Your weekly go-to new music guide brought to you by our London music journo, Peggy as she uncovers the latest ‘bands and artists to watch’ in the post-punk, new wave, jazz and indie communities. This week she discusses writing in the desert, green fingers and the forthcoming 'In Limbo' EP with Brighton and London based, jazz infused singer-songwriter, Max Pope.
@peggyfromearth
Set between London and Brighton, does either city feel more like home? How do you find that the live music scenes differ? The air in Brighton is different and it definitely feels like home. I always feel grounded when I’m near the sea. I’m currently quarantining down here, so I’ve been reacquainting myself with the place. As far as music scenes go, I feel more attached to South East London and it’s combination of Jazz and Punk. It’s very diverse and raw, and has played a big part in my musical journey. Your musical journey looks to have taken you on some intrepid overseas travels – where has been your most inspiring and/or memorable visit? The most memorable creative trip I’ve been on was to L.A, in 2019. I wrote my new EP out there, in a fairly short space of time - some of it out in the desert in Joshua Tree. When I was younger I used to make music dreaming about palm trees and surreal, sun bleached landscapes, so spending time in L.A was pretty inspiring for me. In many ways it’s quite a bizarre place, but the light there is magical and it sparks creativity in me. We’ve currently heard the two singles 'Just Friends' and 'Hologram' taken from your upcoming third EP 'In Limbo'. What else can we expect from the EP and how do the songs fit well together as a whole body? At the time of writing this EP, I felt like I was moving forwards in my life, whilst looking back at what I no longer had. I was inspired by people and places that no longer felt present to me. This feeling of being “In Limbo”, ties all of the songs together as a body of work. Since writing it, the world has entered a mass state of uncertainty, and I feel even more compelled to share my own experiences. The accompanying music videos for both tracks feature a series of impressively fluid dance routines. Does this come naturally to you and what were the concepts behind the videos? The short answer is no! Learning movement routines was a totally new experience for me. When making the videos, I wanted to capture the feeling behind the song, rather than creating a literal translation of the words. I wanted to create a degree of symbolism in the visual, leaving room for interpretation and opening a new door for the viewer. For “Hologram”, Jonjo and I wanted to make something that symbolised the dominance and submission that exists in troubled, and loving relationships. Sometimes we have to go through conflict with the people we care about most. We worked with an excellent choreographer, Grace Nicholls, to help convey this through physical movement. It seems that we’re all living somewhat in limbo at present. How have you been passing the time when not making music? Gardening! I’m growing dwarf green beans and courgettes amongst other things. It’s a good feeling looking after something and watching it slowly grow into something beautiful. With local boozers and sticky floored gig venues closed until further notice, how’d you intend to celebrate the EP release? I’ve been enjoying playing virtual gigs on Instagram every Saturday night, so maybe I’ll do an EP release show from the comfort of my own living room. Other than that, I’ll be stocking up on my own supply of booze when release day comes! @themaxpope Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4jFDIidBH4Id76RCTfnBjB?si=cRP61uhXTdeSOt5Xgx8VPw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl2DaE8mFUQ&fbclid=IwAR2QM2x2jkrsPKkQGsYDm_sdlFyGunWqO8KZA0vNKRtQdo43kfv0JdT0zYM
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