The Peeps are a four-piece band based in Brighton, writing and performing melodic songs with a 60s vibe.
The band only formed three months ago they’re a tight knit bunch, ready to reach a big audience with their music.
Here, guitarist and vocalist Ryan Ede, keyboard player Jake Marlowe, bassist Brandon Midlane and drummer Malte Henning talk about the start of their band, their recent show at the Alternative Escape and their plans for the near future.
How long have you guys been together?
JM: Three months coming up to four. Our first gig was on the 23rd of March, so
BM: That’s when we got Jake involved. We also had a really different keyboard player back then.
How did The Peeps start?
MH: Ryan asked around for people to play in his band and he asked me to play guitar. So we got together with some other people and played a few times but then the keyboard player left after the first rehearsal, so I told him I have a neighbour who can play the piano and that was Jake.
BM: There was one rehearsal where our original drummer didn’t show up, so Malte played drums for us instead and afterwards we were like ‘wow’.
MH: So then we just had one guitar and I became the drummer somehow.
BM: As for me, I had some experience playing bass in a function band, and then Ryan asked if I played bass and if I liked playing bass, so I said ‘yeah’. There’s no mythology to The Peeps, really.
Who are your influences for The Peeps’ music?
RE: Main influences for me would be The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, the sixties really.
JM: I’d say politics as well, in the sense that you write a lot of songs about that, it’s mostly about Theresa May or Donald Trump at the moment. Brandon and I both used to listen to a lot of classical music, that’s probably why we arrange and compose quite a bit and why we take some lead in messing up Ryan’s songs, and then Malte has got his grungy drums, so I’d say all the backgrounds we have help what our music is in the end.
Tell us about studying at BIMM Brighton?
JM: BIMM is the reason we all met each other, the reason why we all came down to Brighton and how we came together as a band.
BM: It’s a very good social place as you’re surrounded by musicians and you actually get along with so many different kinds of people.
You guys headlined Pitcher and Piano during the Alternative Escape, how was that?
MH: It was actually really good. We’ve played it a couple of times before, but with the Alternative Escape they did it at The Hub on the seafront at the back of the bar and we got to play a lot louder. And the crowd all loved our song Embarking On A Journey.
JM: It was a much better stage there, it gave more space for everyone and it wasn’t so in your face either.
BM: There was a different crowd of people as well, a lot of younger people and just different types of people in general.
What music are you working on at the moment?
JM: The main thing we’ve got planned for now is our new EP. We’re looking at October as the deadline for when we will professionally record it. We want to record a five or six track, so we’re keeping the songs that people know on it and will probably put some new ones on if we have enough tracks.
BM: We’re thinking about naming it after our song ‘Embarking On A Journey’.
You guys are playing the Hope and Ruin on the 12th of June, are you excited for that?
RE: We’re really looking forward to it and Malte gets to play loud. I’m going to turn up my amp.
BM: We will play a couple of new songs and some variations on old ones.
MH: It’s going to be huge. And there might be a surprise, people should come to come see. It’s £4 and it’s for a good cause, all the money goes to The Clock Tower Sanctuary.
Comments