Wednesday 10 November 2010

Amelia's Magazine: Interview with Blythe Pepino of Pepino

Click HERE for my interview with Blythe Pepino of Bristol band, Pepino

 Illustration by Abby Wright. 


Walking home from an evening out is sometimes a slow affair. With the chill of the air rushing through the leaves, the wind whispers, clarity in its breath. This is the time of night, when only the workaholics and the creatives are studious. It is a beautiful time to bask. As it is right here, even the most ridiculous ideas become utterly feasible. And indeed I have planned elopements to South America, psychoanalyzed the health food shop assistant down the road and delivered eloquent obituaries to dead film stars. Oh! It is here when high emotion is reached! When nightingales sing! Sweeping statements are made! And also when nothing at all can be said. Thinking, thinking… thinking. The boy has learned to accept the pace of these evening meanders, the ‘profound’ findings and flighty musings escaping my consciousness. Sometimes it is possible to revisit or even create these times of mesmerizing purity and definition. Often this is through music, which has this indescribable ability of transportation. Pepino is one such band.

I saw them on stage for the first time a while ago and was surprised at the effect they had upon me and all around me. The audience and I were transfixed. Pepinopossess a range of beautiful components. They are ethereal foxes, taken from their country spheres and told to become urban tearaways. Embracing the task before them, they have assessed their situation, screeching and singing melodies to the heavens, they lull strangers and ask questions why. Lead singer, Blythe, 24, has a passion that comes with ease as she recalls the circumstances from which her comical and hearty lyrics originate from. Her terrifically ranging voice soars and plummets with vivacious sensitivity. Listening to their album, Redface is one of those songs that you listen to on repeat, holding you in its clutches. It moves from slow and dramatic to vulnerable and reflective. Meanwhile Rocky, like many of Pepino’s songs, have a touch of grunt and cheeky hilarious flashes, combining with high pitched, sweet, backing vocals and violins swaying and jumping.

Clutter, a response to the cleaning of people’s houses, is a thumper of a tune and their wistful beauty of a song about growing up in the country, The Birthright (not written by Pepino), is rose-tinted and beautiful. The violins and cello add to the juxtaposed sounds of soft drawn out vocals and gusty propelling sounds. Like aTori Amos or Imogen Heap… or Tinkerbell with balls. They’re a contemporary girl de force and unavoidably likeable. Blythe is also in a band called Bizali. Now taking a backseat, she is going full throttle with leading Pepino into the unknown. They have the talent of the few and they deserve the acknowledgement of the many. I meet Blythe after she has had a difficult weekend. I have spent the day working for free at the Bath Chronicle, she has been working in a pub. We blame the fullness of the moon for feeling a bit… strange. Then look up to its plunging light, before I try to work out how to use my dictaphone.

For the interview click HERE

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