Last March, Perfect Pussy unveiled their debut albumSay Yes To Love.It’s easy to describe the record as one of 2014’s standout releases. However, a confluence of hardcore instrumentation, washes of feedback, experimental synth work and Meredith Graves’ emotionally urgent lead vocals makes describing exactly whatSay Yes To Lovesounds like a tough task.
“We’re five very different people from very different backgrounds,” says bass player Greg Ambler, “so there really is five totally different elements brought into it. People come together so often and they’re like, ‘I want to start a band that sounds like this,’or ‘I want to write a song that sounds like this.’ [Perfect Pussy] is a general un-acceptance of current ideals. No matter how progressive punk is, there’s always room to build.”
Hailing from Syracuse in Upstate New York, prior to Perfect Pussy the band’s five members had each spent a number of years toiling in their hometown’s punk, hardcore, indie rock and noise scenes. The varying backgrounds could have given rise to a confounding debut. Against the odds, however, Say Yes To Love contains plenty of memorable songcraft.
“There’s a lot of different things that people can take from it,” Ambler agrees, “and at least enough for it to be relatable, for someone to find a personal element. Whether it’s one end of the spectrum or the other. That’s something we noticed, but it’s not anything we homed in on.”
Released via trendsetting Brooklyn indie label Captured Tracks, the album immediately garnered high praise from the likes of Pitchforkand DIY magazine. As a result, Perfect Pussy spent the majority of 2014 on the road. Not surprisingly, achieving near-instant notoriety sent waves of shock through the band.
“It’s pretty much destroyed my entire life,” says Ambler. “So, there’s that. When you’ve been touring for a year, you’re like, ‘I can’t bear to travel anymore.’ I have so much anxiety and mental health issues that I’m dealing with. And we’re all dealing with being with each other so constantly.”
Given the band is a synthesis of several distinct personalities, Say Yes To Love hints at several directions Perfect Pussy could pursue in the future. For instance, there are elements of technical hardcore (a la early Dillinger Escape Plan), no-wave indie (a la early Sonic Youth) and more accessible post-hardcore (a la latter-day Fugazi). However, working on a follow-up record isn’t a priority just yet.
“What we’re trying to do now is focus on other projects and figure out where our own individual strengths lie,” Ambler says. “We talk about how we’re going to write another record eventually, but at this time it’s fucking impossible to think about getting together to do something like that and how it would even turn out. It would be so much different than what this band is in a nutshell, which is this beautiful disaster.
“It’s become harder and harder for us to overlap. We’re all circles, but the coolest thing about this band is where our circles overlap. That’s the tiny space where we all agree. Those have become fewer and farther between as this year’s progressed.”
Anyhow, there’s no need to get ahead of ourselves, as the fact remains Say Yes To Love comprises 23 minutes of convention-defying punk rock. Thankfully, following a couple of months’ rest, Perfect Pussy will soon hit our shores for the Laneway Festival and sideshows.
“I’m so excited to go to Australia,” says Ambler. “After [taking] a little bit of time off it’ll be cool to come over and maybe have fun playing music again.”
Say Yes To Love out now through POD/Inertia. Catch them withLowlife, Tanned Christ, Todd Anderson-Kunert atNewtown Social ClubonWednesday February 4, tickets online.Also appearing alongside Flight Facilities, Flying Lotus, St. Vincent, Jungle, Pond and more at Laneway 2015, Sydney College of the Arts, Sunday February 1.
