Interview The Pineapple Thief

Ne avevamo sentito parlare in passato delle visioni musicali di Bruce Soord, front-man della band prog rock Pineapple Thief (anche se adesso c'è la tendenza di parlare di "post prog"... mah!); i nostri informatori ci suggerivano l'ascolto da tempo ma stare appresso a tutti in un pianeta in cui ogni singolo abitante in teoria potrebbe fare un disco provandosi a distinguere dagli altri (e opponendo pregiudizialmente l'ineguagliabilità del carisma e della bravura di Steve Wilson dei Porcupine Tree). Abbiamo peccato di ignavia e ascoltando il recentissimo Tightly Unwound, per la K-Scope, sussidiaria della Snapper, dovremmo ricorrere all'autofustigazione! La musica di questa band, oltre ad essere di considerevole tenore tecnico (fattore che per emergere nella scena prog, soprattutto quella britannica, è primario), emoziona raccontando con la voce del leader (non molto diversa da quella del leader degli Smashin Pumpkins) storie in cui più di qualcuno si riconoscerà, sanguigna, espressiva nella sua androginia vocale. Non vogliamo anticiparvi nulla... Ascoltate questo disco. E' la nostra bonaria raccomandazione. Buona lettura! The Pineapple Thief "Tightly Unwound" (K-Scope, Distribuzione Audioglobe) 01.My Debt To You 02.Shoot First 03.Sinners 04.The Sorry State 05.Tightly Wound 06.My Bleeding Hand 07.Different World 08.And So Say All OF You 09.Too Much To Lose

In a not so recent pasttime, bike's thieves were considered quite trendy. Now times seems to have changed... Why did you choose such a name for your project? What, you mean pineapple thieves are now trendy? I like that idea, I'll have to encourage it - maybe it could equal the Beastie Boys circa 1986! Well, back in 1999 when I first started the 'project', I had no idea it would evolve into the band it is now. I remember I had just written 'Private Paradise' and Malcolm from cyclops (my old label) had just given me the 'ok' to proceed, but I had no name. There I was, watching a film called 'Eve's Bayou' and a scene appeared where a young girl steals a pineapple. Some local voodoo woman proclaims: 'I can see you Pineapple Thief'. And there you have it. I have no idea why I chose it though. I like it because it gives absolutely nothing away about the music. However, in retrospect it's a bit too close to a certain other 'PT' (a total coincidence by the way). Hence the reason I added 'The' in 2002 to become 'TPT'.

A friend told me that pineapple juice has strange powers... according to him, it should be able to depurate veins, to sweeten sperm... did you know any other advantages for pineapple juice addicts? Ha! I had no idea about that! Well, if pineapple music can have the same effect, it's a cool bonus.

Damn it! Let's be serious... introduce in your own words your forthcoming Tightly Unwound! Someone says that Little Man is your so-called album of maturity, but I think that listening to your last excellent work could ingenerate some doubts in choosing which one should be agreeed with such an epiteth... I was really proud of Little Man when it came out. But it's already 3 years old and since then I have learnt a lot, not just about song writing but also engineering. The last album was weird though. I did it quickly to satisfy my contractual obligations to Cyclops. I didn't want to give them a live album or 74 minutes of my Hoover. So, I wrote 'What We Have Sown' in a matter of 6 weeks. It turned out rather well, but I am really surprise how well it has gone down. I think it says two things - 1) a good album doesn't need to take 10 years and 2) i'm still getting better...

Someone argues that you're trying to emulate Yorke's or Corgan's use of voice in some passagges as well as Radiohead's style in Sooner or later... Any reply? I must confess, I listened to some early Thief the other day and laughed at how much I was trying to sound like Corgan. At the time I was obsessed by 'Adore'. I don't do that Corgan whine any more though! I was also influenced by the engineering of Flood and Nigel Godrich - that probably explains the sonic similarities. With 'Sooner or Later', the drum sounds were definitely influenced by the noises flood gets (he used similar techniques during U2s ironic pop days and also with PJ Harvey). As for Radiohead, I'm a fan so I'm bound to absorb some influences but certainly not consciously. Having said that, Nigel Godrich produces all their stuff and he's a genius. Beck's album 'Sea Change' is sonically, my reference album.

