An Exclusive Interview
The progressive notes of The Pineapple Thief are finally landing in Italy: an essential stop for genre enthusiasts. With an official announcement, the British group has revealed their upcoming European tour, a much-anticipated journey that will finally include an Italian date at Milan’s Alcatraz on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Fans of the band can already book their tickets through Ticketone and Ticketmaster.
The sonic experience offered by The Pineapple Thief is unique and engaging, having gathered a following of passionate and numerous fans. Their music is an enchanting blend of immersive melodies, intricate arrangements, and profound lyrics, taking listeners on a journey through the intricacies of the human soul, exploring themes such as introspection, human relationships, and the mutability of life itself. Their dedication to sonic experimentation has shaped a discography spanning over two decades, with works like “Dissolution” and “Versions of the Truth” showcasing the constant evolution of their sound.
Their incredible live performances have become a trademark. Bruce Soord on vocals and guitar, Jon Sykes on bass, Steve Kitch on keyboards, and Gavin Harrison on drums lead the audience through a captivating journey across their musical repertoire. Each concert is a demonstration of musical mastery and the ability to create a live experience that resonates deeply within the soul.
The Pineapple Thief are back with their new album “It Leads To This”, coming out on the 9th of February for Kscope, “The frost” is their first single. National Daily Press had the pleasure to interview them.
1) How would you define your musical style and what are the distinctive elements of The Pineapple Thief?
It’s rock but with quite a few added ingredients. It’s hard hitting at times, atmospheric and melancholic at others.The key for me is to connect with the listener – it’s really obvious when this happens when playing live, it’s a great feeling. But it means you’ve got to get the words and melodies in exactly the right spot.
2) What have been the main musical influences for the band?
I grew up loving progressive rock, our keyboard player loves electronic music, Jon on bass grew up with bands like the Chili Peppers and Gavin, well he’s played with artists in pretty much every genre! So it’s a real musical soup.
3) Could you describe the band’s musical evolution from its debut to the present day?
There were three epochs. Epoch 1 (1999-2003) was me on my own releasing studio albums. Epoch 2 (2003-2015) was when we started getting successful, moved to a bigger label and I formed a ‘band’ so we could tour. Epoch 3 (the big one) began when Gavin joined in 2016 and we reached a much wider audience and grew hugely as a live band.
4) Gavin Harrison, known for his work with Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, has made a significant contribution to your music as a drummer. How has he influenced your sound?
The main thing is that before Gavin, the drums were really there in a traditional Western ‘pop’ sense, primarily to hold down the ‘back beat’. When Gavin came on board, the drums became a key instrument and drum parts were ‘composed’ (as opposed to holding down a beat). And of course as a band we had to raise our game. Gavin has very high standards having been professional since he was 16 years old.
5) Could you discuss the themes addressed in your albums “Dissolution” and “Versions of the Truth” and how they influence your music?
Generally the themes are ‘observational’. Dissolution was when things were starting to unravel in the world. ‘Versions of the Truth’ were when things really starting to get scary and weird. And the latest album, well how DID it lead to this?
6) How did you developed the idea for the album “It leads to this” and what were your main sources of inspiration?
We started writing when the pandemic hit. I remember walking down to my studio and was struck by how quiet everything was. No one was working, hardly any cars on the road. The town I live in had lost it’s ‘hum’. And there was not a single vapour trail in the blue sky. So all a bit strange but great for songwriting. I began to write ‘Put it Right’ there and then. After that the theme of the album carried itself. How did it lead to this? We were at fault right? I was at fault?
7) This album seems to be a merge of contrasting forces and various influences. How would you describe your sound in “It Leads To This,” and what emotions do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
It’s a harder sounding for sure but it came together quite naturally. The fact that there are 4 of us contributing, changing things is great. I never know where Gavin is going to take things and it’s often really surprising. As for how people are going to feel when listening to it, I can only say what emotions it evokes in me, which is a kind of latent regret for all the things I did wrong and a drive to try and put things right while there is still time.
8) “The Frost” was chosen as the lead single. Could you share something about the creation process of this track and why you chose it as the initial single?
I remember I started writing this on a really frosty day, it had a working title ‘Very Frosty’ for years. So we were always saying ‘you know that bit on ‘Very Frosty’ lets do this…’. It doesn’t take long for the name to stick! We changed it to ‘The Frost’ as it’s still a relevant name and reflects where the song came from. It was nice to play something harder, with my 6 string baritone electric guitar. It gives the whole sound a low, sinister edge. The baritone scale is well used in progressive metal, especially with all the 7 and 8 string guitars around these days. But what I like about this song is that we went down to that register but in a rock way, not a metal way.
9) You filmed the video for “The Frost” in Iceland. What was the significance behind choosing this location, and what message were you aiming to bring through the video?
Jeremy George from Blacktide produced and shot the video and I said to him ‘interpret the song how you wish’. There were a lot of ‘ocean’ themes in the lyrics, as well as fragility and love. Iceland seemed like the perfect place to sum that all up. I love how open-ended the video is.
10) Regarding the album’s lyrics, there seems to be a strong connection with concepts of introspection and observation of the surrounding world. How do you reconcile these complex themes with your music?
Yeah exactly that. I watch the world unfold with a mixture of horror and warmth. Horror at what is happening to humanity, the planet, the wars, the polarization. But warmth in that I still see human kindness everywhere, every day. It’s especially vivid when thinking about what kind of world my kids are going to inherit. Strong emotions are always good for writing sincere songs. I can’t imagine doing it any other way, I can’t imagine going on stage and singing if it wasn’t from the depths of my soul.
11) What are your future plans and what can we expect from the band in the coming months?
As well as the new album, we are going to hit the road again starting with a European tour which kicks off in the UK on February 20th and of course we play Milan on March 7th. And hopefully more shows to come.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “THE FROST”
Tracklist “It Leads To This”:
- Put It Right [05:30]
- Rubicon [04:37]
- It Leads To This [04:43]
- The Frost [05:40]
- All That’s Left [04:26]
- Now it’s yours [05:59]
- Every trace of us [04:30]
- To forget [05:20]