Penelope Tree are typical of the bands playing the introducing stage at Rebellion by not being a typical ‘punk’ band. It’s a credit to the event that they’re in Blackpool and equally a credit to the band that they made enough of an impression on the organisers to give them a slot. Aggy Gillon was dispatched to find out more about the four piece from East Sussex. Up for discussion was how they got together and future ambitions
Hey, thanks for joining us! Can you to introduce yourselves for Devolution readers?
“We are Joe on Guitar, Glen on guitar and vocals, Jamie on bass and Chris on drums and vocals.”
You haven’t long finished your set, how did you enjoy it?
Glen: “Yeah it was a lot of fun. Obviously, we are quite far from what you might say is the normal Rebellion band. We had a really great time and we got a pretty decent turnout.”
This is your first time here playing Rebellion?
Joe: “It’s their first rebellion, I’ve been a fair few times but I think we got the classic warm Rebellion welcome.”
Glen: “Yeah everyone has been super nice.”
How did you guys get involved with playing here?
Joe: “I’ve worked for Rebellion for quite a few years. I contacted one of the guys who books the Introducing stage. We were actually booked originally in 2020 and then…*laughs* We were then rebooked the following year then of course that got moved as well. So here we are three years later.”
Glen: “That’s really how long it takes to get here from the South East *laughs*.”
One of the things that is really noticeable when watching you guys play and generally listening to your music is that it is full of emotion and feeling. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Glen: “I write the songs and the lyrics. It started as a sort of cathartic way to talk about things, I think especially men don’t talk about in terms of their mental health and things like that. I think we have carried that on since we began but it has sort of matured with us. So we talk about things like moving away from home, having to then pursue your dreams, career, and all that side of things. All the less glamorous stuff.”
We like how you guys describe your songs being about growing up.
Glen: “Yeah that’s how it started and now it’s about being a grown-up and not wanting to be a grown-up *all laughing*.”
Joe: “Each release is kind of like looking at a different stage of life. So I think the first one was very much you were finishing uni and you were like I’m going to have to go get a job.”
Glen: “What do I do now?”
Joe: “The second one was like OK I have a job and I am an adult and I miss all my friends I used to see every day. The new one I think is a bit more, from what I have interpreted the lyrics, about the harsh realities of life.”
That’s one of the thing most noticeable listening to your music. It’s not all the time that the lyrics can really take you but you can see and hear the passion behind them which is really beautiful. Are there any that are your particular favourites?
Joe: “I have a lot of fun playing ‘Hold Your Demons Close’ which is our new one that hasn’t been released.”
Glen: “Running Laps”
James: “Definitely ‘Running Laps’. I think probably because that is the song that has had the most success. We haven’t done many shows in a while but we used to get a lot of people singing along which was great.”
Chis: “I have to say ‘Hold Your Demons Close’ it’s probably the first song that we played live that I have had a real contribution to being in the band. I think that kind of makes it mean a bit more to me.”
What music have you released and have you got anything new coming up?
Glen: “Our first release came out in 2017. It took us a little while to get the next one out and unfortunately we were recording our most recent single when the pandemic hit. So for a year and a half or two years we just sat on these instrumental tracks. We eventually got around to being able to do the vocals. Trouble is by that time we had kind of outgrown the tracks a bit. So we just released them. We’re now really excited to be working together again for the first time in so long. This will be our third EP.”
Joe: “We were really quite keen to debut at least one of the new songs here. In a way, light our own fire and say well it’s out in the world in some way now so we gotta do it!”
Is this your first festival?
Glen: “We have done a few smaller ones, more local ones. This is our first major festival on this kind of scale.”
So what made you guys decide to get a band together then?
Joe: “My previous band was wrapping up and I was thinking I want to do something new. While looking on ‘join my band’ saw Glen had done an advert. We decided to meet up for a pint just to get to know each other before we got into anything and we were like “Yeah let’s definitely do something!” Then we didn’t for like a year *all laugh*.”
Glen: “I was in an acoustic folk band as well at the time. Eventually, we were like “Well you got all the instruments let’s put them together”. So eventually we became Penelope Tree.”
Joe: “Glen and Jamie technically met on a night out.”
Jamie: “So I also made a join my band post. We found we were into the same kind of music so got invited for an audition. Then again that didn’t end up happening *all laugh* Then probably like six months later we were both on a night out and bumped into each other in the smoking garden. Got talking and found out he was in a band and he said his band was looking for a bass player. Then we were like hang on and realised who each other were while we were talking.”
What would be your dream festival to play?
Joe: “Mine would probably be Two Thousand Trees. I love that festival so much. It’s a tiny little festival down in Cheltenham. I have been a bunch of times and it’s always such a good vibe.”
Everyone else: “Slamdunk!”
Chris: “I have recurring dreams of playing the Reading Festival mainstage.”
Maybe it’s a premonition! So have you guys got many shows left for the rest of the year?
Glen: “The next one is the Pick it Up Festival where we are supporting Waster who has been a big influence on us. That’s on November 4th.”
Joe: “It will be a bit of a homecoming for us as it’s based where we all met and we have played so many shows there. When Chris first joined it was where we rehearsed. After so long with the Pandemic and being able to play a show in our old stomping ground it just feels really good.”
What are your hopes for the immediate future of Penelope Tree?
Glen: “I think we are at the stage now it’s such an integrated part of all of our lives and we enjoy all of it. You know when you start out and think you got to play gigs because we want to get big. We just have got to the point where we just love what we do.”
Joe: “We’re just so happy we get opportunities like doing Rebellion. These guys got the opportunity to do a radio interview in person. Even though we’re doing it all because we love it, we’re enjoying all the aspects of it. It’s things like when we were fourteen years old we were like yeah I wanna do that.”
Glen: “So many people have come up to us saying they like the music and have people in tears at shows. When they are listening to the lyrics they have said the songs have really touched them and they have really related to them. It’s things like that that make it worth it.”
Are there any last words from Penelope Tree you really want to share and anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Joe: “Just that we have music out there and we have new music coming out very imminent so please keep an eye out on our social media pages for updates and watch this space.”
Glen: “We’re back! After three years of pandemic and moving houses.”
James: “And general laziness *all laugh*.”
Glen: “We’re all back on track and it feels so good to be playing shows, writing, and recording again. Thanks, guys!”
Interview and photos by Aggy Gillon