“Pikelets are [best] fresh from the pan, warm with butter on them.”
Over the past few years Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist and singer Evelyn Morris, better known by her adorable alias PIKELET, has been toiling away at her craft. With two captivating albums full of thoughtful indie folk gems now under her belt, it appears that Morris’ hard work is beginning to yield results. Her talent for looping instruments and weaving them together to create intricate and swirling layers within her songs has seen her become the support act of choice for many of her international peers – Dirty Projectors, Beirut and Goldfrapp to name a very select and impressive few. On the eve of a national co-headline tour with Sydney act Richard In Your Mind, Morris spoke eagerly with me regarding some of the big names she’s supported, the pros and cons of playing in a band compared to by herself and why she would like you to refrain from bringing pikelets to her show.
With a list of support slots that would make any indie aficionado salivate uncontrollably – if the three listed above weren’t enough, try Devendra Banhart, Kaki King and Patrick Watson – there must have been some surreal ‘pinch me, I can’t believe I’m doing this!’ moments. “Every time I’ve supported someone kind of biggish I’ve had a little freak out about it,” Morris concurs. “The biggest, hardest, most scary one was probably Sufjan Stevens. That was one of the first big supports I did and I had to play to 1,500 people every night. I’d been listening to his records for a while and when we played with him I was a bit of a nervous wreck! The refreshing thing was that he was extremely friendly and would come and hang out in our bandroom.”
The tour Morris is referring to took place in early 2008, back when her live setup consisted of little more than a stool surrounded by a microphone, a guitar, an accordion and other associated paraphernalia. The 2010 Pikelet lineup is somewhat different, to a degree abandoning the looping techniques that Morris is renowned for in favour of a fuller band sound. “I like playing solo because I know my own mind and I can just run with ideas and it all happens really quickly,” she explains. “But there’s heaps about playing with the band that I love too. The idea of creating things with other people is fascinating and it’s heaps more fun on stage. It’s hard to say which I like better.”
Given her band’s culinary association, it would be fair to make the assumption that some diehard fans have turned up to Pikelet shows in the past with offerings of the delicious golden mini-pancakes. Not so, says Morris. “There have been a couple of shows where the organisers have made pikelets, but there’s never been any fans turning up with them. Pikelets are [best] fresh from the pan, warm with butter on them. It’d be kinda funny to bring them to a gig.” There you have it folks – first eat some pikelets at home to warm your stomach and then come and listen to Pikelet’s music to warm your heart.
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