PEPE AND THE BANDITS drop dream debut EDM album: ‘Breach of the Beats – A Crime Against Music’
PETERBOROUGH’s maverick EDM maestro Joe Miller – aka PEPE AND THE BANDITS – has just self-released his debut 15-track crossover album, ‘Breach of the Beats – A Crime Against Music,’ although there has never been a more misleading title for such an exceptional, upbeat, triumph of a record.
“I worked in the police and the title was just a rhyme with a ‘breach of the peace,’ it was always going to be more electronic led this album,” explains Miller. “I often joke about my music and try not to take myself too seriously, so I was just joking that the whole album was a crime against music.”
A prolific songwriter, Miller decided against a slow, scheduled release of new material, electing instead to release his first album last week.
“Eighteen singles in I was debating releasing these songs I had made over a period of time by drip feeding them, but, as an artist to be taken seriously you have got to have an album haven’t you? With today’s throw away culture an album can be very much today’s news and tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappers, but they cannot even use them to wrap fish and chips anymore!
“I’m always asked what my favourite track on the album is, and I have to say, ‘Decomposing Dreams.’”
“In these jobs where tension lingers – Bosses work pulling triggers
Suits and ties with pretence of control – But underneath toxic black holes…”
“I have had some terrible bosses – and some good ones – and lots of dead-end jobs, trying to sell rubbish that nobody wants, so the whole idea of dreams being shattered in a job is not a new one to me.
“My son was in a dead-end office job and sent me some texts saying his dreams were in tatters and how bad the management was, and I added some lyrics and reworded his texts he had sent me, and hey presto we had the song lyrics.
“I was listening to a lot of REN [Welsh musician, rapper, producer] at the time and thought I would try and replicate his style, I’m not sure I ever quite got there, but I was very happy with a different style track to what I would normally do. Don’t be sad though about my son as he came to his senses and soon left that dead-end job – and got another dead-end job exactly the same, somewhere else, rinse and repeat.”
“Being a solo artist is great as you are an ocean-going yacht that can alter course at any time and twist and turn to get to your destination in the quickest and best time possible, unlike the oil tankers trudging along in one direction. The easy bit is making the music.
“I like the creative process and really enjoy it, although the marketing of the music is the most difficult part and should be outsourced, but then it seriously eats into revenue streams. As an indie artist you have to do it yourself otherwise you’re just pumping money into a massive pit never to be seen again.
“I know of artists that have spent tens of thousands of pounds, not something I want to do. I love making some money out of the music, I don’t think that’s wrong, it’s my mindset. I put a lot of time and effort into it, when I get something out of it, I can then reinvest in more gear or some marketing without breaking the bank.”
Musicians the world over are struggling to be heard, the least we can do is help push the worthy ones to a wider audience, it’s art, it’s feeling, it’s a labour of love – and always remember the words of Van Morrison: “Music is spiritual. The music business is not.”
CONNECT & SUPPORT: Music | Pepe and the Bandits (bandcamp.com)