Pretty in Pink: Had Polka-dots ever not been in fashion then Katy would be the one to bring them back (photo: Nick Blumsom)
Pretty in Pink: Had Polka-dots ever not been in fashion then Katy would be the one to bring them back (photo: Nick Blumsom)

When The Badger caught up with Peggy Sue’s Katy Klaw, she wasn’t being self consciously rock ‘n roll, smoking a goat hide and declaring herself the beginning middle and end of music. Instead, she was ‘going out for a meal’. This is typical for member of a Brighton band whose connections to Sussex have kept their feet firmly on the ground. ‘I deferred a year as I’m doing American Studies. I just sent off my forms to study at Berkeley’.

For those unaware of Peggy Sue (who lost the ‘and the pirates’ of their name this summer) they are a Brighton Band whose cult following has been a staple of the Sussex music scene since their debut at a packed Komedia night in January 2006. Playing venues as varied as Volks and, most recently, Glastonbury Festival and Beachdown they are steadily finding success whilst not becoming egomaniacs of Kooks-like proportions.

After a well received gig at The USSU Freshers’ Ball, Katy was honoured to grace the same bill as Scott from 5ive. ‘We didn’t manage to see him in the end but I think that’s a good thing because now in my head it’s this really amazing thing when in reality it probably wasn’t.’

5ive weren’t the top boyband for the yet-to-be Sue’s. ‘I think mine was Take That whilst Rosa’s was East 17. When Take That broke up I was upset for about a day.’

Rosa from Peggy Sue shows the world that inter-species breast feeding is moral, fun and rock ‘n’roll... Yum!
Rosa from Peggy Sue shows the world that inter-species breast feeding is moral, fun and rock ‘n’roll... Yum! (photo: James Paulley)

All this talk of high-brow musical history distracts from the fact that Peggy Sue are a band whose sound has developed into a unique and spellbinding mixture of influences. Early on their sound referenced Regina Spektor but with their forthcoming EP ‘Body Parts’ recorded, their sound envelopes music from sea-shanties, blues, and doo-wop. ‘It should be out in the last week of November on this really small London label called Broken Sounds. It’s quite exciting because their first release was our last EP in August and this’ll be their second release. So on the CD codes were 001 and 002’.

It may be soon then that Peggy Sue will be blaring out in East Slope or Falmer Bar. Is there a preference between these two USSU stalwarts? ‘East Slope. I never lived on campus so it was never quite my local but I did go to East Slope more. Its further into campus so that shows a definite preference.’
The last few years have seen a multitude of changes thrust upon our university but one of the most noticeable has been to the Library opening hours. Surely, this new access allows a temptation for naughtiness to emerge? ‘No’ says Katy bluntly, ‘It’s not a very sexy library’.

Categories: Music

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