- Time for some Pigottry -

Oliver and Sebastian Pigott have been gigging almost since they were ten years old. Both powerful singers, each of them with their distinctive tone and character but both with the same peculiar warmth in their voices (secret weapon of mass seduction), they are also accomplished songwriters and musicians.

In the early 2000s, Oliver and Sebastian founded “Laughing Sam's Dice” which got quite a big and passionate following in the Toronto Indie Scene, taking them to national television and legendary clubs as El Mocambo and The Opera House.

It was then when Oliver, the elder of the brothers, was signed to a publishing deal by BMG Canada, which took him to spend the following five years working with some of the most respected names in the music industry and touring all over the U.S., UK and other places in the world. His work has, in fact, been admired by artists such as Amy Winehouse, Tony Cowell and Lukas Rossi.

Canadian Idol gave them the opportunity to reunite in a musical environment, although their way through the program, which spawned more adoring fans and good reviews of connoisseurs, also served to confirm, once again, that you can not pre-manufacture the authenticity and they are authentic.

The duo is the creative force behind Pigott Brothers, which, along with Tony Nesbitt Larking,  (vocals, drums, percussion, keys) and [Charles James] (Bass), have recently released “Pigottry”, a wonderful mix of blues, country, folk and rock ´n´ roll, with witty and poignant lyrics that cover the sexy, the romantic, the decadent, and very playfully… deliver more than one unequivocal message.

Sebastian, who is also an skilled actor with a powerful on screen presence (his role as “Kai Booker” in the Canadian, and now international hit series “Being Erica”, has been renewed for another season) adds, to their live gigs, a cheekiness that, together with his sound quality and Oliver’s magnetism, makes them irresistible to listen to, to look at, to dance with, and of course, pay attention to what they have to say.

We are very pleased that these very talented young artists have found the time to respond to our questions within their busy schedule.

MDM: Thank you guys, for taking the time for this interview, we truly appreciate it. Oliver, being on the road gives you the perspective needed for…

OLIVER: I try to throw all my experiences into a bag, then lock myself away when I get home and dig into the bag. Some great songs have resulted from the perspective I've achieved on the road, especially the UK shows.

MDM: Of your work through BMG Canada, what would you say was the most satisfying?

OLIVER: I got to work with some really accomplished songwriters on their roster. One of my favourites was Dean McTaggart, (co-wrote the hit song "Dark Horse", which we covered on "Pigottry") who really helped me streamline my songwriting abilities. I'd cite Dean as one of my mentors for sure.

MDM: Your musical heros would be...

OLIVER: Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Beethoven.

MDM: How is your songwriting process, do you sit down and work out different lines, try different chord combinations or are you the type to be visited by the muses, some times at the most inconvenient moments?

OLIVER: That's a great question. I find most songs start for me with a lyrical idea, which usually happens while I'm not at home. I never carry a notepad with me by design, mostly because I figure that the really worthwhile ideas will stay with me until I get the chance to sit down with a guitar and work it out. After this, chord progression and melody usually happen simultaneously as I work out what complements the lyrical idea.

MDM: Sebastian, how did “Alien Like You” come about?

SEBASTIAN: "Alien Like You" was written entirely by myself with no input from Oliver. If he says otherwise, punch him in the scrotum.

No, we wrote it. We wrote it. I'm just kidding. There was a song needed for the show, so I pushed really hard for them to let me and Ollie pitch some songs. We sequestered ourselves at the Red Pine Inn in Alliston, Ontario, and wrote three different tunes to pitch. I think one of them was pretty crap, not sure what happened to it. The other one is called "Dirty Bones", and that's on the new record. And the third one was "Alien Like You", which was actually written a little faster and with a 4/4 beat. Jody suggested slowing it down and then Ollie and I put a waltz into it and PRESTO. I did a re-write on the verse lyrics at Jana Sinyor's request.

MDM: What was the part, where you had most fun, whilst filming the “Rich Man” video clip?

SEBASTIAN: When I jumped up on the van and lead the crowd through a Rich Man chant. Small town folk, kids, grandparents, mothers...Everybody chanting Rich Man Go! Pretty sweet.

MDM: The song from “Pigottry” that you felt most excited about when composing it...

SEBASTIAN: "Rich Man" for sure. The only hard part was taking the swears out of the chorus. I was just really angry about the bail out, and all these priviledged rich people arguing about how much money they should take from the working class and which rich man should have it. I wanted to tell them to f*** off, go get their own money, you know. Seven hundred billion dollars is a lot of cash, but I'll bet they could come up with that much between them. Except, of course, that's not the point. They were just looting the last dregs of America's wealth before it slips into complete bankrupcy and panic.

MDM: Acting and songwriting are two very different creative fields but which would you say are the similarities in their approach?

SEBASTIAN: It's all a matter of trying to cut through to something truthful. Which is pretty fundamental in life. I think that's the whole power of art, is it's a pure avenue for that. Not that other things can't be that, in fact I think all things  can be, but with art it's the expressed goal. Which is worth something. Plus it's completely without vanity or presumption, the way philosophy might be. Unless it's crap, in which case you can ignore everything I've just said.

MDM: Thank you both again guys. When and where can your fans see you live at the moment and are there any plans to tour abroad soon?

OLIVER: Thanks for asking. We're aiming to get back to the UK ASAP. Meanwhile we're playing Lloydminster, AB, Canada at Lakeland College August 19th and The Cameron House, Toronto, Canada August 26th.

We'll be announcing more dates very soon.