We Interview Pigeon Hole!

Betty and Kora contributor Thad got to pick the brains of Victoria duo Pigeon Hole in the midst of their crazy summer. Catch them at Rifflandia Festival, Sept 17-20 in Vic!

---

B&K: You guys really came up and exploded into the scene as members of Sweatshop Union, what spurred the idea of you two combining to create Pigeon Hole?

PH: Well we were actually Pigeon Hole before sweatshop ever started. We’ve been writing songs together since we were kids. Sweatshop was supposed to be a compilations album that wound up taking on its own life as a group.

B&K: I’ve known you guys for a few years now and had no clue Pigeon Hole started before Sweatshop. Nothing was really released or had its live show until the past couple years though, no?

PH: Ya, it took us a long time to get shit off the ground on our own, to finally have the confidence to take it and run with it.

B&K: All your music is pretty high energy and quirky, how did you land on the name Pigeon Hole to encompass the duo?

PH: If you look at our track record, our sound is kind of all over the map. We tend to bounce from one inspiration to the next and that’s always had a heavy influence on our sound, which makes it hard to pin down. You can’t really “pigeon hole” our sound. I guess that was the intent behind the name. It’s kind of like a dad joke really.

Photo courtesy of CS Imaging

 

B&K: You guys have toured all over Canada and the US, what’s been one of the weirdest shows or tour moments you’ve come across?

PH: Oh my god….we’ve got a rolodex of weird under our belt. We once played in a country bar in Merritt. Definitely not the right fit. Saloon doors and everything. People were looking at us like we were from space. Not in futuristic “these guys are crazy” type of way though. More like a “who the fuck are these fuckos” type of thing.

B&K: To someone who’s yet to hear your music and live performance, what would you tell them to expect when coming to see you?

PH: Our music is made to wild out to. It’s primal. We try to tap into this animalistic place that makes you feel like you can levitate. Like you can do whatever it is you want to do and have the time of your life doing it. That’s the goal and that’s also what we get out of making it.

B&K: Both of you have played a lot of festivals over the years, how have you seen the festival culture evolve in that time?

PH: More than anything I think I’ve seen myself evolve. I think the experience is different for each person who goes. For me the whole circuit has become this amazing ongoing family reunion. I love it. I’ve met so many good people from festival to festival and shared so many amazing moments with my friends. When I first got into all this I couldn’t understand how people had the patience to work or volunteer during them. You know, like how can you stand missing the party? BUT now I realize that those are the people that are making it all happen, looking out for people, holding things together and having their own unique experience with the whole thing. Which is awesome. More than anything it’s about connecting with each other and having either really fun or really meaningful experiences. Most likely you’ll get both at the same time. It’s honestly some of the most life enriching experiences I’ve ever had. I consider myself so lucky to be a part of all this.

---

INTERVIEW: Thad Rosenau

COVER PHOTO: CS Imaging