Since ‘Fuck The Pain Away’ in 2000, electronic producer, performance artist, activist and fashion visionary, Peaches has demanded to be heard.
Her sexually-progressive themes and wildly experimental sound has made her live shows a must-see all over the globe. Since her last album, ‘I Feel Cream’, in 2009, there has been an evident shift in music, especially electronic music, and everything overtly sexual and futuristic has somehow become mainstream.
Peaches talks about how this technological revolution has affected her art. “I’m always going to be in fast forward with technology. When I started people were like, ‘Whoa! Electronic!’ With the multimedia stuff, I feel like everything has caught up. It’s such a good time because you can make things as nasty and dirty and raw as you want but they sound hi-fi, which is an incredible feat because before, it was either 'this is so dirty' or 'this is so clean'. So for me it’s exciting.”
Six years after 'I Feel Cream', Peaches is releasing a new album, ‘RUB’, and will be touring the new songs for the first time at Groovin’ The Moo and her own headlining sideshows. And in true, unexpected, Peaches fashion, she will be turning full circle with a solo show. “It’s gonna be closer to my earlier shows. It’ll just be me onstage. It’s funny because I’ve had two different, incredible bands and I love working with bands. But there’s something on the edge and terrifying when it’s just me with the audience. You know, a great way to be spontaneous and interactive. It’s my first tour with the new songs and I’m really excited to play for everybody.
"I’m really excited about this album. It’s quite minimal and it’s quite powerful. I think what I have and what I’ve always had to bring to the table is me and my way of interacting live with an audience, which is an experience that happens right there … I have no illusions that this is gonna change music or that I'll become a pop star because of this album. And I haven't changed to try to be like that. I’ve just made as post-gender music as I could and also continue to be me.”
Peaches speaks about the power of revealing more through less via her recreating Yoko Ono’s ‘Cut Piece’; a performance that Peaches was asked to do by Yoko herself. During this performance audiences were invited to cut pieces of Peaches’ clothes off until she was left naked. “It was quite a different performance piece for me because I’m standing still. To keep my mouth shut is already a feat – my whole performance is based around vocals and physicality. The audience is acting on me instead of me being in their face. I’m not talking at all. I’m not moving and you just hear audience reactions, like horrified at where people are cutting or titillation or disappointment. At the end Yoko came to me and said ‘that is the loudest, most powerful performance that you’ve done'.”
This is the beauty of Peaches. Her style and talent is so unique and authentically hers that any number of artistic projects can be spawned at any given time and still be relevant and shocking. In addition to her albums and notorious live shows, she has performed Jesus Christ Superstar as the one-woman-show ‘Peaches Christ Superstar’ and released the film ‘Peaches Does Herself’.
This year she will be releasing ‘What Else Is In The Teaches Of Peaches’ - a photo book in collaboration with Berlin photographer Holger Talinksi. “Holger used to be a skater kid. He just had the idea. I didn't know him at all. He’s not like a famous photographer or anything but he asked if he could take pictures and I thought, ‘that’s cool someone wants to document. That’s fun, what an opportunity! But what if he’s like a slimy dick?’
"So I told him to come to one show. And he was a total sweetheart and really helpful and got along with everyone really well but not in a opportunist way, just generally great human. So I started inviting him on the tour or come meet my family or give me a hand doing this or come party with us. I think there’s a good mix of onstage and off-stage photos. I think he wanted it more of documentary [style], so pictures of me picking dirt from my toenails and stuff like that. But after 6,000 photos and spreading them out on my floor that’s where we really started to collaborate."
‘RUB’ will be release later this year and photo book ‘What Else Is In The Teaches of Peaches’ can now be pre-ordered.
Written by Jann Angara
Peaches Tour Dates
Sat 25 Apr – Groovin' The Moo OakbankSun 26 Apr – Groovin' The Moo Bunbury
Wed 29 Apr - The Bakery (Perth)
Fri 1 May - The Hi-Fi (Melbourne)
Sat 2 May - Groovin' The Moo Bendigo
Sun 3 May - Groovin' The Moo Canberra
Wed 6 May - The Hi-Fi (Brisbane)
Fri 8 May - The Hi-Fi (Sydney)
Sat 9 May - Groovin' The Moo Maitland
Sun 10 May - Groovin' The Moo Townsville
