Pleasure Island are back with a new EP, a suitably outrageous launch show and merch that probably won’t be appearing in your average band shop. Ahead of the release of Now That’s What I Call Sleaze 26, we caught up with Francine – Sean when the day job calls – to talk Penny Lane Weekender, making music about the things you’re not supposed to discuss in polite society, and why a Nier: Automata cosplay is the only sensible outfit for an EP launch.
Firstly should we call you Sean or Francine now?
Oh I really need to update my bio, but Francine when I’m onstage and doing my band stuff, then I send Sean out to work the day job to buy nice outfits.
Apparently you have an unusual outfit planned for the EP launch?
Yes I’ve decided to wear a Nier Automata 2B cosplay, which possibly won’t make sense to many of your readers, but she’s a character from one of my favourite computer games. She’s a super stoic cyborg in a Gothic Lolita outfit with killer make up, so I’m really looking forward to that. The show is at Future Yard on September 5th with Dead Animals and Drew Friel supporting us and it’s going to be an excellent night.
You have recently completed your 4th Penny Lane Weekender festival, how was it?
It went great thanks! All the bands turned up, the sound engineers didn’t drive the venues mad and all the visitors had a great time. It’s quite intimidating putting on a music festival with volunteers, especially as we don’t have any actual venues. We end up taking over bars and restaurants and filling them with all sorts of loud artists who you wouldn’t expect to find there. I often worry I won’t be allowed back into these places given how lively it can get… It feels like I’m driving a bus into my favourite restaurant every time we do it.
Will you be doing another one next year?
I’m not sure, we’ve grown it as far as we can and we’re not professional promoters, so it’s difficult to keep it going alongside having full time jobs. We’re also part way through doing an album, so if I had to pick between the festival and getting the album to be the best it can, I’m gonna prioritise the album. It may be that we just take a fallow year to allow all our brains to recover.
Would you like to tell us about the new EP?
Yes, it’s called “Now That’s What I Call Sleaze 26” which is a bit of a play on the old Now records they had back in the day. The tracks are about fringe topics like how kinky sex and religion go together so well, another song is about doing drugs at a funeral… it’s really a collection of topics that you can’t bring up in polite society. I can’t see us getting any of this onto the radio as it’s just too spikey, but our music is a reflection on the less beautiful aspects of existence and we don’t really care if it never hits the mainstream. Not saying we wouldn’t sell out in a heartbeat, but I just don’t think I have the capacity to write fluffy love songs.
And you’ve produced some interesting commemorative merch to celebrate the launch.
Yes, well people can listen to the EP for free, so we’ve produced some “Francine Says Choose MILF” tees for anyone who wants to support the band. It’s a play on the “Frankie Says…” and “Choose Life” tee designs from the eighties, but with a twist as I’ve decided to start self identifying as a tasty MILF myself.
Stream Pleasure Island’s latest singles, Cocaine Daddy and Allerton MILF Set now.
Pleasure Island’s EP Launch
Saturday 5 September
Future Yard
Tickets
