Projectionists - New Waves

Let’s get this out of the way right at the start; The Pipettes. There, we’ve said it. Not that we say the name of this band in a negative way, because we absolutely loved The Pipettes. Yet the problem is that once you’ve been in a group that are so strikingly identifiable in terms of their image (polka dot dresses) and sound (sixties girl group) it’s always going to be hard to cast away the ‘ex-Pipette’ tag and move on.

Having said that Rose Elinor Dougall has done an excellent job in shaking off the shackles, first with a solo record that took late 80’s and early 90’s indie references and then by cropping up on stage and record with the likes of Mark Ronson. We mention Rose because just like a tin of Quality Street chocolates everybody had / has a favourite Pipette and we’ve admitted in the past that Rose was ours, but coming in a very close second was the clever and saucy looking one known as Riot Becki, real name Rebecca Stephens.

So whilst Rose has been hob-nobbing with the type of star who might been seen at Versace New York launch parties, Rebecca has been touring with Jesca Hoop, moving to Manchester and getting a new band together. They’re called Projectionists and are an indie super group of sorts, featuring members of Alfie, The Earlies, Liam Frost and The Slowdown Family, Star Crossed Lovers as well as Becki herself.

The good news for fans of The Pipettes is that the music of Projectionists isn’t that removed from Becki’s previous band. The songs that we’ve heard are upbeat old-fashioned pop songs with a grown-up indie aesthetic. Whilst The Pipettes may have been the cool flirty girls at the party, spilling red wine on the carpet and leaving lipstick kisses on all the boys cheeks, Projectionists sound like a more grown-up dinner date, but one that still ends up with some whirling and twirling on the dance floor at the end.

With a debut EP nearly ready to go (some tracks from which we’re streaming below) and some early support from BBC Introducing Manchester and John Kennedy on XFM, we have a strong suspicion that it may not be long before we have to declare that we have a new favourite ex-Pipette. Sorry Rose.

Projectionists - Lonely

Projectionists - I Never Wanted Anything