Interview #124: The Puppini Sisters

Every now and then something comes along that causes a massive “why on earth didn’t I think of that?” reaction. Something original and quirky, that fills a gaping void and that appeals to just about everyone. Ladies and gentleman it gives us great pleasure to welcome on to the world’s stage The Puppini Sisters.

The Puppini Sisters began by performing tongue-in-cheek versions of classics such as ‘The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, The Smiths’ ‘Panic’ and Kate Bush's ‘Wuthering Heights’ which led to a cult following in the coolest clubs, a management contract with the ex-managers of acts such as Cocteau Twins, The Sundays and Smashing Pumpkins and a record deal with Universal Classics and Jazz (“We think of our music as pop,” says Marcella, “but the jazz crowd have enjoyed it and thought it was really clever.”)

Accomplished musicians, with everything from piano through saxophone to harp on their combined CVs, The Puppini Sisters have created contemporary reinterpretations of old-time favourites including Mr Sandman and Jeepers Creepers and translated ‘modern’ songs like Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ and Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ into tight three-part harmonies of such splendor that the Andrews Sisters would quiver with joy.

Their album, Betcha Bottom Dollar is out July 31st. I Like Music caught up with the marvelous Puppini Sisters to chat about their vintage-swing-pop music, being voted the best dressed band at Wireless Festival and crazy Sunday mornings with Russell Brand.

“I like music because… it has the ability to make you feel happy, sad, angry, invigorated, depressed, elated or unusually attractive!” The Puppini Sisters

ILM: Betcha Bottom Dollar is out on July 31st. Can you give us your own personal description of its whole vibe etc.

Puppini Sisters: This is an album that’s full of personality and fun! We recorded it live, so it has a lot of the humour, theatre and raw energy that our live shows have. It’s a mix of old and new- traditional songs from the 1940s like Mr Sandman and Jeepers Creepers, mixed with modern pop songs re-interpreted in a 1940s style like Blondie’s Heart of Glass. We like to describe our style as Vintage-Swing-Pop.

ILM: Which track on your album did you have the most fun arranging and laying down in the studio?

Puppini Sisters: Between the three of us, out of all the arrangements we’ve done for the album, our favourite would have to be ‘Wuthering Heights’ as it has so many interesting twists and turns in it and has become so different to the original. The song that was the most fun to record in the studio was ‘In the Mood’. The track is completely accapella and involved the three of us going into the recording booth with our boys in the band (sans instruments!) and our much loved, crazy producer Benny C (Benoit Charest). We had a blast as we were all stomping and clicking to the beat while the we sang the melody and the boys were hollering “In the mood!.”

ILM: You appeared on Russell Brand’s show. How was that?

Puppini Sisters: Being on Russell’s show was brilliant fun. It was one of our first radio interviews. He was so animated and there was a great deal of banter between Russell, ourselves and his co-hosts Matt and Trevor. We had a great time and even got to give a rendition of ‘Panic’. We also had a brief collaboration singing heart of Glass with Trevor Locke who sang in the style of Elvis. It was crazy for a Sunday morning!

ILM: And how was the Wireless Festival? What do you like about festivals as an artist and as a punter?

Puppini Sisters: The Wireless Festival was a great success. We were playing in a bubble shaped tent which was quite bizarre. We performed a 30min show and the indie crowd loved it, especially when we broke into a rendition of Mr Sandman and played our instruments in the solo section. It was also quoted that we were the best dressed band at the festival- much to our delight! As an artist, playing at a festival is great, as you know that the people who come are there because they love live music and performing live is what we love to do the most. As a punter though, it’s great to get to see so many different bands and hear some new artists too. We recently saw a band called ‘The Urban Voodoo Machine’ at Latitude festival and they were fabulous.

ILM: What’s your current favourite song to play live?

