Caught in the Carousel

The Pigeon Detective

By Alex Green

The Pigeon Detectives do everything fast.

They got famous fast, they play their songs fast and they record their albums fast.

Fast, fast, fast.

This Leeds outfit had already been booked to tour with Dirty Pretty Things, sold out their debut single the morning of its release, snagged the #1 indie single spot with the punchy "I Found Out" and were championed by everyone from The Kaiser Chiefs to legendary British DJ Steve Lamacq before their debut album even came out. When it finally did, the band scored their first Top 20 hit, sold out everywhere they played and watched Wait For Me quickly go platinum.

Produced by the legendary Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) the speedbag pop juggernaut Emergency came less than a year later and immediately entered the charts, ending up peaking at #5. From the fiery mod stomp of "This Is An Emergency" and "I'm Not Gonna Take This" to the searing hooks of "Keep On Your Dress" and "I'll Be Waiting," Emergency is an urgent blast of catchy, invigorating pop.

Known for playing spirited and energetic shows filled with leaping athleticism and ironic covers (you must hunt down their reading of Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend"), The Pigeon Detectives are an entertaining live proposition. Having already played sold out shows all over the U.K. including the Reading and Leeds Festivals, the young quintet are now setting their sights on cracking the U.S market. To introduce American audiences to the band, the Dance To The Radio label will be issuing a four song E.P., the contents of which were culled from the Pigeon Detective's first two albums. Featuring "This Is An Emergency," "I'm Not Sorry," "I Found Out" and "I'm A Liar," it's a great primer for the uninitiated. Although the band is capable of ballads like the lippy "Nothing To Do With You" the E.P. showcases their twitchy, infectious power. Able to get to a hook faster than the Buzzcocks and featuring more musical muscle than the Kaiser Chiefs, The Pigeon Detectives don't linger at the verses and they take the choruses at top speed.

On the way back from Japan, singer Matthew Bowman talked about Leeds, post-fame bar service and The Beatles. And he was kind enough to give CITC his current top ten favorite songs.

CITC: Your new E.P is made up of four songs that were taken from your first two albums--in my opinion every track on those albums is gold. Was it hard to decide which ones to choose?

Matt Bowman: There were a few arguments; we all have our particular favorites on each album. I think in the end we went with the songs that best represented the band as an introduction to the U.S audience. We've been playing the songs for a long time in the U.K. so we had a good idea which ones went down the best live.

CITC: Lots of great bands come from Leeds—why is it such fertile musical terrain?

MB: Leeds has a real get up and go/ DIY ethic in its music scene. People are doing things for themselves here: setting up music labels, magazines, radio shows and club nights, etc. Bands are really proactive at promoting themselves in Leeds. I think the diversity of music being played in Leeds helps make it so fertile; there isn't a specific sound or just lots of bands copying each other!

CITC: How have your lives changed since the band took off at home in England?

Matt: It's easier to get served in busy bars and we usually don't have to pay for drinks, which is nice! We seem to get recognized in the street a lot, which is strange. I don't think I'll ever get used to that.

CITC: Did you feel blindsided by fame or were you prepared for it?

Matt: I don't think we were prepared for anything, really. One day we were playing a local venue in front of 30 people, the next day we were playing in front of 7500 people. The first time we got played on the radio and TV was very surreal.

CITC: You and the Kaiser Chiefs are good friends—did you find it a bit odd that you both suffered live leg injuries? A bit of a strange brotherhood you've got going there!

Matt: I think Ricky Wilson is a great frontman—one of the best! We're both very, very energetic on stage so it comes as no surprise that we've both suffered injuries...I'm sure we'll both suffer a few more bumps and bruises along the way.

CITC: How did your association with the Kaiser Chiefs come about and was that connection instrumental in helping you reach a broader audience?

MB: The Kaisers just turned up at one of our gigs in the early days; they liked what we were doing and so we just had a few beers after and hit it off. Having the Kaisers' support and praise definitely helped as they were one of the biggest bands in the U.K. They also took us on a few tours with them, which helped us to build up our fan base.

CITC: In terms of what makes it into a song, what themes or iconography do you find yourself returning to?

MB: We love the Beatles and always aspire to create the same kind of three-minute pop genius that they were the masters of. I don't think we'll always have this mantra when writing songs but it was certainly apparent on the first two albums.

CITC: How important is the element of humor in songwriting?

MB: I don't think humour is essential in songs but lighthearted observation and tongue-in-cheek social commentary can be quite endearing. People don't always want to listen to intense lyrics...but sometimes they do, so it's good to have a nice balance.

CITC: From The Stone Roses to The Jam, what qualities in a band do you admire the most?

MB: I admire passion, belief, anarchy, tightness (in terms of friendship/chemistry between band members) and the ability to inspire through great music.

CITC: You're about to attempt to crack the U.S. market—what's your gameplan?

MB: We'll just do what we did in the UK...there is no gameplan as such. When people see The Pigeon Detectives play live I think a real connection and bond is made between us and the audience. Hopefully if we get to play in front of enough people we can create a bit of a buzz and develop a fan base.

CITC: Was there ever a moment where you found yourself in close proximity to a musician you've admired since you were a kid? How did that play out?

MB: I've met most of my idols now: Paul Weller, Paul McCartney, Julian Casablancas, Jack White, and Noel Gallagher, etc. I usually try and strike up a generic conversation like I would if I was sat next to a stranger on a bus. The worst thing to do is say, Hey Paul I loved the work you did with The Beatles; and "Yesterday"—what a great song! He's probably heard that a million times.

CITC: How would you compare your first two albums and what might a fan expect from the third?

MB: We're going to go stadium rock on the third album! Actually we have no idea; the most important thing is that we write music we love and would listen to in our bedrooms.

CITC: I've played your records hundreds of times in the last three weeks and the songs never get old. How do you manage to write numbers that stay so fresh?

MB: All the songs are written live in a rehearsal room and then recorded pretty live, too, so I think it injects a certain natural energy and excitement into the tunes.

CITC: Your spaceman logo: Explain.

MB: We just wanted a cool image that could become iconic over time.

CITC: What is the current state of Britpop?

MB: Britpop doesn't really exist anymore. It was a phrase created to represent a sound and era (early 90's) that has been and gone now. Bands from the U.K. now don't really sound very Britpop! The U.K. music scene is really healthy at the minute—although some people actually believe there are too many bands and the music is becoming a little diluted.

CITC: You've done some great covers—any new ones you're working on?

MB: I was listening to Cindi Lauper on my iPod last night, she has some great tunes so who knows.

CITC: Would you be so kind as to give us a top ten list?

Matthew Bowman's Top 10 Favorite Songs At The Minute:
"Strawberry Fields Forever"--The Beatles.
"In My Life"--The Beatles.
"Cigarettes and Alcohol"--Oasis.
"Masterplan"--Oasis
"Cartoon Music For Superheroes"--Albert Hammond Jr.
"Don't Look Back Into The Sun"--The Libertines.
"Hard To Explain"--The Strokes
"Juice Box"--The Strokes.
"Ever Fallen In Love"--Buzzcocks.
"Lost In The Supermarket"--The Clash

Discography:
This Is An Emergency (2008)
Wait For Me (2007)

Internet:
www.thepigeondetectives.com
www.myspace.com/thepigeondetectives