Peel kicked off our career early this millennium with a self-titled album released on Edel Records/Playground Music with songs such as “Natalie Somewhere”, “Breathe”, “Comes Down...OK” and “Neverending”. These songs got airplay all over the world, and the video for “Natalie Somewhere” made it to second place on MTV’s Top Nordic Charts, as well as the sales charts in Norway.
2008 saw the release of the dark, intense and almost heavy “Die in June EP”, which spawned singles such as “(Falling from)Grace”, “Die in June” and the pop anthem “Second Man on the Moon”.
The following years the band released a couple of singles: “Too Deep” which did well on German radio to such a degree that a re-release of “Natalie Somewhere” saw the light of day. These singles were followed up by “Given Time”.
In 2008 the band released the critically acclaimed and praised concept album “Ghosts and Shadows”, which made “album of the month” in Netherlands, and included several singles such as “Like Sand” and “(We Are) The Wheel”.
“End of summer EP”, was released in 2019. The EP merged the raw “kick you in the face” attitude from grunge rock with sweet and mesmerising electro-pop in true Peel “less-is-bore” spirit. The song “Boy with the Oxygen Mask” found its way to several playlists and a video was released for the song.
The single “Better off Alone” hit the streaming service and online music stores in autumn 2021, alongside a video/visualizer to the song.
Now Peel is finally back with two brand new songs: the melancholic big rock anthem “Someday / Someone” and the tractor riff driven “Love Phobia” with mighty sounding guitars, pounding drums and as always a strong melody.
Both tracks are already on heavy rotation on lots of playlists, and they are the first tracks released from the upcoming album “Big Sundown”.
Step into the peeluniverse and join the increasing fanbase of peelgrims.
The band has been haunted with bad luck and drama enough to fill a cheesy rock documentary..hehe…With members coming and leaving and coming and…yeah, leaving…
The band today:
Pim - vocals, guitar, keys, programming (founding member)
Seb - guitars, programming
Holten - bass, backing vocals, programming (founding member, left in 2014 and rejoined in 2023)
NOTE: Pim has answered the questions
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM OR SINGLE
We have released two singles since late June. The first one “Someday / Someone” is a big rock song with a haunting melody and lyrics about alienation, loneliness and the difficulties in connecting and bonding in today's society. The second single is called “Love Phobia” and it is a tractor riff driven song with mighty sounding guitars, pounding drums and as always a strong melody.
Both songs will be included on our forthcoming album “Big Sundown” which is due to be released (hopefully) at the end of this year.
WHICH SONG WOULD YOU SAY SUMS UP YOUR SOUND THE BEST?
That is an impossible question to answer when it comes to Peel, because we are not a genre band in the sense that we can easily be labeled as hardrock, metal, punk, pop etc. Our music stretches from Beatlesque pop and to hard rock songs bordering on metal. And between those extremes we 80’s inspired stuff, emo like songs, post-grunge, classic rock..
HOW DID YOU GET INTO MUSIC?
Music has always been a big and important part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started to play guitar when I was 8 or 9 years old, and had my first live performance when I was 10. I wrote my first song at the same age, 10.
WHAT DOES TYPICAL WRITING AND RECORDING DAY LOOK LIKE?
Those are two different phases and stages of the musical crafting. Writing is a night thing; when the world goes quiet, darkness cottons the world and life goes to rest, then creativity finds its way to the guitar and the laptop. I am a hoarder when it comes to lines and ideas and things I see through the day - I write and/or record everything on my phone.
Recording is a daytime thing; it is work. if you know what I mean…Personally I need to be well rested, focused and sharp when I go into the studio to record and I seem to be at my best during the daytime.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR BAND NAME/ STAGE NAME?
We were looking for something easy to remember, but at the same time meant something; Peel could be both the action (the verb to) to peel off something to get into the core as well as meaning a layer, a shell, armour, something that protects or hides…
WHAT HAS BEEN THAT HARDEST THING ABOUT YOUR MUSIC JOURNEY SO FAR?
Keeping the spirit up when everything seems to be against you, when labels turn you down, radio won’t play your music, when it feels like an impossible task to get into the “right” playlists on the streaming services, when you can’t seem to get gigs because the lack of all of the above mentioned…
WHAT'S BEEN THE EASIEST?
Motivation to keep going because of my love for music. The need to create and express ourselves is so strong that to quit is NOT an option.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T MAKING MUSIC?
That is a question I have been asked a couple of times now….and to be honest I don’t know. Maybe a writer, maybe in the movies, maybe a psychologist…I don’t know.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN?
If you feel it - don’t give up!
WHAT'S NEXT?
Keep writing, recording and releasing music…And get more people to enter the PEELUNIVERSE and become true PEELGRIMS
PLEASE ADD ANY SOCIALS SO WE CAN SHARE:
Spotify: Peel on Spotify
Instagram: @peeluniverse
Facebook: peeluniverse / peeltheband
Tik-Tok: @peeluniverse
Email: peeluniverse@gmail.com
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