ill peach is a band out in Los Angeles that I have been infatuated with since 2021, when EXCUSE US WHILE WE FIND OUR MINDS - EP was put into the world and landed in front of me through a playlist spotlight. I immediately was moved by the track UP UP AND AWAY, and knew I found something special. Their music has soundtracked my life since then.
Jess Corazza and Pat Morrissey started ill peach because they are songwriters, and have been told their stuff was too weird, and outlandish. Looking for a place to create and act on these ideas that didn’t fit anywhere else, ill peach was formed. Jesse Schuster had been involved early on helping with cowrites, guitar and more, and was officially added to the band roster in 2024. (Side note: his big googly eye on his guitar is the best thing ever).
Now this summer, their second record EAVESDROPPING was released. Right away this record is super focused and cohesive. All while keeping the word weird, front and center. The concept of the record is about eavesdropping. Jess was inspired through listening in on strangers conversations that often took wild turns. Messy drunk couples in bars, people getting roped into cults, and more, paved the way for the records’ inspiration. Something Jess wrote about in a newsletter, “I think I used eavesdropping as a way to dissociate from the sadness”. Her dad had passed away due to an illness in the time making the record, and said making the album was therapeutic. The letter ended with, “As humans, we’re constantly interacting and weaving our stories together. This album is about that human-ness—and in a world where everyday humanity feels questioned, I think it’s kind of powerful to remind ourselves that we’re all connected through something. Whether it’s love, drama, annoyance, sadness, or just plain, basic, boring nothing”.
There is a noticeable shift in the music, leaning more into indie sleaze. The shift was immediate, when lead single CULT DADDY released, and even further with the singles that followed. Listening to this record is like stepping into a funhouse mirror. Every detail, (glitchy distorted backing vocals, trippy synths, and all sorts of other sounds) layer each other and just create a beautiful symphony of sounds.
RODEO, is the song that best captures the whole record. Every line is amazing, especially “bigger than small, bigger than midwest malls”. Delivered in an almost sultry tone that makes it land even harder. RODEO also features a co-write from Steph Jones, who co-wrote Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. Another cool collaboration is the Miya Folick co-write on the exhilarating and pacing CRUMBS. My favorite track is ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT SLEEP (A.D.I.D.A.S) featuring a co-write from kill Dave, who is in MILKBLOOD with Pat. (They are also so so so amazing please check them out). The melody is such an ear worm, and the synths on this track are killer.
The last two tracks YUP and ASHTRAY, are a somber end to a rather wild record. I absolutely love YUP, and how it covers the complexity of loving someone who you can no longer tolerate. The closing track ASHTRAY begins quiet and continues to build, and build, until it explodes into a beautiful symphony of sounds, marrying perfectly to the frustrated writing about a relationship with a person that is like an addiction or bad habit. This is also the first ill peach track, (I am pretty damn sure) that has strings on it, giving a very cinematic and expansive feel. Then, it’s just Jess and the guitar, and a defeated ‘goodbye’.
Absolutely insane. EAVESDROPPING is a spectacular sophomore effort that continues to show they are in a lane of their own. In a bandcamp stream chat for the new record, I had said “something about the music scratches something in my brain”, to which they replied, “we are definitely trying to scratch brains”. So, if you want some brain scratches, I highly recommend you take some time to listen to EAVESDROPPING by ill peach.
