London duo Pelicandy specialise in synth-driven alt-pop, filled to the brim with seductive hooks and dancefloor-ready grooves. Their new EP ‘Underlove’ is due in September, and it does exactly as you’d expect: tells tales of love and life in bold new ways. Vocalist TC Beecham introduces his band, and tells us about their new single ‘You and Me Baby’.
Hi TC, how’s it going?
Better than ever, thanks. I just shocked some life into me with a cold shower so now I am suitably buzzed for some questioning.
When did you first realise you wanted to make music, and how did you make the jump to being in a band?
Nick and I were both always pretty musical in school. He was the young hotshot drummer four years below me, and my first band needed his chops, so we got him on board, and we’d rehearse at his house. His mum kept an endless supply of Dairylea dunkers in the fridge too, that might have had something to do with it.
Has being a musician lived up to the hype so far?
You discover a lot about yourself when you choose music! You have to be in it for the right reasons, or else you’re in for a pretty disappointing ride. If your creative decisions are honest and your validation comes from within, then you’re winning.
What were your first songs like, and how do they compare to the music you’re working on now?
Our projects used to sit more on the rock spectrum with some truly monstrous riffs I recall. In the pursuit of ever chasing those golden hooks and in our gentler years we’ve mellowed a little and crossed over toward the pop domain. But then every once in a while we might go a bit wild and something like ‘You and Me Baby’ comes along.
Tell us about your new single, ‘You And Me Baby’ – where did it come from, is it about anyone in particular?
I tend to write more broadly than that, but there was one person who I knew was bad for me but was exactly the kind of high energy troublemaker who you’d want to elope with on a road trip across America in a Cadillac, get married, perhaps acquire a suitcase full of stolen money from dangerous gangsters. Basically, live out the storyline of True Romance.
How does it fit into your new EP?
The EP is called ‘Underlove’, love being the underlying theme between songs. This one is about love for your bad self – the devil on your shoulder.
How did you find putting together a body of work, was it a different process to creating your singles?
Our output as Pelicandy has been slow up to this point, so it’s felt great to commit to a release date and let fly these creations we’ve been sitting on for so long. I wouldn’t say the process was much different, but it’s certainly increased the heat having more frequent deadlines, which isn’t a bad thing.
What else are you guys working on at the moment?
We’re working on putting together the live set for our first headline show at The Waiting Room in London on 18th September right now. We’ve gone rogue from our old indie band setup. We don’t want to give too much away about it yet, but we’re putting everything we’ve got into it and hope people will dig what we put together.
What would you most like to achieve during your music career?
First gig in space by Tesla. Failing that, I’m sure Nick and I would be very pleased to cover our expenses.
What do you do for fun?
Roll around with dogs.
Pelicandy’s debut EP ‘Underlove’ is out 10th September.
