Riley Pearce

Riley Pearce brand new Acoustic EP is out featuring tracks that have caught the hearts and minds of those who listen to Triple J. After touring the world in 2019 with label mate Garrett Kato 2020 is continuing in much the same vain. Riley answers a few questions for Hi Fi Way about the EP.

How was the build-up been leading up to the release of the EP?
It’s been good. I’ve put a few of the songs out already that have been acoustic versions of previously released tracks and have a few more to come that have yet to be released. All in all its been a collection of tracks I’m really proud of.

Was the process of making your EP as challenging as you thought?
Not really, for this acoustic EP the main focus was about capturing the performance and not doing anything massive during the mixing process as to keep it real and relatable and feel as though you were in the room watching it as it happened. I did have to learn piano for one song on the EP, a cover of a Gorillaz song On Melancholy Hill as a little challenge I set myself. It definitely was a challenge.

Sonically, how would you describe your music?
It’s quite easy listening, for this project it was all either acoustic or live – sometimes both.

Who would you consider to be the biggest influence on your music and why?
There’s never one influence. It’s always a few ones that change every 6 months. I’m still quite a novice on the keys so have been listening to a lot of Leif Vollebekk’s playing style and it’s probably influencing how I approach the keyboard.

Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Take your time. I always remind myself of this on stage or when I’m stressing about needing to get songs out quicker. No one really cares if you take a bit longer to get it right.

Are you looking to tour more broadly?
I’m yet to head to the US or Canada so that’s definitely something I’ll look into this year. Visa’s can be a bit painful so might have to hold out until Trump’s gone.

What’s next for Riley Pearce?
I’m working towards an album or a double EP. I’m really just writing like a crazy man at the moment. A lot of songs flowing out, where they’ll end up who knows?

Interview By Rob Lyon

Have a listen to Riley Pearce’s new EP on Spotify…