Peaches has just released her fourth album (under the name Peaches), I Feel Cream, and is currently in the midst of an American tour. Taking time out of her gruelling schedule, she spoke with Rachel Cook.
Doing back-to-back interviews for hours, arriving at the Edge Nightclub in Reno, Nevada late and being constantly called to sound check as we spoke – it was not the most conducive state to interview Peaches, but we persevered. Much has been said about the apparent departure from Peaches’ trademark sound on certain tracks on her new album, but the Queen of the Underground says she deliberately set out to make a dance record this time around.
“Rock ‘n’ roll is dead,” Peaches says. “I have never before actively made a dance record, and I decided I wanted to make one. I have been doing a lot of remixing and DJ-ing and I just thought, that’s where it’s at. Club is on, and electro sounds are harder than any metal guitar.
“I Feel Cream is more of a variety show, there are definitely vulnerable moments and very emotional moments.”
Diehard Peaches fans, for whom the graphic lyrics and electroclash are key, still have tracks like ‘Billionaire’, ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Mommy Complex’ to cling to, but the new album challenges the critics who thought Peaches was a one-trick pony reliant on shock tactics. The artist herself thinks there have been clear distinctions between each of her records.
“The Teaches of Peaches, which was done alone in my bedroom, is the masturbation album. I describe Fatherfucker as the role-playing record – it’s about being the man, being the macho putting on the dildo. I describe the third album, Impeach my Bush, as the orgy album, and this album I describe as getting dressed up, having the romantic dinner and then kicking all the stuff off the table and having a good dance, ripping off each other’s clothes and then doing it right there.”
The other new element to I Feel Cream is Peaches’ collaborative production approach. Previously, Peaches has produced her own work, but for I Feel Cream she worked with in-demand producers Simian Mobile Disco and Soulwax, a Belgium duo who have remixed everyone from Basement Jaxx to The Chemical Brothers to Gossip.
“I am a control freak,” Peaches says. “It wasn’t always so easy. I had to work at what I wanted to get from them. It was about me producing them producing me.”
Peaches’ music has been used in films, including Lost in Translation, Mean Girls, Jackass Number Two, and The Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Television shows such as The L Word and Ugly Betty have also featured her work. Prada used her music in its fashion parades, and she’s worked with Pink and Yoko Ono. Massive US clothing retailer The Gap featured Peaches’ music in their ad campaign and Subaru, in perhaps its savviest moment, features Peaches’ duet with Iggy Pop, ‘Kick It’, in its Australian campaign.
Even after all this rampant commercialism Peaches manages the rare feat of maintaining her loyal league of bent followers; followers who were awestruck in 2000 by four little – or big as it turned out – words: ‘Fuck the Pain Away’, a song that cemented Peaches’ place forever in history books as the Queen of the Underground. She says the appeal of the song was simple.
“Saying ‘Suckin’ on my titties’ and also the sentiment of saying ‘fuck the pain away’ is saying, ‘Just get over your shit!’ That’s what worked.”
She also says the sexual objectification of men won her points with both sexes. “They [men] love it. They have just never had a chance to be objectified, ever.”
A move into more sophisticated videos also marks a new era for Peaches. Although she says both ‘Talk to Me’ and ‘More’ were shot on a “shoe-string budget”, it seems a more conscientious effort has been made to get creative with the visuals.
“With ‘More’ I have a friend who is a balloon genius,” she says. “He runs a club that’s a squat and we’ve all had studio spaces there. With the videos I think really we are just getting much better making them.”
In her new drive to branch out and grow as an artist, Peaches cites South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone on her wish list of future collaborators. She says their commentary on American society is inspiring, and she would work with them in any capacity they see fit. Other than that, her only other dream collaborator was the late Plasmatics’ lead singer, Wendy O Williams. Williams, who shot herself in 1998, was often dubbed the Queen of Shock Rock. A forerunner to Peaches, Williams was arrested in 1981 in Milwaukee for simulating sex onstage.
Now at 42, Peaches says her ambition is “to make age cool”. Oh, and she will also be producing her own version of Jesus Christ Superstar.
“The plan is a one woman show with Gonzales doing all the music. I will be playing all the roles as I identity with all of them, particularly Judas. He is the stand out vocally, of course.”
Australian fans may be waiting a while to see that phenomenon, but when asked about the Australian leg of the I Feel Cream tour, Peaches says, “Of course I’m coming to Australia! I don’t know when, but I will be there – I promise.”
I agree Sarah. Its like when they say do remember where you were when...I remember my first time hearing Peaches too. I love Talk to Me off the new album, its my fav at the moment. Yeah and I wanna see Peaches doing Jesus too!!
... written by sarah rolfe , 28 June, 2009
It WAS a revelation when Peaches arrived. I will never forget the first time I heard, couldn't believe how fantastic and naughty it was. Great to hear she is planning on doing Jesus Christ Superstar. Now that's a show I want to see.
Peaches has just released her fourth album (under the name Peaches), I Feel Cream, and is currently in the midst of an American tour. Taking time out of her gruelling schedule, she spoke with Rachel Cook.
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