SISTER ACT

After an 11-year music career, the Pierces (Allison and Catherine) return with a fourth album called You & I. CATALOG talked with Catherine about their album, thoughts on the music industry, their fanbase in the U.K. and their funny connection with ABBA.

First off, congrats on You & I. It seems that recognition came to you slower than expected. Do you harbour any grudges with the music industry for that?

Um, we don’t resent the music industry even though it can be frustrating at times. We probably weren’t ready for it emotionally or for whatever reason. We don’t know why these things happen when they do. Then again, we don’t waste time feeding resentment when things are going well for us.

Would you have done anything differently?

We don’t want to change the past because we’re happy where we are now. If we had success early on when we were younger, maybe things would have turned out differently, who knows? But I guess we kind of jumped into the whole music scene before we knew what we wanted or how we would sound.

If we had to give advice to upcoming musicians, it is to be true to yourself; figure out what you want.

How did you land up with the U.K.-based Polydor Records?

We made the record with Guy Berryman, from Coldplay. He’s English and obviously has a lot of English connections in the music business. He passed our album to his lawyer, who then pitched it to the labels. Polydor Records was excited about it and wanted to sign us immediately.

Guy was already a friend before you worked with him; is it any different from working with someone that you don’t know personally?

You never know whom you’re going to have musical chemistry with. You got to get into the studio and see how you work together. It doesn’t matter if you’ve known them forever or if you’ve just met them; sometimes you’ll hit it off in the studio and sometimes you don’t.

With Guy, we’ve known him for years and when we sat down to make a song together with him and Rik [Simpson]  it just turned out really great, which lead to a full-length record.

Are you still touring the U.K.?

Yes. We’re doing festivals right now and we’re going to do another U.K. tour in October.

What is the difference between touring in the U.K. and America?

It’s just easier to reach more people in Britain. It’s smaller, more concentrated; you can tackle the whole country faster. In America, it takes longer to get everywhere because of the size.

Do you feel that musical tastes vary as well across the pond?

I think the English are more open to different kinds of music. If you listen to their radio programmes like Radio 1, it would play a crazy dance song followed by an artist like Adele. There’s a variety that makes them open to new things.

You broke up as a band, almost went your separate ways as solo artists. Now that you’re a band again, is that option still open?

I think, at some point, we would like to explore stuff on our own but I don’t know if it would be the end of The Pierces. We probably would do both. It’s easier these days to do more things.

What do you have coming up?

More touring, this time outside of the U.K. Maybe Germany, France, Australia and maybe even to Singapore eventually. We also want to go back to America and tour.

Someone wrote that you sound like an indie ABBA but that was a misquote. What’s the story behind that?

Yeah, I said that as a joke but it became the headline. I wish I hadn’t said that. I think people tend to compare us to them because our music has a lot of harmonies and there’s a blonde and a brunette.

But you’re missing two guys though.

Yeah, I know. But people don’t seem to notice that. We’ve also been compared to other bands that have at least two female singers like the Mamas and the Papas and The Hearts.

I think you’re among good company.

ABBA has great music. It’s cheesy but it’s fun and we all love it.

It would be amazing if someone said to the female members of ABBA, “you know, you guys sound like The Pierces…”

[laughs] I hope, one day that really happens.

Interview and images courtesy of Universal Music.

You and I is out at all good music stores.