Paisley and Charlie’s debut 7-inch single is out on May 9th . We chatted with them about the process and what they learned along the way.
Tuned-Out: This is the first release on vinyl for Paisley & Charlie. How did it come about?
Charlie Darling: We were in Berlin last summer, playing at their Popfest, and were chatting to indie-legends ‘The Orchids’ – they’d just signed to this fab little label on the south coast of England - where we’re from – called ‘Pebble Records’. We’d heard of them, so decided when we got back to the UK we would send them some songs and see if they’d be interested.
Paisley Pattenden: Friends were always asking ‘when are you releasing something?’ so we realized we should probably get onto that.
TO: When did you know the time was right?
CD: Probably on meeting The Orchids and realizing that we would be in good company on the label. Plus it really is about time we actually released some songs – we have been recording together for quite a while now!
PP: We are constantly working on songs together and always wanted to release some. Pebble Records just felt like a perfect fit for us.
TO: What label is covering you on this endeavor? Was it funded independently or did you have any sort of sponsorship?
CD: Pebble Records are funding the entire release – thanks to the lovely and generous Michael – who just loves music.
PP: Michael at Pebble Records is a wonderful person, and not JUST because he is releasing our songs! He has a true passion for music and fairness and is an all-around good egg. Not at all actually round, like an egg. But you know what I mean.
TO: You’ve got quite a catalog of songs already. What are the songs you chose to go with and why did you choose them?
CD: Easy. Michael from Pebble chose them for us! But in all honesty, they were always in the back of our minds as two out of three or four that has always proved to be the most popular.
PP: Julia Misbehaves is a super popular song of ours and Stone Lions is a song that gets people at gigs singing along, which is nice.
TO: Did you have to approach the recording of these songs differently than you have in the past?
CD: No, not really – we always try our best – I think the only thing we had to consider was editing the songs down to what people consider to be ‘radio friendly’ lengths. But, with the marvels of modern technology, we were able to just cut the odd instrumentals and breaks on computer and make sure the endings were neat and tidy.
TO: Were there any guest musicians featured on the recording?
CD: Just the two of us real people (plus a little help from Mr. Cakewalk and Mrs. Cubase).
TO: Were there any “a-ha!” moments during the process of getting your songs on vinyl?
PP: Luckily we just handed over our songs to Pebble Records and they did the rest! The most difficult thing was containing our excitement when playing the test pressings. We felt so happy and also very flattered to have a label invest in us and release our songs. Thank goodness, or the songs might have stayed on Charlie’s laptop forever!
TO: What was your biggest challenge with the whole process of getting your songs recorded, published and pressed on vinyl?
CD: You have to mix songs slightly differently if they’re going to be pressed on vinyl – there are probably scientific, technical reasons behind this – but all I know is that you have to watch the bass and the top end. In all fairness, we didn’t change anything.
TO: Any record release party plans?
CD: Pebble Records are throwing a release party / gig on Friday 6th May at The Betsy Trotwood venue in central London – for us, The Socialist Leisure Party and Tracey’s Love – all Pebble acts – all releasing singles.
TO: Describe the feeling when you got the test pressings in your hands?
CD: It’s a wonderful feeling and even better when we heard the record being played at our friend Carl Henry’s studio – (we don’t actually own a record player). It sounded so warm – marvelous.
PP: It felt like a long time coming, but well worth the wait. I held my breath when the needle went down, it was a magic moment.
TO: Now that you’ve done this pressing, are you considering a full-length release?
CD: Yes, plans are in place for an album, on cd, to be released in June. The two songs will be included in their full-length form too, with a slight re-mix, just to keep people happy.
TO: Is there cover artwork for the sleeve? If so, what are the origins of it and why did you decide to move forward with the imagery?
CD: A friend of ours, the lovely Colin Howe, sent me a collection of films on DVD from the 50s and 60s – one in particular featured some groovy 60s types in overcoats, stripy shirts and thick glasses. I really like the black and white simplicity and the feeling of nostalgia and we decided to try to replicate some of that – on a cold, windy day by the beach in January. The cover shows us with an 8mm cine camera and old-fashioned bottles of cola as if taken by a Polaroid camera. It’s a throwback to days before talent-show, TV popstars and shiny floor videos with circus troupes, dance routines and Auto-Tune effected songs.
TO: Where can people pick up the record?
CD: On the label website at – www.pebblerecords.co.uk
PP: They can come along to any Paisley and Charlie gig over the summer! We will have a few with us.
TO: Any recent gigs coming up you would like notify the readers of?
CD: Betsey Trotwood, London, Friday May 6th
PP: The next gig will be in London but we have other fiendish gig plans coming up, I will update our Tumblr regularly – www.paisleyandcharlie.com
