Piroshka have today unveiled 'She's Unreal' and 'Never Enough' live at Strongroom (Shoreditch, London). You can stream the pair of session videos on Gigwise below.
We greet this release with open arms because the album the below tracks are plucked from - Brickbat - is one of the best of 2019 so far. It sees singer Miki Berenyi’s nobly stirred, overtly political lyrics fit alongside saturated soundscapes which draw on - but certainly aren't limited to - chamber pop, synth pop, dream pop, punk, psychedelia and shoegaze. Tastefully assembled and superbly mixed, the ebbing and flowing album appears to hold as much of Berenyi’s spirit as it does the three other people next to her in this impressive new band; a healthy band dynamic is palpable and encouraging for the future.
The live sessions offer us an alternative glimpse at two tracks from the beloved album, and showcase their live prowess brilliantly thanks to top-notch sound.
To accompany this essential watch are some exclusive notes from Berenyi on the lyrics and recording process of the album versions of the below tracks. So without further ado, we'll pass you over:
'She's Unreal'
"This was one of the very earliest Piroshka tracks and it was a proper collaborative affair. Justin started it off by sending an MP3 of the drum track with some chords, and the rest of us just piled in with our individual parts. We rehearsed and routined this one a lot before it felt right and when we recorded the track at Brett Shaw's 123 Studios in Peckham - he also had a hand in how the song turned out. We were struggling with the arrangement and he flat out said: 'the bit you think is the chorus? It's not the chorus. That "bored of this now" part has to happen again'. And he was right.
"Lyrically - well, I'm not a fan of porn. It upsets me to see women portrayed as compliant meat - manhandled and poked and visually devoured for entertainment. 'She's Unreal' is the webcam watching the watcher, turning the gaze back on the consumer. And seeing the effect it has on his expectations and actions in the real world. And how he might look if the camera were turned on him."
'Never Enough'
"The song started from a short little drum bit that Justin sent - the 4/4, 2/4 sections - and grew from there. The working title was 'Lemon Meringue' - just because it's what I would sing in a particular bit before the song had lyrics. Moose still thinks we should have called it that on the album! It's another song that we rehearsed loads, so it grew a lot from the first version and continued to do so as we played it live. I think even this version is quite different from the album.
"Lyrics: Greed, entitlement, privilege - it's everywhere! Often accompanied by a lack of empathy and compassion, wilful self-justification and aggrandisement, and a need to 'win' at all costs. Which by definition means that someone else has to 'lose'. I'm all for striving toward a goal and reaching for the stars, but not when it means snatching way more than you need and then setting fire to everyone else's opportunities so you can feel unassailable and better than everyone else."
About Piroshka:
According to a recent interview, Piroshka formed after Miki Berenyi short-term reformed the legendary shoegaze band Lush in 2016 and felt compelled to carry on in music but not with Lush. Joining her in Piroshka is her long term partner KJ "Moose" McKillop, and two other legends of the 90's indie: Modern English's Mick Conroy and Elastica's Justin Welch. The latter two have played in Lush during the reunion.
Piroshka have a handful of gigs and festival shows coming up this summer. Stay tuned for more to come.
June
21 - Edinburgh Southern Exposure Festival
22 - Liverpool, Phase One
23 - Lancaster, Get It Loud in Libraries @Lancaster Library
July
27 - Topcliffe, Deer Shed Festival
28 - Kendal Calling, Tim Peaks
