Three is the Magic Number: pedalo pick three songs they wish they'd written

 

         Three is the Magic Number 

Time to launch our new section here on NNWNF, a celebration of songs that bands and artists wish they wrote. The band or artist in question can pick any song from any genre as long as they can tell us more as to why they chose that song. 

Launching our new feature are Glaswegian indie-pop newcomers pedalo, who have been writing and releasing a flurry of guitar pop anthems over the last couple of years. New single 'She's The Sun' (listen below) is another one, taking inspiration from the likes of Alvvays and Slowdive and finding their own voice shining through. We got three members of the band - NO MORE NO LESS - to pick one song each to start the ball rolling, and here is what they came up with.

                                     

                              Pedalomusic.com

 

Charlotte:

'I Hear the Day Has Come' by Matt Maltese

For me there could be a fair few hundred tunes on this list, but this is the one that springs to mind first. It’s one of Maltese’s earliest releases back from 2016, and even though he’s got a pretty big discography now I still go back to it time and time again. The vocal delivery is so emotive which is something I really strive to get across in my own performances.

The piano sounds almost out of tune, and it gives off a kind of melancholic nostalgia which I would live in if I could. I feel like there can be a danger of throwing everything and the kitchen sink at a song during the writing and recording process, but this song is a great example of how simplicity can have such beautiful results.

 Calum:

'Stairway To Heaven' by Led Zeppelin

It may be hellishly overplayed in guitar shops around the world, but for me nothing can detract from the genius of such a perfect song. The dynamic arc is so well handled, it’s a slow burn with a huge payoff at the end, gradually built up through Zeppelin’s artful use of their minimal instrumentation. Each member gets the space to express their playing to the fullest, without overshadowing one another. It kind of makes me sad in a way, because I don’t think a slow-burner like 'Stairway' would see as much success today.

For better or for worse, it’s all about instant gratification now. So, with our latest tune 'She’s The Sun', we took a lot of care to ‘trim the fat’ so to speak. And whilst so far it’s been our best received song yet, and we’re all super proud of how it turned out, there’s definitely a part of me that longs for the expressive freedom that longer-form songwriting can enable. I’m not sure there are any songs I could say I wish I had written, but if I could, I would love to write a song like 'Stairway to Heaven'.

pedalo's Instagram

Nick:

'The Less I Know The Better' by Tame Impala

As the bassist of pedalo I’d have to pick something with an iconic bassline. I think something like 'The Less I Know The Better' is perfect. I imagine how many people must have been inspired to pick up the instrument after hearing it, in the same way I was inspired to play bass after hearing songs like Longview (Green Day) and Always Like This (Bombay Bicycle Club).

I would love to be in the position where my playing and writing is the catalyst to someone choosing to play the bass.  Not to mention it’s just a great, decade-defining song that is loads of fun to play.