fancy-face’.
Bowlegs: Name a song that takes you back to a certain time in your life?
Piney: That would have to be Respect by Erasure. It takes me back to different times in life. On the one hand, me and my friends used to listen to 80s synth pop in high school (even though I was in high school in the 90s), so it reminds me of driving down North Oak and stopping at the drive-in for a limeade on a hot summer night, dancing around the cars in the parking lot. On the other hand, I toured with Erasure around the UK and Europe in 2003 and again in 2005 and it was so much fun, we got to play to huge crowds of people as the support band and we’d watch the show afterwards. Vince and Andy are brilliant performers and musicians and it was great fun to play with them every night.
Bowlegs: Tell us one of your favourite album covers?
Piney: I really like the Sweetheart of the Rodeo cover (by the Byrds). It’s got this cartoon cowgirl in a heart made of flowers, with all these tiny cowboys and horses around her. It’s cute and colourful!
Bowlegs: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Piney: My friend Paul put his mouth around an entire wine glass so you could see his teeth and gums and everything and downed a whole glass of red wine in one gulp. It’s as if he had a funnel to his stomach and the wine went straight down. I’d vom if I tried that. It was hilarious – he was wearing a purple Jughead (from Archie Comics) crown at the time.
Bowlegs: Do you think music videos are important and do you like making them?
Piney: They are very important to me because it helps me express myself and it makes a song really come to life in a multi-dimensional kind of way. I love putting a visual element to music, it’s great! Yes I love making them. If I had more time I’d make a video for every song I write.
Bowlegs: Are albums still important or is it more about individual tracks?
Piney: I write albums, I like to think the individual tracks on the albums are good as stand-alone tracks. But I like creating a body of work than hangs together and represents a snapshot of a time-in-life for me. So I think it’s about both really … and people can choose to enjoy the music however they want.
Bowlegs: What do you have planned for the next six months?
Piney: I have gigs to promote this new album, and some radio sessions and so on. I am planning a trip to the States to do some shows. I am writing the next album and excited about how it’s going to sound. I will probably record it in the spring. Yes, busy busy, and great fun!
Bowlegs: What is on your iPod?
Piney: I don’t have an iPod. I’m not very techie and I’m not really a gadget girl either. I quite like to just sit back and enjoy a journey or use that time to write lyrics or read a book, I feel like an iPod would be distracting.
Piney Gir has just released her new 7″ Outta Sight, check it here:
