The raunchy, uncensored lyrics of electroclash artist Peaches are a breath of fresh air to some, and a miasma of bad taste to others. Whether you love her or hate her, she has proven herself a truly original artist and has achieved mainstream success despite (or because of) her profane, perverted and radical message.
Men had cock rock; women (and hermaphrodites and transsexuals) had the Teaches of Peaches. The lyrics she writes are pure clit lit.
As for those who find her music intimidating or offensive, “I feel sorry for them” said Peaches, otherwise know as Merrill Nisker. “All I’ve ever tried to do is be inclusive. As John Waters says, ‘People shouldn’t come out, people should come in.’”
This Sunday catch her at The Wall
(這牆) while on tour to promote her new album I Feel Cream, released in May last year. Supporting band Go Chic also rocks the boat with explicit, funny lyrics, and Eat Me! Black Hole! will finish up the night deejaying pumping electro.
Peaches was named Electronic Artist of the Year at the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in Toronto and has begun delving into theater and film.
To what does she owe her success? “I have an entertainment gift/disease,” she said. “At the drop of the hat I’m able to go from zero to 100, in entertaining in any situation, in bringing life to it.” Her advice to others belies a more gentle heart than many would guess: “Think about what you have to offer,” she said. “Look at your imperfections and mistakes, think of them as advantages. Express them, love them, live them.”
Her first album, Fancypants Hoodlum, was released under her real name Merrill Nisker in 1995, but it was when the Canadian songwriter went to Berlin to visit old friend Chilly Gonzalez that she exploded on the scene. It’s the stuff music legends are made of: Gonzalez helped her get a one-night gig, a rep from Berlin’s Kitty-Yo label saw the show and signed her, allowing her to produce The Teaches of Peaches (2000) in Toronto. The success of her album led to tours with Queens of the Stone Age and fellow shock-rocker Marilyn Manson.
With her next album, Fatherfucker (2003), she began to diverge from electroclash with occasional forays into rock. She teamed up with Iggy Pop on the single Kick It. He later went on to cover a song of hers, Rock Show.
Impeach My Bush, a protest album of sorts, put her onto the mainstream charts as her lyrics struck a chord with like-minded individuals all over North America. Guest musicians for the album included the legendary Joan Jett. Along with backup band The Herms (short for hermaphrodite), Peaches opened for Bauhaus and Nine Inch Nails, firmly entrenching herself within the alternative scene.
She has collaborated with artists as varied as The Flaming Lips, Pink, Tone Loc, the B52s, and even Yoko Ono.
In her first albums she focused on pioneering a sound with direct, explicit, raw lyrics. “I thought it was about time that I showed the world my diversity as a singer,” said Nisker. “That led to the electro-soul stylings of Talk to Me and the vulnerable dance tracks Lose You and I Feel Cream.” Gonzalez, who has been with her since the beginning, co-wrote some songs on the album, which features guest vocals by Shunda K on Billionaire. “Of course I didn’t shy away from my established hard-core style,” said Nisker. “I’m really happy with the expansion of my repertoire.”
Having recently entered her 40s she mocks those who think age is an issue. “You lick my crow’s feet,” she sings. She loves being in her 40s and said, “You can’t explain to anyone under 40 what it feels like. I feel sorry for them that they can’t experience what I experience but I am sure they will one day.”
Last month she put on a solo performance of Jesus Christ Superstar in Berlin, and she has a role in an upcoming movie Ivory Tower.
Jesus Christ Superstar? Nisker is not a fan of organized religion, but said that that had nothing to do with starring in the one-woman show. “I think the way that it is portrayed in this musical is that it focuses on a situation that has grown out of control,” she said. “One person has a good idea and the people who believe in the idea began to become overcome with fear, thus bringing the downfall of the idea and the person, Jesus.” It’s a story she sees repeating itself over and over in families, politics, and society.
Entertaining is her gift, and is what she does best. “I know that I am a good communicator in this way, and that motivates me to influence people to understand that they should always think for themselves and get rid of their own fears,” said Nisker. “Realize fear is the biggest obstacle in your way.”
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