I appreciate your redefinition of British prog, an expression that too many people associate with bands such as Porcupine Tree for instance... Some tracks are really original in my opinion, with an impressive grind and an immediate capture on listener's auricles and right brain emispheres!!! Any particular influence on your style from past renowned bands? Does it exist a sense of competition between different prog bands such as in other scenes? Thanks! I think that sums it up nicely. I'm trying to keep things original but at the same time, I feel a need to hit the listener with something immediate but leaving a layer below that only emerges after repeated listens. I grew up listening to the big 70s bands - Floyd, yes, zeppelin, the stones, king crimson etc. I feel a sense of nostalgia towards that period (even though i didn't even exist for some of it) and that translates to my engineering and songwriting. I like to use 'organic' stuff - analogue gear and synths. Not too much whizzy production although I'm a sucker for interesting sounds. The last album, I got a bit over excited with the Roland Space Echo... As for competition, I don't really feel any competition at all, to be honest. We've played a few gigs with some huge egos and that has annoyed us over the years - we're far to polite to be very rock n roll to be honest. I would much rather everyone was nice to each other!

It has always been a semantic mistery since the time I listened Morrisey singing I'm So Sorry... So what's the sorry state in your own definition? It was written about someone very close to me. Actually, all my music relates to experiences that are close. That's really why I chose the title 'tightly unwound' - it tries to convey the sense of tension and relief that people, experiences and emotions can create. The sorry state? I just found someone lost in one. Life can be so unfair - one false move, a single dark cloud can undo all the light in one's life and it's heartbreaking to see it happen to someone close to you. I think that's one of the darkest songs I've written. I always like to have a light, somewhere. But I forgot to mention in the song that there is always a way out of the sorry state...

I really hope to see you perform very soon in Italy... Any anticipation on forthcoming tours? I hope so - it really depends how things go on the new label. We've been really underground for the past 6 albums and only come out of our holes to play a few gigs now and then. We desperately want to tour Europe properly. KScope are a great team so if anyone's going to make it happen for us, they will.

Most of your lyrics evoke a sense of disillution in front of reality even if they seems to be written in a dreamlike state of mind... Yeah, I guess the lyrics convey an attempt to make sense of it all and that's not easy, arguably impossible. That's why I keep them fairly ambiguous although I'm sure I know what I mean when I write them... Some things have happened that just don't make sense. But writing about these experiences is really cathartic for me. Having said that, I don't have a totally bleak view of the world. I love life. I hope that comes across in the music too.

How do Somerset's landscapes "infiltrate" in your own music? I'm lucky to live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world. Near glastonbury, stonehenge, the jurassic coastline, the moors etc. I often write songs in my head when I'm walking around. However, i've also written songs in less obvious places. Busy stations (Clapham was written while waiting for a train at Clapham Junction in London) or riding my bike through dense traffic. I can switch my mind into a different world really easy. I've had years of practice...

What's your personal reverie about a different world? My friends think it's an anti-religion song, but it really isn't. It's about finding meaning in life that doesn't depend on some desperate supernatural or mythical belief (which is different, I think, to faith). It's about being happy, content. But that's not immediately obvious from the lyrics, I confess...

I love those folk-like medleys and romantic rides you seems to use as clutches in the composition or those unexpected mood variations in the same track... From this perspective my favourite track's "too much to lose"! What about the birth of the mentioned track? I'm really proud of that song. It's split into obvious sections but throughout it uses the same base melody. That's what I love about progressive music - i'm allowed to do things like that. But to make it work, 3 minutes just isn't enough. 15 is barely enough! I feel so lucky that I can go anywhere I want when writing a song. In this case, the song writing was linear. I finished the first part, then thought - where is my mood taking me? What does the song mean and how can I convey that with the mood of the music? It was great fun. I have to confess, I find that area of songwriting the easiest.

Who does that "you" of "and so say all of you" refer to? Ah - it does literally mean 'you'. So many people have told me how much my music has helped them, during times of trouble. It's a huge honour but it also makes me feel very humble. If only I could save you all. But I can't. It's really about that. Pineaple juice has healing qualities. Well, so they say.