From futuristic synths to joyous guitar hooks and emotionally penned lyrics, Los Angeles trio ill peach have mastered the craft of whimsical indie pop perfectly. Releasing their first body of work in the height of the global pandemic, 2021’s EXCUSE US WHILE WE FIND OUR MINDS offered a glimpse into the playful and witty world the band set out to build. Five years later, they continue to expand on that, this time, with the addition of band member Jesse Schuster and new life experiences that shape their sound.
This wasn’t always the vision. “In high school, we were in a jazz acapella group,” reveals frontwoman Jess Corazza during our Zoom call. “It’s a very comical part of our history. It was very Pitch Perfect, in the sense that we would go to competitions.”
“We had to get that out of the way, you know what I mean,” adds drummer and synthesizer, Pat Morrissey. “I was a theatre kid growing up, so there was musical theatre everywhere. I think we needed to get that out of our system.”
The pipeline from theatre fanatic to musician can be narrow. Odds are, your favorite bands have a theatre background. Or, better yet, have found a way to merge the two. It’s not that uncommon. Whether it’s gothic horror legends Ice Nine Kills or theatrical pop-rock quintet Creeper, many bands are finding ways to strike a balance.
Right now, ill peach is gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, EAVESDROPPING, slated for release on June 26. With pre-released anthems like “MOLLY’S NOT A FRIEND,” “SMALL TALK,” and “CULT DADDY” already in circulation, the record spans 10 synth-pop tracks.
EAVESDROPPING is a testament to resilience, following months of turbulence that tested the band’s emotional strength, yet ultimately led to a deeper friendship.
“This album was an escape project from grief,” Jess reveals. “I was going through it and processing it. It’s a concept album, so it helped keep me tethered and grounded.” Since grief is far from linear, striking the balance between feeling a deep sense of sorrow while avoiding the temptation to rot is never easy. Despite grappling with complex feelings, “MOLLY’S NOT A FRIEND” is one of the many infectious bangers to come out of this period.
“[Writing] that felt very therapeutic to me,” says Jess. “We tried a few songs where I’d write about it, but it felt so heavy. It was sad, like a bummer vile. And of course, people go through this, but I thought it would be a better choice to depict it in this upbeat way. I love a juxtaposition where you’re hearing something that feels fun and energetic, but maybe the context is centered around something heavier.”
Sure enough, EAVESDROPPING became a safe space for the singer to pour heartbreak, confusion, anger, and a swirl of other emotions into a sonically moving dose of therapy.
“I really didn’t want it to be a grief album. I wanted to emphasize this other picture of life, while I was going through that on the side,” Jess adds. “The concept of the album is that I’m an avid eavesdropper. It’s a confession of mine. A very bad habit. I use it as a dissociative tool during grief, where I can place myself in other stories.”
The album weaves through generous highs and lows, like the natural cycle of grief and life itself. As you make your way through the record, it’s clear that experimentation and growth are things ill peach keep close to their heart. That includes Jess coming to terms with the tragic passing of her father, writing for musicians, and exploring new electronic sounds.
“I think we all come from different places with our tastes. That’s where it started to get interesting, and it became more of a collage of sound,” says Pat, on how their music has evolved over the years.
“We will come into the studio with an idea, and just roll with it. Do whatever feels good. So, in the end, you have this body of work that is a colorful collage of all sorts of feelings, moods and sounds,” he adds.
“I literally went into labor the day we dropped our first single for this album” – Jess Corazza
Outside of ill peach, each member is well-versed in collaboration. From working with major artists such as SZA, Pharrell, Weezer and others, the band has learned to adapt and juggle multiple projects at once, while still being the best version of themselves for ill peach.
“I experience [collaborations] more through live performance,” says Jesse. “I think when you work with other artists, you find yourself as a facilitator for them. You think of music in terms of design or stagecraft. It’s important to have both sides of your own experience. When you apply your own emotion to your artwork, you can also reflect on the design elements you used in someone else’s stagecraft and carry that trick across. It’s about wearing two hats and drawing from different sets of tools for each experience.”
In many ways, ill peach is approaching a new era, a phase of unfamiliar ground and new horizons. They step further out of their comfort zones to write songs with deeper meaning, collaborate with new artists, and blend genres in ways they haven’t before.
“This album is all about experimenting and seeing what Jess responds to best,” says Pat. “I think in the last rendition of this project, there have been a lot of guitars. In the lyrics and the storytelling, there’s also an anchor that ties it all together.”
On where they’re at now, Jess adds, “I think we’ve reached this place where we’ve landed on a very specific thing that feels right to us, but fresh and interesting to the outside world. It feels like we’ve found our formula that we can apply to future songs and albums.”
EAVESDROPPING represents many things for ill peach. From it being their sophomore full-length, to acting as a healing process for Corazza’s journey with grief. Above all, it’s a reminder to keep on, even when the going gets tough. “I literally went into labor the day we dropped our first single for this album,” the singer reveals, laughing with her bandmates.
Moving forward, ill peach is itching to unravel more on the kaleidoscopic world they’ve built for the album. “We’re approaching things a little differently for this next round of singles,” says Jess, with an eager grin.
Lead image photo credit: Lucy Sandler