A Q&A with Pistol Daisys

Alt-pop with crushing beats, from Glasgow…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
Our latest single is ‘Honey!’, and it’s about embracing the sweetness of being the villain in a relationship. Making this song was almost cathartic, because we had to own up to our own faults in our past relationships and confront the fact that we actually played a part in their demise.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The only hard part was actually finding the time to record, plan and release the single, given that we were in the midst of touring with Big Country. Being an indie band, we’ve got to sort everything out ourselves, and although it’s been hard work making sure everything’s in order whilst balancing our busy schedules, we’ve got each other to depend on and that made all the difference.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
Lewis produced this track. We love producing our music within the band because we work so well together in the studio, and I think the dynamic between us in that setting is super important towards actually producing, mixing and finishing the songs. (And it also saves money!)

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
We want our listeners to feel empowered and for them to use our music as the soundtrack of their lives. Music is such a powerful agent for emotion, and what we love hearing is how ours resonates with listeners out there. So if our music can make a listener laugh, dance, shout, or cry, that’s honestly the best gift we could ever hope to receive.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
The process usually starts with an idea by Belly and Lorna. Usually the two come up with lyrics and the topline melody ready to go, and that’s when Lewis steps in with an arrangement idea, producing and building the instrumentation around that idea.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
Our individual musical tastes are very eclectic, but one band that has collectively influenced us since the start of Pistol Daisys is Fleetwood Mac. Their musical innovation and spirit of collaboration is something that we’ve adopted when working together and has only brought us closer not just as bandmates, but as friends.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
We would love to tour America one day. Belly’s dream venue would be The Bowery Ballroom in New York. Lorna’s is the Carnegie Hall, also in New York.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
Definitely ‘Honey!’, because that’s our latest single, and we really feel that we’re coming into our own as a band. We’ve definitely found what makes Pistol Daisys, Pistol Daisys, and you can hear that in this track.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
Straight to the top! We’re manifesting sold-out world tours, awards, and all that jazz. Hopefully, we’ll be doing this for a long, long time. But for now, we’re just keeping our heads down and hustling, because even being able to call this our career is a blessing that we know we’re lucky enough to have.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
“Look out we’re the band your daddy warned you about.” (taken from ‘Honey!’)

Find out more about Pistol Daisys at pistoldaisys.com