Tuesday, August 4, 2015 10:50am ET by  
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Pressparty interview Massachusetts trio PVRIS

PVRIS are the latest new hope in American rock music.

The Massachusetts trio released their debut album 'White Noise' last year and it juggled a jagged edge, electronica and masterful melody.

Pressparty caught up with singer Lyndsey Gunnulfsen to find out more about being compared to Paramore, covering Sia and visiting the Westboro Baptist Church with a rainbow flag at 3am.

For those who haven't heard your music, how would you describe your sound?

"I would say go check it out themselves, but I know a lot of people might not do that…so I’d say dark electronic rock."

What do you think makes you stand out from the crowd?

"I know that we don’t try to limit ourselves or box ourselves in. We just want to do whatever comes naturally to us. We want to try new things and push the limit a little bit. I think that kind of sets us apart a bit from lots of other bands. We seem to be doing pretty well."

Are you getting fed up with people who instantly compare you to Paramore?

"We’ll get it here and there, but I think it’s from people just being ignorant and just not knowing any better and not listening to any other types of music. I think sonically the two bands are so different. I don’t think there’s any comparison, other than the female vocalist. Paramore’s a great band though."

Is your second album in the works?

"We’re always working on new stuff, but this current record cycle is the main focus right now. We’ve got plenty of material ready."

Is the new material going down the same musical route?

"It’s definitely not the same moodiness and the same sadness. I think it’s a little bit more mature sounding. I don’t know. I think it’s different, but it’s a good different."

 

 

 

You recently covered Sia’s ‘Chandelier’. What was it that attracted you to that song?

"Definitely the vocals. I think it’s a pop song recently that’s been super different. We got a list of songs to choose from, and I wanted to do it. I knew it would be hard and challenging, but I think it’s an awesome song, so I was super stoked to do it."

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about misogyny against females in the music industry. Have you experienced that much?

"Definitely. I think you don’t even realise it’s happening half the time, but it’s definitely kind of opened to my eyes to it a little bit more. It’s kind of disheartening, but the biggest thing you can do is go up there, play your music and kick ass and then make everyone feel like sh*t for trying to treat you a certain way just because you’re a female."

Is that mainly online or in person too?

"You get it in real life too. When you get the venue and you pass the monitor guy or whatever, and they say ‘oh you can’t go in there’ and you’re like ‘I’m playing in the band, I’m not actually a groupie’. It’s little things like that that kind of build up. 

You recently stopped by the the Westboro Baptist Church with a rainbow flag the other day…

"Yeah, we did that at like three in the morning. We were driving through Kansas and our driver texted our tour manager at two in the morning and was like ‘I have an idea’. And he said ‘two people on this van are gay, right - you should go to the Westboro Baptist Church and bring a rainbow flag’. And we were like 'okay'. It was about 40 miles to go, so we all stayed up. It was really funny."

I take it then that you view intolerance as one of the worst aspects of society?

"Oh yeah - that and ignorance. They're the two biggest things."

PVRIS release the single 'Fire' in the UK on August 7.

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Watch PVRIS in action below: