Purling Hiss Purling Hiss… Going with the flow

Interview: Purling Hiss

Published on April 11th, 2013 | Jonny Abrams

Mike Polizze was the sole operator of 4-track recording project Purling Hiss until an invite to go on tour with his friend Kurt Vile demanded he get a band together. Now Purling Hiss is a fully fledged group with a gloriously scuzzed-out new album in Water on Mars, so Rocksucker fired over some questions for one of those interview things we like to do…

How easy was it embrace higher tech production values this time around? How much of the instrumentation did you handle yourself?

It was a whole lot easier. I have a band in tow now. Mike Sneeringer on drums, and Kiel Everett on Bass. We’re officially a band. Where as past recordings were all me, we did it the classic way, by going into the studio and capturing us as a band.

You must be delighted with the reaction the album’s had. Have you given any thought yet on how to follow it up?

Yes, the reception has been great. I’m really proud of it, and I’m happy that it’s being enjoyed by others. I’m already thinking about the next batch of songs and am really excited about it. I think it will be even better.

How did you go about getting a band together for the Kurt Vile tour? Is it still the same band and did they have any creative input into Water on Mars?

It has been the same band the whole time. Kurt asked Purling Hiss to tour, and I got lucky having my friends Mike and Kiel available to hit the road. I’m still the primary songwriter, but we flesh the songs out at practice.

Will you be playing any festivals this summer?

We are touring the US now, and Europe all of May. After that we are gonna take it easy in the summer, unless something pops up. We’ll play Hopscotch Festival in September in North Carolina.

Do you have any plans to come to the UK in the near future?

Yea, we’re playing a stacked bill in London, in May with White Fence, Mikal Cronin, Jacco Gardner and The Pheromoans at the Tufnell Park Dome on May 16th.

What would you say has been the highlight so far of being in Purling Hiss?

As of recently, it’s been great getting tight with the band, and evolving with each other. It keeps getting better. Also, all the amazing experiences we had touring with awesome bands.

I gather you’re a bit of a Guided By Voices fan. Have you heard their new albums, and if so what do you think of them? Ditto Dinosaur Jr.’s most recent album, and Meat Puppets’ new one? Anything from this year you’ve enjoyed

That’s right! I haven’t really heard GBV’s or the Pup’s latest yet, but love Alien Lanes and Meat Puppets II are old fav’s. Latest Dino Jr, is great.

In 2013 I’m enjoying some stuff on the Philadelphia label, Testostertunes/Richie Records like Spacin’, Watery Love, and coming soon, Mordecai.

Finally, if you had to spend the rest of your days with the entire works of just five different artists, musical or otherwise, whose would you choose?

That’s just so hard, but if we are talking quantity for an artist’s entire collection, The Grateful Dead is a good start. I’d have to put Hendrix and Black Flag in there too.

Mike Polizze, thank you.

Water On Mars

Water On Mars is out now on Drag City. For more information, please click here visit Purling Hiss at Bandcamp.

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About the Author

Editor of Rocksucker and the website's founder, Jonny is passionate about the music he listens to, both good and bad, as well as interviewing his favourite musicians.


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