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Feb 07, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Mackenzie Walker

Next month, indie rock band Peach Pit are set to share their upcoming third album, From 2 to 3, out March 4th. Their latest effort is set to arrive nearly two years after their sophomore record, You and Your Friends, which was released just after lockdowns began in 2020. Their latest record vocalist Neil Smith describes as “...a collection of songs that were written late at night, alone in a small apartment with a hushed voice so as not to wake anyone.”

With their tour on hold, the band began crafting the record in a small cabin on Gabriola Island, a small island off the coast of Vancouver. The band recorded with producer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Jack Johnson), and began mining their back catalog of classic ‘70s influences including Neil Young, The Beatles, and Cat Stevens. The result is a marriage of the band’s sun-kissed, road trip aesthetic with a more organic acoustic core, all while retaining Peach Pit’s innate pop appeal.

The band announced the album last year, sharing the record’s first two singles, “Up Granville” and “Look Out.” Today the band are back with a new live video for their latest single, “Vickie,” premiering with Under the Radar. We also caught up with Neil Smith for an exclusive Q&A on the upcoming album, which you can read below.

“Vickie” finds the band once again crafting another work of sublime indie pop songwriting. Peach Pit has a seemingly unending well of breezy hooks to draw on, hooks that meld seamlessly into the laid-back vibe of “Vickie.” Like many of the band’s songs, “Vickie” also only becomes more potent live. In the band’s accompanying live video, recorded from the Ruston Community Hall, they lock in perfectly with the song’s sunny summer feel. Watching the band play, it’s easy to sense the palpable chemistry and longtime friendships that run beneath the band’s heartwarming sound. Even in the dead of winter, listening to Peach Pit makes it feel like the sun is shining and good times are ahead.

Lyrically, the band traces a loving tribute to one of Smith’s longtime friends, imagining all of their shared memories if she lived down the street. As Smith describes, “I was hanging out with my friend Vickie a few years back, and we got to talking about her birthday which was coming up. Without me asking, she said ‘all I want for my birthday is for someone to write a song about me’. Anyways, I got the hint. I’d actually already started writing something that began with the line ‘If you lived right down the street’ and decided to make a song about what life would be like if Vickie and I were neighbors.

Check out the song and video below. You can also read our exclusive Q&A with Neil Smith, where we dive into the band’s upcoming album. From 2 to 3 is out everywhere on March 4th via Columbia Records.

You and Your Friends came out right in the beginning days of the pandemic, and I’m sure not being able to tour and support the record was a disappointment. How was your return to live music last year?

It was very disappointing, yeah, but I guess it was easier to swallow since the whole world was in the same boat. Then finally playing some shows last year made the wait worth it. We opened our sets with some songs off of YAYF and people knew all the words, it was really cool.

How does it feel to finally be going back out on the road for a full-length tour this year?

After not touring for a few years we realized pretty quickly that playing shows is the best part about being in a band. We’d been hitting the road pretty hard leading up to the pandemic and started getting a bit burnt out. And when that happened we definitely began to take for granted how lucky we are to get to do this. So the goal for this year is to enjoy it all and stay grateful!

What would you say is the biggest stylistic evolution between You and Your Friends and From 2 to 3?

Mostly the production on the album is quite different. We went into the record wanting to make something that just sounded like us playing in a room together. The last album we made had lots of effects on it so we wanted to strip things back a bit more. Oh and we finally convinced Mikey to play his harmonica.

How did working during the pandemic impact the creative process and themes on the record?

It was wild actually, we had Robbie Lackritz produce this record and he did it without ever having to leave his house! We were at Hipposonic Studios in Vancouver and Robbie was all the way across the country at his home studio in Toronto. Meaning we did the whole thing with him over zoom! It was nerve-racking in the beginning since we didn’t really know how weird it would be to never be in the same room as Robbie, but it ended up being great. We’ve still never met the guy in person though it feels like we got to know each other super well. Hi Robbie! Hope you’re well, bud!

You’ve previously said You and Your Friends was about the band and your close circle of friends. Does From 2 to 3 feel like a more isolated or insular record, since it was written over the pandemic?

I think being alone in my apartment for so long probably did shape the songs and the sound of the record, but mostly because I had to play really quietly lol. I had pretty thin walls in that apartment and I like to stay up late playing guitar so out of necessity there are a lot more late night sad jams on this album.

What aspect of From 2 to 3 are you most excited about? What tracks do you think are going to be the fan favorites?

Probably most excited to play the songs live. Half of them we haven’t played since we recorded, so relearning the songs for tour makes them feel new again, even though they are a few years old to us.

Fav tracks: Give Up Baby Go, Last Days of Lonesome and Everything About You.

We’re also very excited to premiere the live video for “Vickie.” Your live shows are likely the most celebrated part of your music. What makes a Peach Pit performance so special?

I think it’s just that we really have fun on stage and don’t take ourselves too seriously. I guess we got lucky on that because we don’t have to fake it very often haha, we’re all such good buddies and like rocking out together. Party on Wayne!

What did Vickie think of the song named after her?

She liked it :) It actually just started out as a birthday present for her. Happy Birthday, Vickie.