Puppini Sisters: Wuthering Heights, as it’s so much fun watching people’s faces as the penny drops and they realise we are covering a Kate Bush classic in such a new but old-fashioned way. Not only do people love the reinterpretation, but they also love the moves we do too which are taken from her original music video- complete with saucer-like eyes and swooping arms.

ILM: You’ve spent years learning your craft to make inspired and brilliant music. Can you describe the Puppini Sisters song writing and music-making process? Is it lyrics or melody first and how does it all come together?

Puppini Sisters: In the beginning we built our repertoire by transcribing Andrews Sisters arrangements. We were all able to arrange as we’d learnt the skill at music college. It was then we moved onto arranging modern pop songs in a vintage fashion. We tend to work alone for this as each of us has a different technique, but after the arrangement has been penned, we take it to the group and bash through it making changes etc if needed. Now the next natural step will be to write original material for the group together and alone.

ILM: Your close harmony singing is so tight, do you rehearse loads?

Puppini Sisters: Yes, yes and yes again! We really have become sisters as we’re together almost every day. It’s so important to sing together and practise a lot, not only when we were starting out and learning our craft, but at the present too. Harmony singing is a really technical thing and is very hit or miss. If one part in the harmony goes wrong then the whole sound falls apart.

ILM: Kate and Steph, you both performed in your school productions when you were teeny, and Marcella, you started playing the piano aged just five years old, so you’ve been passionate about music from an early age. Did you do music at regular school too or only when you went to schools of music?

Puppini Sisters: Music was always a favourite past-time for each of us when we were growing up. I took lessons on the violin at Primary School and had lessons on the piano and harp out of school. Kate started playing the piano from the age of 7 and then pursued lengthy flirtations with the alto saxophone, guitar and the bass throughout her school years. Marcella studied the piano privately from the age of 5 until she was 17, and didn’t study music formally again until she re-trained at Trinity College of Music.

ILM: You’ve no doubt learned a huge amount on your journey so far. What’s your advice to young musicians, just starting out?

Puppini Sisters: Our advice would be to learn your craft and not to give up. We’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to where we are but it paid off. Lastly, never lose sight of what made you want to get involved with music in the first place- never lose the feeling of enjoyment and fun it brings.

ILM: What’s the main lesson you learned at Trinity College of Music about making great music /surviving the industry that you can pass on.

Puppini Sisters: The jazz course at Trinity is not the kind of establishment that teaches you how to survive the industry. It doesn’t really encourage this sort of route at all. However, it does provide an intensive learning environment for you to go out and explore the London music scene for yourself and enables you to meet a wide spectrum of people with which to do this. It is far more focused on the performance aspect of music than creating a best selling album.
We learnt far more about the music industry by doing lots and lots of gigs and recording an album, and the only advice we can give to anyone is to make sure they never lose sight of why they became musicians. If you stop enjoying it, then it’s just hard work. Many people find themselves unable to maintain a career because they’ve lost their love for the music, and that’s really sad.

ILM: Marcella, having studied fashion and worked for Vivienne Westwood, are you the bands stylist too?

Marcella: Yes, or at least I started out doing all the styling, when I still had the time to trawl the markets every weekend for that special find. Now we do have a stylist, whom we collaborate with to create the perfect Puppini look

ILM: Marcella- what did you learn from your lesbian club podium dancing days?

Marcella: That knowing how to dance and knowing how to titillate a roomful of lesbians are two completely different things. And that being cheeky and subtly sexy can be a lot of fun on stage!!

ILM: Kate- do you still find the time to have rock chick moments and sing heavy metal style?

Kate: Unfortunately I had to leave my beloved KIA band back at home in Harpenden and haven’t been involved in any other rock project since. I’m definitely open to offers! I do still manage to have rock and roll tantrums from time to time though……

ILM: What music is rocking your world right now?

Puppini Sisters: The Dresden Dolls, The Irrepressibles, The White Stripes.

ILM: Can you describe your favourite place on earth?

Puppini Sisters: On stage performing at Duckie at the Vauxhall Tavern.