PEEL by PEEL

Here it is, the highly anticipated debut release guaranteed to rouse your inner shoegazer. Recorded over a six month period of bushfires and pandemics, PEEL’s self-titled EP presents a holistic package of the wall of fuzz they’ve teased us with since their first single ‘Memory Loop’ saturated the airwaves last year.

Strapping in for the full five track experience, PEEL lead an expedition through realms of British guitar-driven music of the 80s and 90s, exuding influences from the Post Punk and Madchester eras through the band's timeless brand of shoegaze and psychedelia. The Jesus and Mary Chain come to mind, as does the Stone Roses and Primal Scream, but the group have spun their own take on their prized influences through modern songwriting and storytelling waiting to be discovered under layers of noise and texture.

Formed following a five-year hiatus from writing and recording, the band started piecing together what would become their debut release in mid-2019, with no purpose other than that it was time to start making music again.

Ideas flooded, gravitating towards a sonic architecture that is spacious, gritty and textural. At the start of 2020, the band headed into the studio to start turning demos into songs. Recording at BLANKSPACE in Sydney with producer James Christowki, the group created an expansive collection of tracks over a few months. The studio – an open-plan space loaded with noise-making tools – was conducive to experimentation and collaboration. Ideas and energy flowed fluidly, with members jumping between instruments, guests dropping in and out and the band exploring sounds, building towards something provocative and alluring.

The resulting EP is an impressive debut showcasing PEEL’s interdimensional guitar music that weaves fuzz, reverb and noise with luminous synths and sequencers, atmospheric soundscapes, dazed vocals and propulsive rhythms. While the band are still fresh to the wider scene; it’s crystal clear that PEEL is a group of experienced musicians who have realised their vision and are ready to take shoegaze and psychedelia into exciting new territories. We would be fools not to follow them for the ride.