New British rockers Palladium have only been together a mere 10 months and don't release their first album until 2008. But they have a new single to listen to beforehand...
Star fans ... lads played with Amy Winehouse in former jobs
Stage set for Palladium
By JACQUI SWIFT
July 27, 2007
PALLADIUM - Happy Hour (single)
Rating 4/5
Palladium are:
Peter Pepper: Vocals/Bass
Rostas Fez: Guitar
Rufio Sandiland: Keyboards
Rocky Morris: Drums
PALLADIUM are a band with ambitions so high they chose their name because it rhymed with stadium.
The London-based four-piece formed only ten months ago, but they’ve already got the industry in the palm of their hands.
Singer Peter Pepper declares: “We won’t deny we have big aspirations for our band. We decided on Palladium mainly for its rhyming qualities and because that’s what we’re aiming for. We wanted a name with some imagery to it.”
Palladium polarise opinion. They are fanatically loved and despised in equal measures and that’s the way Pete likes it.
He says: “At first it worried me when I heard people say they didn’t like us, but now I realise it’s better people hating us than thinking we’re just all right.
“More people love us than hate us — just see the crowds at our shows.”
The band — Pete, guitarist Rostas Fez, keyboard player Rufio Sandiland and drummer Rocky Morris — all met on the session player circuit.
Pete explains: “We have been playing music for years in various session bands.
'Good vibe' ... single Happy Hour
“I met Fez when he was just 13, he was a musical prodigy and he still is.
“But like everyone doing that job, we were itching to get out and make our own music. Session playing just pays the bills.”
One famous fan of the band is troubled singer Amy Winehouse, who they played with in their former jobs.
Last week the Rehab star returned the favour by asking them to support her at her Somerset House show.
“We go back a long way with Amy — she’s been great to us,” says Pete.
Happy Hour, Palladium’s debut single, is being released as a limited edition 7-inch.
Pete explains: “Happy Hour was an obvious track to release as our first single. It has a synth solo in the middle and is a good vibe song — we always open our set with it.
“Lyrically it’s about a strained relationship and trying to resolve your problems in a ramshacked happy hour.”
Palladium stand out a mile from the army of skinny-trousered indie acts.
Not only with their hybrid of guitar-based pop and soft rock which is a bit Prefab Sprout mixed with ABC, but with their glam-kitsch image, including Miami Vice satin suits and golf visors.
They wear their guilty pleasures on their sleeves.
“I’ve always been into fashion. The way we dress on stage is pretty much the way we dress off it.
People think we look an odd bunch but we’re not,” Pete insists.
“And soundwise we heard ourselves on the radio the other day and realised how different we really are. We never set out to be purposely different. We’re just this flamboyant pop band and proud to be called pop. We’re a pop band but not a pop act, as everything about us is real.
“As far as guilty pleasures, I grew up listening to my dad’s prog-rock records like Yes and Pink Floyd.
“We’re also into Eighties music, people like Prince and Stevie Wonder.
“It’s been labelled a bad period for music but the Eighties weren’t all that cringeworthy — Prince, Stevie Wonder and Hall And Oates are masters!”
Palladium have just returned from LA where they started work on their debut album with The Kooks and Beck producer Tony Hoffer.
It’s still unfinished but Pete promises it will be worth waiting for until it is released next year.
“We’ve all worked in studios before so it wasn’t an arduous process. We play live on most of it.
“Until it is released we’ll carry on playing shows and keep the buzz going.
“People are taking notice and so they should — everything about us stands out.
“We don’t do anything by halves and that’s why we are anything but average.”
thesun.co.uk
Star fans ... lads played with Amy Winehouse in former jobs
By JACQUI SWIFT
July 27, 2007
PALLADIUM - Happy Hour (single)
Rating 4/5
Palladium are:
Peter Pepper: Vocals/Bass
Rostas Fez: Guitar
Rufio Sandiland: Keyboards
Rocky Morris: Drums
PALLADIUM are a band with ambitions so high they chose their name because it rhymed with stadium.
The London-based four-piece formed only ten months ago, but they’ve already got the industry in the palm of their hands.
Singer Peter Pepper declares: “We won’t deny we have big aspirations for our band. We decided on Palladium mainly for its rhyming qualities and because that’s what we’re aiming for. We wanted a name with some imagery to it.”
Palladium polarise opinion. They are fanatically loved and despised in equal measures and that’s the way Pete likes it.
He says: “At first it worried me when I heard people say they didn’t like us, but now I realise it’s better people hating us than thinking we’re just all right.
“More people love us than hate us — just see the crowds at our shows.”
The band — Pete, guitarist Rostas Fez, keyboard player Rufio Sandiland and drummer Rocky Morris — all met on the session player circuit.
Pete explains: “We have been playing music for years in various session bands.
'Good vibe' ... single Happy Hour
“I met Fez when he was just 13, he was a musical prodigy and he still is.
“But like everyone doing that job, we were itching to get out and make our own music. Session playing just pays the bills.”
One famous fan of the band is troubled singer Amy Winehouse, who they played with in their former jobs.
Last week the Rehab star returned the favour by asking them to support her at her Somerset House show.
“We go back a long way with Amy — she’s been great to us,” says Pete.
Happy Hour, Palladium’s debut single, is being released as a limited edition 7-inch.
Pete explains: “Happy Hour was an obvious track to release as our first single. It has a synth solo in the middle and is a good vibe song — we always open our set with it.
“Lyrically it’s about a strained relationship and trying to resolve your problems in a ramshacked happy hour.”
Palladium stand out a mile from the army of skinny-trousered indie acts.
Not only with their hybrid of guitar-based pop and soft rock which is a bit Prefab Sprout mixed with ABC, but with their glam-kitsch image, including Miami Vice satin suits and golf visors.
They wear their guilty pleasures on their sleeves.
“I’ve always been into fashion. The way we dress on stage is pretty much the way we dress off it.
People think we look an odd bunch but we’re not,” Pete insists.
“And soundwise we heard ourselves on the radio the other day and realised how different we really are. We never set out to be purposely different. We’re just this flamboyant pop band and proud to be called pop. We’re a pop band but not a pop act, as everything about us is real.
“As far as guilty pleasures, I grew up listening to my dad’s prog-rock records like Yes and Pink Floyd.
“We’re also into Eighties music, people like Prince and Stevie Wonder.
“It’s been labelled a bad period for music but the Eighties weren’t all that cringeworthy — Prince, Stevie Wonder and Hall And Oates are masters!”
Palladium have just returned from LA where they started work on their debut album with The Kooks and Beck producer Tony Hoffer.
It’s still unfinished but Pete promises it will be worth waiting for until it is released next year.
“Until it is released we’ll carry on playing shows and keep the buzz going.
“People are taking notice and so they should — everything about us stands out.
“We don’t do anything by halves and that’s why we are anything but average.”
thesun.co.uk