Pvris (pronounced ‘Paris’) are a female-fronted three-piece from Boston, Massachusetts. Following the release of debut album “White Noise” in November 2014, the band have gone from strength to strength, the latest of which is a sold-out headline shows in the UK and a European tour. I caught up with Lynn Gunn (vocalist and guitarist), Alex Babinski (guitarist) and Brain MacDonald (bassist) before their Birmingham show to ask about their European experiences.
- This is your first trip to the UK, so what have been your first impressions of the UK?
Lynn: It’s way cooler, everything looks way cooler.
Brian: Things are old.
Lynn: Things have been here forever, more than America.
- What has been your favourite part of the UK so far?
Lynn: I really liked Cardiff and London.
Alex: Cardiff was like the only day we had off so we got to explore.
Lynn: We’re going to be going to Bath tomorrow and I’m looking forward to that so that might be my new favourite.
- Being an American band, have you been surprised by the level of European support? And I’ve noticed you’ve got a lot of airplay on BBC Radio One recently.
Lynn: Yeah, it’s weird because we can’t really see it over in the States so we don’t like understand it or like see which is kind of cool because when we come over here we’re surprised by it too.
- Recently, you’ve been on a lot of big tours, The World Tour in America and you’re touring with Lower Than Atlantis at the moment. Has there been anything those bands have taught you that you’ve really taken on board or any great pieces of advice?
Alex: It’s hard to pick but I’ve definitely learnt.
Lynn: I feel like we’ve learnt something on every tour. The one thing Sleeping with Sirens taught us was ‘don’t take yourself seriously just have fun with it’. They’re super fun guys.
Brian: They’re some of our favourite.
Lynn: They’re major goofballs so…
- So obviously you’re back in the UK next month for Slam Dunk.
Lynn: Yeah!
- Are there any bands on that line-up that you’re looking forward to seeing particularly or hanging out with?
Alex: Definitely You Me at Six and Taking Back Sunday.
Lynn: Don Broco.
Alex: Just everyone, all those bands. Architects. I was looking down the list and just going ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’
- And I saw you were at the BBC Maida Vale Studios, can you tell us anything about that?
Lynn: I felt very self-conscious the whole time we were there.
Brian: I enjoyed it, it was cool.
Lynn: It was, everything else was great.
Alex: It went great, but it was so scary being in such a cool place.
Lynn: It was just intimidating knowing who else had been in there so we were like err…
- As a band, what would be your biggest goal? Is it headlining foreign tours or headlining your favourite festival?
Lynn: We want to do everything
Brian: Yeah, we want to try!
Lynn: We want to take over the planet.
Alex: I want to play in space.
Lynn: That would be fun. Would sound even work in space? Maybe on a space station?
Alex: I don’t know.
- You released the video for “White Noise” in March, how much input do you have into the ideas for music videos?
Lynn: Good to moderate, I’ll usually go to Raul Gonzo, our director, with a concept or basis and then he’ll like explode with it and make it come to life basically and like we’ll give him ideas
- Your Empty Room Sessions have proved quite popular. Are there plans to do any more of those or release them all together?
Lynn: Yeah.
Alex: Yeah, yeah definitely.
Lynn: Yeah, we haven’t been home long enough to do that yet.
- As the first female-fronted band on your label (Velocity/Rise Records), would you say that’s put a lot of pressure on you as a band?
Lynn: No, we look at it as being any other band. I feel like other people are putting pressure on it.
Brian: I don’t even think about it.
Lynn: We didn’t even know. There are also a couple bands with girls on it, but they’re not like the singers but we’re not the first big girl on Rise.
- Can fans expect any new music soon?
Lynn: It’s being made, there’s a lot already recorded, but I don’t know, we don’t know when it’s going out but we would like to release it as soon as we can but it’s not up to us.
Brian: It’s down to other people.
Lynn: But there is, it is being made, there’s already like enough music for a second record. Second, third, fourth, I don’t know. We’re like always making things so. We all have the recording app and then I’ve got like Logic on my computers and these guys are always doing stuff. Everyone’s always doing stuff.
- So for the really cliché questions now. What is your favourite song to perform live?
Lynn: “Fire”.
Alex: Mine’s “My House”.
Brian: Definitely “Fire”.
- What or who is your biggest musical influence?
Lynn: Me, probably Florence and the Machine.
Brian: Marvin Gaye.
Alex: It’s hard to say now, but growing up all I did was play Underoath songs.
Lynn: Yeah, but for like influences like sound wise I feel like we take stuff from everywhere, nothing specific but those would be our personal influences.
- And three words to describe the band for someone who has never heard the band before?
Lynn: Err… Sad, no not sad, moody.
Brian: Dark.
Lynn: and.
Alex: Elegant.
Lynn: I like that.
- What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Lynn: My younger self?
Brain: My right hand *slaps hand*.
Lynn: Screw school. That’s what I’d say to my younger self. My younger self was so stressed out at school and I didn’t even need it. Well I probably did but you know what I mean.
Brian: Same with me.
Alex: My advice would be things always work themselves out.
Lynn: Yeah, they do.
– Eloise Doherty