Dutch alt-pop artist Pitou releases debut album, Big Tear, and shares new music video 'Knife' via V2 Records
Tour Dates
March
25th Muziekgieterik, Maastricht NL *
27th Trabendo, Paris FR *
28th Paradiso, Amsterdam NL *
29th De Roma, Antwerp BE *
30th Handelsbeurs, Ghent BE *
31st Union Chapel, London UK *
April
14th Bitterzoet, Amsterdam NL
15th Motel Mozaique, Rotterdam NL
18th Paper Dress Vintage, London UK
23rd Artheater, Cologne DE
24th Nochtwache, Hamburg DE
25th Privatclub, Berlin DE
27th Le Pop Up, Paris FR
28th Botanique, Brussels BE
29th Merleyn, Nijmegen NL
*supporting Emiliana Torrini & The Colorist Orchestra
"A slow-moving, emotive piece of music which sees Pitou’s lovely vocals intertwined with a simple, yet effective acoustic instrumental" DIY
"Pitou has one of the most arresting voices to emerge from this year, drawing comparisons to the likes of Laura Marling and Julia Holter." The Independent
"A cornucopia of skittering rhythms and neo-classical flourishes that couldn’t belong to anyone else." Clash
"Capturing an intellectual restlessness within her indie-folk songwriting, it’s the marriage of the two that makes Pitou such a spellbinding prospect." TLOBF
Watch / share 'Knife'
https://youtu.be/ZkdssgBmqJg
Dutch artist Pitou’s musical awakening came from an unlikely source. From a very young age, she developed an unexplainable interest in classical music – her father would often find her crouched down by the radio, in search of the sound of orchestras and choirs. From the age of 9, Pitou started singing in a children’s choir, and she soon found herself performing at the baptism of Catharina Amalia, the Princess of the Netherlands, and in renowned music halls throughout Europe. “Singing together with other singers, making harmonies together, made me feel like nothing had ever done before,” she says of that moment.
It's a memory that continues to inspire. Big Tear, her long-awaited debut album, is a rich, fearlessly creative collection of alternative pop that draws from her classical background; unexpected harmonies and song structures, vocal layering, loops, wistful melodies, and classical instruments all swirled together in stylish, clever ways.
The record also marks her own development, both as a performer and a songwriter. “I knew I wanted to move away from the guitar being self-evidently always there,” she says. “I also wanted to find out what it felt like to tell the stories of my songs on stage with just my body and voice, without the physical restriction of the guitar.” Eager to move into other sonic worlds, she embraced the creative possibilities of different instruments – piano, harp, synths – and using computer programs to build and refine her music; some tracks were written entirely on piano or using software.
To celebrate the release of her new album, today Pitou has shared a new music video, 'Knife'. Of the video, she says:
"'Knife' is the emotional axis of this record, very raw in its sentiment, which is always a challenge to translate into visuals. The song is about a person deciding to break away from a bond, for their own sake. I visualised a couple living in a small, quiet home. One half of the couple would be a human, the other a faceless but ever-present being.
Artist Noa Jansma created the long, cushion-like creature portraying this character. The video was shot in a small village in the north of France. We stayed at the house the director’s father build himself. It was a combination of making very long hours, but also being made felt so welcome. I remember us walking through the (ever) empty streets early in the morning, carrying the creature on our backs, and coming home late at night, mud everywhere, with many stars above us. Almost as if we ourselves for four days, were living in a strange wondrous world like the one the video takes place in."
In combining classical instruments and vocal layering, Pitou has crafted wondrous new songs; deep, affecting, resonant. They have a life of their own, making them feel like a world you step into. The sense of intimacy Pitou conveys with her music is amplified by the fact that she created not only the music, but also the visual world of Big Tear. “The artworks and the art-direction of the music videos are very much a part of Big Tear. Working on both the music and the visuals simultaneously, it creates a sort of self-pollinating creative process, which keeps me going.”
Never melancholic or self-pitying, Pitou instead imbues her songs with light and optimism. It’s indicative of her desire to live life to the fullest, and see what beauty does exist in the world. “I hope my music can be a comfort and an inspiration for people who feel stuck,” she adds. “A little beacon of light.” Sounding like an angel singing from another dimension, and with her extraordinary songcraft, Pitou is more a lighthouse beam, blasting through the gloom.
The sense of intimacy Pitou conveys with her music is amplified by the fact that she created not only the music, but also the visual world of Big Tear. “The artworks and the art-direction of the music videos are very much a part of Big Tear. Working on both the music and the visuals simultaneously, it creates a sort of self-pollinating creative process, which keeps me going.”
