It’s funny that we’re talking about Myths,” says Pickwick guitarist Michael Parker, “because all of us on some level are embarrassed of those recordings, because we don’t really feel like they represent what we do all that well.” Maybe so, but the album, a compilation of several self-released 7-inches, put the Seattle six-piece on the map in a major way in 2012. It also got the attention of professional management, which helped the band get label interest for their first proper record, due out in 2013 (details forthcoming). Pickwick will celebrate their year with a New Year’s Eve gig at Showbox at the Market. I talked to Parker and singer Galen Disston about Myths and their banner year.
SW: As you were releasing the series of 7-inches, did you know you’d end up compiling them onto a single record?
Parker: That was just an idea that we came up with as a way to have everything consolidated. The one problem we had with the 7-inches is we did all of that on our own, and the manufacturing and the cost was expensive, and logistically it was tough to get them as quickly as we needed. Compiling them into one thing seemed like a nice way to give everybody those songs all at once.
In lieu of continuing to press more copies of each 7-inch, you mean?
Parker: Yeah. I think we sold our first 7-inch at the Sunset, and by the time they were all released, we were playing at the Neptune. It all happened pretty fast, and it was pretty weird. It was surprising to us that people bought 7-inches. We thought that we were the only ones who would be into it, so that was pretty cool.
Why the title Myths?
Disston: I don’t like to reveal too much about the content of the songs, but it relates to the content of the songs.
Because you want people to come to their own conclusions?
Disston: Yeah, but also the songs are each about something specific, and I just prefer when people are able to discover that on their own. I think that that kind of journey has added to my appreciation of music, and I think that when people stumble upon the meaning of some of the songs, it adds to the listening experience.
Will some of the songs from Myths end up on the new record?
Parker: There’s 13 songs on the new record, and we re-recorded three.
So you really think of your upcoming record as your first full-length?
Parker: Yes. It’s safer to say that we as a band think of Myths as like our demo tape.
What do you have you planned for the New Year’s Eve show? Have you played the Showbox before?
Parker: No, and it’ll be the biggest venue we’ve played in Seattle. We’ve played the Neptune twice. We’re going to play a couple new songs that people haven’t heard, and we’re really excited to play with Tomten and Radiation City. I saw Radiation City just got listed as one of NPR’s bands that you should know in 2012. We’re really excited about the show.
