With a 48-day tour of North America and Europe, Beach Pit is thriving

Article content

Peach pit with 2 to 3 rounds

Article content

When: April 24, 3 and 8 p.m .; April 25, 8 p.m.

Where: Commodore Hall, 868 Cronville Street, Vancouver

Maps and info: At $ 34.50 livenation.com

The starting lane for Beach Pits 2 to 3 is up Cranville. The pop band from Vancouver goes there to give three Commodore Ballroom concerts in April. The same number of shows celebrating its 40th anniversary is 54-40.

Beach Pit did not even score in its first decade. This band is ready for success.

Created in 2014 when singer / percussion guitarist Neil Smith and lead guitarist Chris Vanderkoy were in high school, the project is in its infancy. Together with guitarist Peter Weldon and drummer Mickey Paskosi, the band hit California pop-rock-and-pop styles, creating a quick follow-up with their 2016 EP, Sweet FA and their 2017 follow-up Being Cho. Normal. This week, it comes from 2 to 3 from Columbia Records.

Article content

Directed by Feast and producer Jack Johnson’s Robbie Lacritz, the 11-track album features a simple combination of glittering currents and voices with Smith’s voice / speaking style. Smith attributes the results to the band’s approach to songwriting this time around. It’s the voice of a group that really knows itself.

“The writing process was the same as always because I wrote the skeleton and copied the lyrics before introducing them to the boys,” Smith said. “Usually there’s been a bit of a mood and mood at first before deciding where to increase all of this. The biggest difference this time was that Chris had more collaboration than ever, like the single lookout that started with the melody and lyrics he sent me rather than his body.

Article content

With video of the band playing in a cradle inside BC, Lookout discovers a complete folk / rock abyss complete with a single harmonica and craft shaker, all positively underlined by the hanging Hawaiian guitar slide, which echoes the vibrant voice. It’s a fast-paced, buzzing tone that is sure to bring a dry smile to the listener’s face. You can not hear any of the dark, moody vibes the singer describes, but the song is not without a dark vibe.

Smith acknowledges that there are 2 to 3 audio / visual constructions, almost a one-story travelogue from Granville to the final title track.

“Videographer and director Lester Lyons-Hookham started with us when we started with him, and he is now a full-time music video producer for all sorts of great bands,” Smith said. “We wanted to transform the world into an album that could visually connect everything to songs, and now we have themed streams of singles released and detailed videos of all other recorded songs. It was great to have the same course throughout the process because we had never done it before.

Article content

By animating music videos as a way for many musicians to convey their meaning, this coherent visual element can be accessed without the pressure of the infection that caused it. Despite sharing high ratings, the new videos are closer to home movies than big-budget productions. Again, this is a conscious decision of the band and the director.

“When we started, Lester was holding us and his hands,” Smith said. “We did a lot of recordings with the production team on the last album, but we didn’t really realize it. So we took it off again because acting was definitely not our strength.

Article content

There is no doubt that Peach Pit has already developed its relevance in the live environment. The live show has a wonderfully natural feel that is completely devoid of rock star attitudes and punchy actions, instead being replaced with a shared sense of fun. Smith praised the group’s initial reluctance to appear in public, appreciating their sense of performance. Chuck Berry is a fan favorite from stunt football and is now immortalized in Vicky’s video.

“When we first started, we played solo four or more times a week, never played with anyone else, and it really shows that we really like playing directly in the band,” Smith said. “When we got in” Hyposonic Studios To score 2 to 3, we found that kind of relief again and made the record better. Like everyone else, we’re coming back a little bit, playing clean, and going on tour because of the long break. “

Article content

We hope the quartet is well fitted.

On tour 48 in support of the new album, the band traveled across North America to the UK and then to European dates. This is their biggest tour to date, and they are all looking to increase their growing fan base in the UK and build support in the Netherlands and Germany.

“Before the epidemic, before you signed with Colombia, we had no real opportunity to go out and do a lot of support for you and your friends. They want us back in the studio,” Smith said. “So we’re going to play a lot of songs we’ve never seen before from this version, and we’re going to come up with new things. Now it’s hard to make a definite list because we have enough songs for people to play, it’s hard to match it with the songs we like.

Fans were already singing with new tunes when Beach Pit made some appearances last year. The rewards of their hard work are truly pleasant.

[email protected]

twitter.com/stuartderdeyn