Following the release of their latest EP Welcome To The Dead Club on SaySomething Records, we asked Pretty Pistol to take on our A-Z challenge so we can find out more about the band!
A song that made you want to make music?
Our name comes from a Marilyn Manson song – The Love Song. We all grew up musically in the ‘00s, and Manson was a big part of that. Weirdly his cover of Sweet Dreams was a big influence. The Fight Song, too. Sorry, that’s three songs, isn’t it?
Best rider you have had?
Four pack of beer and a bag of crisps, probably. It’s not as rock ’n’ roll as you think, this rock ’n’ roll business.
Craziest moment in the band?
Probably seeing the singer of a relatively well-known band that we were supporting photocopy his arse and then kick a glass door in. Not sure what his endgame was there.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
We’re not really a ‘deep’ band, we wear it all on our sleeves. The opening lyrics to No Guts (This is Glory) spring to mind: “Blood is thicker when you’re cutting deeper, ice is getting thinner, it’s between me and you.” We do have a song called Deep Hole though, so technically that’s the deepest.
Easiest song you wrote?
Cry Wolf was almost too easy. We needed an extra song to take the studio and we smashed it out in about an hour, turned out to be one of the best things we’ve ever recorded. The lesson is: never try.
Favourite song in your set?
We love playing Cry Wolf, which is becoming our usual closer – one and a half minutes of pure punk chaos. We’ve played it so many times, but we never get tired of it. Hurricane is becoming a fast favourite too, though.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
Courtney Love is responsible for us even existing – half the band met at a Hole show back when we were teenagers. So she can come and write a song with us any time she likes, because we owe her one.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
None of it is particularly hard – you just turn up, do a gig, go to the studio, write some songs, easy – but there’s the admin side of it that we’re having to get better at. Until we become massively successful and can pay people to do it for us. Or so successful that people pay us to do it for us. That would be better.
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Billy Larsen is not Billy’s real name. It’s Billiard le Baignoiré, but he doesn’t want anyone to know that, so don’t tell him we told you.
Jokes you have in the band?
For some reason our producer John kept pulling Billy aside and making him sing ‘Be Our Guest’ from Beauty and the Beast, so we’ll bust into renditions of that from time to time. Seriously, put our service to the test. Tie your napkin round your neck, cherie, and we’ll provide the rest.
Key to writing a song?
The first version you write is not the finished song, so don’t freak out if you put all the parts together and it sucks. Most songs suck in their first incarnation, but you can’t make it better if it doesn’t exist, so just get a rough version down, look at it all together, then start working on it.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
About five feet. We’re one of those shitty London bands that hasn’t bothered to step outside the M25 yet. But we’re gonna go on tour later in the year, so that will change.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Seeing Alison Mosshart with The Kills at Village Underground a couple of years ago was unbelievable. They’d been away for a few years and they just tore the roof off. That gig kinda changed everything for us, but that’s what an amazing gig is supposed to do.
New band you’d recommend?
Phoxjaw. Holy shit, Phoxjaw are so good. You’ve got to see these guys live, they will blow your head off. They supported us once and honestly we were almost embarrassed to go on after them. There was so much surging power they nearly blew the stage lights.
Opening for this band would be ideal?
Brody Dalle is one of our heroes, we’d love to open for her. (And then hang out and party after, of course.)
Place you’d most like to tour?
Australia. Sick of the fucking cold, man.
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
You seem like a great person, so buy our EP.
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
Welcome to the Dead Club is a theme across a few songs on the EP. It’s the place you send people to when they’ve fucked you off beyond recourse. Liars, cheaters, time-wasters, manipulators – you’re in the dead club.
See us live at?
We’re at Scream Lounge in Croydon on Friday April 13th, then at St Moritz Club in London on Saturday April 14th. We’ve got a bunch more dates to come, so head to facebook.com/prettypistoluk and give us a like to keep up to date with shows.
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
Music now isn’t better or worse than before, it’s just different. The music from the old days (the music that has stood the test of time, anyway) was obviously great, but the environment it was made in was dominated by men, both in terms of bands and the industry. That’s changing, though it sucks that you still see festival bills where maybe 2% of the acts are female. And with the internet, you can access more music from loads of genres, which is great. We’re a punk band and we love rock music but we’re not about to shit on rap or grime or EDM or anything else that’s developed away from guitars.
Unusual merchandise?
The EP is available on cassette, which is pretty unusual for anyone that hasn’t travelled through time from 1995. We did live t-shirt printing at our first EP launch, those will be pretty rare now. If you’ve got one, hang on to it, it’ll be worth tens of pounds one day.
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
We’ll release jazz versions of all our songs once we get too old to do the punk thing. Get some jazz flute on Drive Me to the Dogs. Perfect.
What do your fans mean to you?
They’re brilliant. We’ve gotten to know some of them over the last couple of years, we’ll always say hello and have a drink and a chat before the show if they’ve come out to see us. If you don’t have respect for the people that come to your shows or buy your merch then you’re in the wrong game.
X-rays or any other treatments needed for band injuries?
Billy broke his foot recently. Wish we could say it was jumping off an amp or something rock ’n’ roll, but he was just running to Sainsbury’s to get a sandwich before it closed and fell over. C’est la vie.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Honestly, it could be any one of us. Laura is the most punctual, but even she’s cut it fine a few times before now. We make up for it at the show though, so if any booking agents are reading this, don’t be put off.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
We’re a pack of wolves. We’re sharp, fast, and coming for you. But give us something to eat and we’ll be your best mates.