In simple terms, Amongst The Pigeons is an electronica artist… it is only when you try going beyond that simple description, you come to realise there is nothing straightforward about Amongst The Pigeons.
Words like ‘diverse, individual, inspiring, lo-fi, playful, psychedelic, quirky, weird and wonky’, have all been used to try and explain what is going on, but maybe somethings should not be pigeon-holed.
Over the last 15 years Amongst The Pigeons has made it clear they are not trying to follow any mainstream musical trends. This approach has contributed to praise and accolade across the self-releasing of 4 full-length albums, numerous EPs and a whole host of one-off singles.
Back at Glastonbury for this year’s festival with a performance in Rimski’s Yard, we caught up with Amongst the Pigeons to find out more.
Q&A with Amongst the Pigeons
Tell us a little bit about Amongst the Pigeons?
In the most simple of terms Amongst the Pigeons is an electronic producer / performer.
But that is a bit vague so I will start by introducing myself. I am Daniel Parsons and for nearly the last 20 years I have been making music as Amongst the Pigeons. It actually started as a bit of a joke but then one of my songs got played by Rob Da Bank on Radio One and things got a bit more serious. Over the years I have released four albums with album five out this summer. I work with a lot of other musicians who provide vocals for my songs (my singing is not great) and love playing live.
How does it feel to be playing this year’s Glastonbury festival?
In a word – amazing. I first went to Glastonbury as a teenager in 1995 and have been almost every year since. This year I am returning to Rimski’s Yard after doing a set there last year. I love the Theatre and Circus area and Rimski’s Yard is very much a hidden gem of the Festival.
What can people expect from your set?
Alongside some very ‘excellent and original electronic music’ people can expect to learn more about pigeons. A few years ago I realised that electronic sets do not have much interaction with the audience so I really try to make my sets different. In between songs I tell the crowd facts and stories about pigeons and have made up some original poems, also about pigeons. I also have the ‘world famous’ ATP pigeon masks which I give out to the crowd and try to get them to become pigeons themselves.
What kind of opportunities does a festival crowd give you?
It can be hard to sum up just how important crowds are when you are a performer. Festival crowds in particular are fantastic, you never know who is going to come and watch you and I love trying to win people over. At festivals people tend to let themselves go a little bit more than a normal gig so they are open to dancing and interacting a little bit more. On a personal level it also gives me the opportunity to meet new people who come back to my shows year on year and support me.
Are you looking forward to seeing any other acts across the weekend?
Well, this yearm as well as playing I am volunteering for Water Aid and will be doing a number of shifts over the weekend and don’t know when I am working yet. But if I can I will be watching The Hu (on West Holts), Leftfield (Park Stage) and Beans On Toast (Avalon). There are also loads of acts I want to watch in the Cabaret Tent this year like Spencer Jones who I caught last year and Ivo Graham, Phil Wang and Jamali Madddix. But the best bit of Glastonbury is just exploring, walking around and catching something random.
Amongst the Pigeons plays Rimski’s Yard on the Friday of Glastonbury Festival 2023
