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On November 13, 2020, Peel (Sean Cimino and Isom Innis) reveal two new remixes and a live version of “Rom-Com” -- the lead single off their self-titled EP which was released last month via Innovative Leisure. James McAlister’s (producer, composer and frequent Sufjan Stevens collaborator) ambient take slowly unfolds and shape shifts in contrast to Local Natives bassist Nik Ewing’s (aka Chewing) recreation which punctuates Peel’s melodic synths with metallic harsh electronics. The live version of the single was recorded in SoCal’s Susan Street Studios during Peel’s Broadcast 006 performance.
Peel debut a self-titled EP on October 16, 2020.
“...there’s a sense of disorientation and detachment, and Cimino’s vocals—which are reminiscent of Paul Banks’ in ‘Turn on the Bright Lights’—are like a guiding light.” FLOOD
“...dives into ’70s/’80s viscera, particularly the Factory Records sound and the work of producer Martin Hannett” BUZZBANDS LA
“Melding gothic post-punk with psychedelic synth-pop, “Rom-Com” casts a long, dark shadow—their retro synthesizers and gloomy textures give it a compressed, chilling feel—but its energetic grooves bring the song to life." PASTE
“Dreamy… otherworldly charms” CLASH
Peel’s innovative and emotional debut masters the integration of melodic synths and psych as it shape-shifts from one song to the next. Just ahead of the EP’s release, due October 16th on Innovative Leisure, Peel reveal their ethereal single “Citizen X” which also is set to appear on FIFA’s 2021 Soundtrack.
Peel’s Isom Innis explains, “Citizen X was an outlier to our usual stream of conscious lyric writing process— the framework began more conceptually. It has a tongue in cheek tone and is coming from a disillusioned place. Originally, it was a slower shoe-gaze inspired track, but Sean had the idea to re-imagine it, speed it up and really emphasize the groove and treat the guitar more like Robin Guthrie [Cocteau Twins].”
And as Clash writes: "Subtle but striking, 'Citizen X' is testament to the pair's absorbing creativity."
"This new song does vibrate with the weird aura of a live show; there’s a sense of disorientation and detachment, and Cimino’s vocals—which are reminiscent of Paul Banks’ in Turn on the Bright Lights—are like a guiding light." - Flood Magazine
"Catch & Release," a new single by Peel, is available on all digital retailers.
Peel is the debut project from Sean Cimino and Isom Innis; both multi-instrumentalists, as well as a visual artist and producer respectively. The project was born from a month-long recording session between the two artists within Innis’s concrete loft, above the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Naturally, the cavernous space served as an industrial incubator for musical experimentation: where fleets of sewing machines once reverberated in the 1930s with metallic rhythms, now echoed a wall-of-sound of drums, amps, and modular synthesizers. Inspired by such legendary records like Second Edition [Public Image Ltd.] and The Pleasure Principle [Gary Numan]; records where spirit and improvisation guided expression.
Debut single ‘Rom-Com’ is available on all digital platforms. Check the Paste Magazine post for more information.