Penny & the Pits

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, and Saint John, NB’s Penelope Stevens has certainly earned stalwart sea legs. Forever a worshipper of the wave, their forthcoming album, Liquid Compactor, is an allegorical concept album that sees the Bay of Fundy, the Nashwaak River and the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel pool act as backdrop for a bizarre tale of revenge, healing and feminist rage. Although stepping forward as front person for the first time, Penelope is no stranger to the stage. Best known as 1/3 of beloved art-rockers Motherhood, Penny’s solo venture builds on years of experimentation to construct a new musical framework. “I spent a lot of time making challenging work, stuff that would test me & the listener. Now, I’m trying to make music that just... feels good.” The result is at once visceral and playful - with nods to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Amyl & the Sniffers - it swaggers and struts. Penelope’s dexterity as a composer is on full display, finding an unlikely centrepoint between Black Sabbath, St Vincent and The Ventures. With 12+ years of touring under her belt, Penelope has amassed a rolodex of talented musicians, 3 of whom will form her backing band. Colleen Collins (Construction & Destruction), Grace Stratton (Nightbummerz, Glitterclit), and Megumi Yoshida (Century Egg, Dog Day, Shoulder Season) make up The Pits. “I’ve never really gotten to play in a femme-focused project before. For this album, it’s really important to me that we’re the ones telling the story.”