Liverpool five-piece blues rockers, Xander and the Peace Pirates are headlining the Baltic Triangle’s Threshold Festival tonight. In preparation, we caught up with the lads to see what they have been up to.
The band officially formed in 2011 when brothers Keith (lead vocals and guitar) and Stu (rhythm guitar) were discovered on YouTube by Gibson guitars. They recruited long time friend Mike Gay (slide guitar) and the rhythmic expertise of brothers, Joel and Adam, on bass and drums respectively.
After signing to V2 Records in 2015 they headed out to the legendary Wisseloord Studios in Amsterdam to record their album ‘11:11’. The album has received rave reviews from critics who have praised their unique sound, which combines soul, rock and blues.
They will be touring extensively this year, but unfortunately for us, they have their sights set on conquering the European market first. After Threshold, the band will play a festival at Parr Hall in Warrington before taking their place as the main support act for rock legends ‘Manfred Man’ on their tour of Germany.
Messages behind the music…
Xander and the Peace Pirates regularly take a political stance when penning their lyrics and told us that music can play an instrumental role in bringing about change. Their song ‘Dance with the Devil’ is an example of the peaceful message they want to promote. They hope to counteract the negativity in the world by promoting positivity through their music.
New music from the boys is currently in the pipeline and is almost ready to showcase live. They told us about one song they are working on called ‘Age of Awakening’, which advocates open-mindedness and acceptance.
They believe helping other musicians is vitally important in the modern age and encourage other bands to approach them and collaborate. They aim to eventually form their own label in order to support and empower unrecognised talent.
On the Baltic Triangle…
The lad’s highlight that something truly special is currently taking in the Baltic Triangle area and admire the unique community spirit that has developed here. They spend much of their time rehearsing at Elevator Studios on Parliament Street. They sing the praises of Elevator’s musical and creative importance in the Baltic Triangle, noting that so many great bands are currently based there. The studio offers excellent secure rehearsal space with great access and also has the added benefit of the ‘Baltic Social’ café/bar.
When asked about Threshold Festival, the band brimmed with enthusiasm and told us how great it is to see so many brilliant artists on the bill. The festival always does well and after Stu and Keith played it acoustically last year they couldn’t wait to bring the whole band along this year.
