PEY PEY Honest With You Interview

New Single From Pop Artist PEY PEY 'Honest With You'

Based in Sydney, Perth singer/songwriter PEY PEY releases a mesmerising new single 'Honest With You', a picture-perfect song that portrays the chaotic nature of emotions.

Produced by Adam Xycore, PEY's second single reveals the artist in a new light, one that is shed by synths. Her sound echoes a conversational lyric-style, attacking and breaking in all the right places. The single sees PEY reconstructing Pop by drawing emotions with every word she sings. Her goal through this single was set out to sound like she is "Sitting down with the listener and confessing all."

The song explores themes of existentialism, yearning, self awareness, and figuring out your place in the world.

"Some of the lyrics and themes are all over the place, but that's what happens when humans try to articulate the way they're feeling, sometimes its jumbled up and isn't always in order. Lyrically, I didn't want to wrap it in a tight little bow,"

When asked to describe her music PEY states it's "It's a mix of Sad-Alt, Trash-Glam and Piano Driven Pop", which is proof of how unique "Honest With You" is as it was one of the first songs that she didn't write on the piano.

Born into a family of musicians, PEY taught herself the piano and it was only a matter of time for her to write her first song at the age of eight. She then went on to start her path in the academic world and attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and, later on, the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She now comes to us as a complete artist, with a style as unique as it is young. PEY is already carving out her own identity, leaving her the one to watch for 2020.

Interview with PEY PEY

Question: How would you describe your music?

PEY PEY: I describe my music as alternative, sad, trash-glam, piano-driven pop. When I say trash-glam I'm referring to the constant battle between reality and fantasy in my music. Also the heavy influences I take from glam rock artists.


Question: Can you tell us about Honest With You?

PEY PEY: Honest With You was one of the first songs that I didn't write on the piano. I wrote in an Melbourne apartment at 19 years old, it was born out of isolation and self realisation.


Question: What inspired Honest With You?

PEY PEY: The voice of the man that can be heard in the bridge of the track. His name was Timothy Conigrave and at the time i wrote this song, I had just finished his memoir 'Holding The Man'. I felt especially close to his story because I was in his hometown and also in the midst of auditioning for the same drama school that he did. There were a lot of synchronicities. We both moved to Sydney, to study at NIDA and for some reason his story grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go. His voice is put in there as a reminder to myself that if he can go through what he went through, as a gay man in the AIDS epidemic, I'm sure I can survive one little setback. If you look at the single cover I put in the red HIV/AIDS ribbon as a homage to him. At the time I was also listening to a lot of Scandinavian-pop music and I would say that influenced the sound of the song.


Question: Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

PEY PEY: I've thought about this question a lot ever since I was 8. I think what I keep coming back to is I want people to feel comforted from my music. To feel less alone. The main message I hope to achieve throughout my career is if I can overcome my own self-sabotage, all these barriers that have stopped me from accessing my dreams for so long, if I can do it, then I promise, so can you.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

PEY PEY: That's such a tough question because they're so completely different. Recording is like second nature to me. I find it pretty effortless most of the time. Performing live actually doesn't always come naturally to me because the vulnerability is face to face. You can't hide behind a recording booth. But I love crafting a show, and it is ultimately super rewarding.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

PEY PEY: I really love to perform my piano ballads the most. It's when I have full control to play however I want. I get to pause, breathe, talk to the audience and really get into the same headspace I was when I wrote the song. I think my favourite ballad to perform live right now would be an unreleased song called Me, Myself & I.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

PEY PEY: Lady Gaga.

Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

PEY PEY: Usually a feeling or a concept. My writing inspiration usually comes from an experience I've had that I can no longer communicate via conversation. Other times I write conceptually if I vision a certain character or theme for an album.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

PEY PEY: Lately I've been listening to a lot of the Bee Gees albums from the 70s/80s, Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' and an amazing up and coming artist named Caroline Polachek. I've also been replaying the new Gaga single 'Stupid Love'.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

PEY PEY: My mum was a singer in a band growing up, so I guess I was always surrounded by it. My Aunty was also in musical theatre living in London which I always thought was the coolest thing growing up. I remember specifically when I was really young, Elvis Presley made me fascinated with the rock n roll lifestyle and then a little later I discovered Gwen Stefani. She was what made me want to write pop songs. But then Lady Gaga came along and fully transformed my entire being. I looked at her when I was 11 years old and thought 'that's it, that's who I want to be'.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

PEY PEY: I think I would love to do something with Kanye West. I think that would be beyond epic. But honestly, my dream would be to collaborate with Lana Del Rey. She is one of my biggest idols.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?
PEY PEY: I think for me the biggest eye opener has been how much more you have to do as a musician. Writing and making the music has never been a problem but all the logistics that come with a release can be tedious. But I do think the biggest challenge has been getting out of my own way and just having trust in myself that I can make it.


Question: What's a typical day like?

PEY PEY: I usually go to F45 in the morning for a high intensity work out, hustle to save for my music, emails back and forth, sending my producer ideas, planning the next six months of my life at some cafe with a coffee. It's safe to say my day always includes a coffee.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

PEY PEY: The outlet of expression I get. And on my own terms. I have so much to say and being a musician inherently allows me to do so. If I'm lucky, people will listen.


Question: What's next, for you?

PEY PEY: I'm releasing my second single in the middle of this year, doing a few live shows and heading to Budapest in September to finish recording my songs with my producer. In October I'm heading to NYC.


Question: Can you share your socials?

PEY PEY: @peypeymusic


Interview by Brooke Hunter