Pretty Stooked is an exciting new indie pop rock project out of Christchurch. Eddie Kiesanowski - the creative behind Pretty Stooked - has molded a sonic tone echoing The Vanns, Spacey Jane and Band of Horses putting Pretty Stooked at the cutting edge of the indie pop rock wave. Muzic.net.nz spoke to Eddie about his music, plans for next year and his most memorable show to date:
How did you become involved in music?
I started learning the guitar after watching the movie School of Rock and would sing along to the songs I was learning. My younger brother Cullen started playing too and when we were 12 and 10 we entered a local talent contest for our first performance and ended up winning. I think after that we were both pretty hooked!
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?
Poppy hooks over lush guitars.
What can we expect to see from you in the next year?
My Line (released 29 September) is the first single of an EP which will be released over the next 6 months and followed by a national tour, provided Covid doesn’t bully us too much.
Who are your favourite NZ bands and musicians?
There are so many goodies but here’s a few I’ve been listening to recently - The Beths, Jed Parsons, There’s A Tuesday, The Knews, Thomas Isbister, and Molly Payton.
How do you balance your music with other obligations; family, job etc?
My family have always been super supportive of my music and my job is music related too so I guess it all slots together really well. I’m fortunate to be around people in every aspect of my life that know what I’m trying to achieve and won’t hold me back from doing so.
Where do you get your inspiration to create music from?
Mostly from personal experiences or the experiences of people around me. I also get inspiration from seeing a great live band or watching concerts on YouTube. It makes me want to go out and do it myself.
What has been your most memorable show to date?
Probably our show at Grater Goods earlier this year. It was our first sold out headline show and it was on my mum's birthday so it was a special night.
What can you never leave home without?
It’s boring but I am glued to my drink bottle. Gotta stay hydrated am I right?
How did you come up with the name Pretty Stooked?
I lived in Melbourne for a couple of years in a flat on Stooke Street. That’s where I started writing songs for this project so when I was thinking of a name I thought I’d incorporate the street name. Initially it was just going to be ‘Stooke’, but I made my Instagram handle ‘prettystooked’ as a play on words and then decided I liked that better.
Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Surround yourself with as much music as possible. Go to gigs, get to know the scene, jam with lots of people, and then just go for it. Decide what you want to do and give it everything.
Pretty Stooked is an exciting new indie pop rock project out of Christchurch. Eddie Kiesanowski - the creative behind Pretty Stooked - has molded a sonic tone echoing The Vanns, Spacey Jane and Band of Horses putting Pretty Stooked at the cutting edge of the indie pop rock wave.