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Alec is the project of Hugh Piesse (he/him), a musician, songwriter and producer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. As Alec, Piesse creates contemplative alternative rock, despondent yet wryly devotional, all through a veiled vocal delivery.

Piesse has a long history within alternative music in Aotearoa, performing in groups like Caroles (alongside Reuben Winter & Lawrence Goodwin), Crook, Purex, New Folder and Tied On Teeth. When not working on original material he acts as a musical journeyman, having appeared in live performances by The Pleasure Magenta, Hot Couture, K M T P & The Naenae Express.

Today Alec shares ‘Another Party‘, the first single from their upcoming sophomore album Endless Pasture (out digitally on June 16 on Sunreturn).

‘Another Party‘ skips along with snappy drums and funk inspired keys and lush legato acoustic guitar picking. Inspired by the character Tze in the 1992 film Rebels of the Neon God, closer inspection of ‘Another Party‘s lyrics see Piesse contemplating self worth and escapist fantasies.

“I wanted to make a song that had a sort of frankenstein-like instrumentation,” says Piesse. “Imagine this band in a smoky bar – it’d be like two trumpet players, a clavinet player, a synth player, an acoustic guitarist, bass and drums with someone crooning over the top. I almost always just want to write a solid pop song that’s disguised by weird sounds.”

“I think I was also going for a touch of an ambitious, Burt Bacharach style arrangement. The acoustic guitar solo at the end sounds like hearing a kiwi summer playlist in an empty mall.”

Piesse explains that “Endless Pasture sort of revolves around people trying to escape the circumstances that they’ve ended up in, but are too mired in them to change I think amongst other things. ‘Another Party‘ is about a guy trying to escape his flooded apartment after partying all night. It’s probably about a gradual accumulation of problems that he’s brought upon himself, manifesting in naive escapist fantasies of running away with someone they’ve already dragged down with them.”

With ‘Another Party‘ now released Piesse notes he’s “feeling good! I finished recording this song in 2022 so it’s nice revisiting it with fresh ears. I’ve learnt a lot by making something Endless Pasture so I’m keen to make another one with what I know now.”

Check out all things Alec below:
Bandcamp
Spotify

Photo credit: Delilah Lin