Galway post punk psych rock outfit Punching Peaches deliver debut EP Emperors of St. Mary's Road
EP: Emperors of St. Mary's Road
Band: Punching Peaches
Released: July 22 2023
Artwork for Emperors Of St Mary's Road by Punching Peaches
They have a 70s grit and crunch but their style is instinctively punk by the way they play. Their riffs and melodies interact by being fast-paced, snotty and fed up.
Close your eyes and imagine if your life was directed by Guy Ritchie: what would the soundtrack be? You and the lads are on the run from coppers, trying to figure out where would be a good place to hide. You've got some stuff in your bags that could send you and your mates away forever and all you can do is run. In a cheesy Pink Panther themed chase scene on your TV screen, what sound is coming through your stereo?
It is fast-paced with crunchy distortion and a rhythm that gives the image of feet picking up speed to get away before being nabbed. Punching Peaches' new EP Emperors of St. Mary's Road, is a time capsule of the crunch of the 70s hard rock era. Behind the crunch, they have this psychedelic void that surrounds the band. Almost like the Deftones, not in sound but in an atmospheric edge where it feels like something is surrounding you.
This shoegaze curtain surrounds each song while the band plays the other instruments and sings. It feels like there are almost two bands going on that are imperfectly in sync. They have a 70s grit and crunch but their style is instinctively punk by the way they play. Their riffs and melodies interact by being fast-paced, snotty and fed up.
Punching Peach's lyrics and singing feels as if he is throwing his poetry into the void accompanied by space-like sounds and vibrations. Like the words are coming from a different dimension in a psychedelic shoegaze style. Like My Bloody Valentine with more energy and you are actually able to understand what they are saying in Peaches' lyrics.
Their song The Guide gives you this rolling drum beat, buh dum, buh dum, buh dum that lets you tap your foot and headbang along. It has an eerie upbeat melancholy sound that would absolutely resemble your mates on the run with a cutaway scene of them hiding behind a wall, heads poking out on one side behind the cops. Before, in comedic fashion, the cops look one way as your mates pop out the other to make good their escape.
Comedic chase scenes aside, Punching Peaches' sound is an ultrasonic gritty psychedelic 70s fast-paced thing that is hard to pin down. It doesn't fit into one category because each song goes into its own journey that creates little intricacies. A sound that captures their passion, talent, and absolute ability to burn a house down.
Punching Peaches are an Irish post-punk/experimental band from Galway. They line up as vocalist/guitarist Conor King, guitarist Jack Sinnott and drummer Naoise Jordan Cavanagh (who is also the drummer in Adore). The group cut up and combine an un-tasteful smattering of sonic influences as well as taking cues from the worlds of art, literature and cinema.
The beautifully evocative title is taken from a poem written by Conor's poet father Gary King.
The brilliant Punching Peaches' debut single Wristwitch appears on this Blowtorch vinyl compilation
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