by Hannah Wriston
Photography by Mike Manewitz
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if Rainbow Brite had six shots of espresso and decided to form a punk band? Well, neither had I until Peach Kelli Pop took the stage at Cheer Up Charlies.
Allie Hanlon, founder and songwriter of Peach Kelli Pop, has a knack for wielding a dual-edged magical girl sword. If you look closely you can even spot the Sailor Moon-esque weapon on the cover of their brand new album Gentle Leader, released May 25th. Hanlon is able to balance femininity and power with a tongue in cheek flair, exemplified by the opening track “Hello Kitty Knife”.
Most of the songs PKP plays in live performance come off like a dreamy Bikini Kill meets Baby Shakes. However, it’s clear that their tours in Japan simultaneously fit the J-Pop aesthetic and affected the way the band works the stage. You can also hear influences from surf music, and 60’s artists like Nico in slower songs like “Parasomnia”.
The music is often clear, bright, and with minimal distortion, something truly refreshing in a scene where everyone seems to think that the more effects you use the better. Just as soon as you think you figure out their sound, PKP turns you around and kicks you in the ass. The one thing that you can take away is that it’s fun, infectious, and fierce.
Lyrically Peach Kelli Pop has a lot of fun with juxtaposition with themes often dancing between light and dark. Several of the songs revolve around the occult like “Black Cat 13” and “Black Magic” but it’s the raucous “Don’t Push Me” that stands out. In a city like Austin it’s difficult to get more than a head bob, but I couldn’t see a person in the crowd standing still when they started playing. On the surface it seems rapid-fire bop but when you hear the first few verses you realize this is going to be a contender for your favorite middle finger song: “I don’t wanna be directed/I never wanna be corrected/It’s my choice/It’s my call”.
There’s an unfortunate precedent in the music industry to label any female fronted band with an upbeat sound as “bubblegum” or draw comparisons to sweetness. Sure, even Peach Kelli Pop’s name sounds like a imported candy but that doesn’t mean that it rocks any less because of it. In fact, the way Hanlon unapologetically embraces the things that she loves makes it a success. Specifically, in between songs Hanlon turned to the band and jokingly tried to remember just how many of her songs were about cats. The correct answer? Four.
In many ways the industry is obsessed with finding the one thing that female artists can do well, and then turning away when they show their multifaceted talents. Peach Kelli Pop’ s music is at once cute, smart, and thoughtful. In earlier tracks like “Crooked & Crazy” from the EP Which Witch, Hanlon gets vulnerable about her struggles with mental health “I’m tryin’ to find my way/and how I can downplay/that I’m depressed and the depth of my loneliness.”
Peach Kelli Pop’s work is diverse and engaging because Hanlon genuinely writes from her own perspective, not what others expect– the band embodies the girl-power adage that femme ain’t frail, especially when they get personal.