Formed in Coatesville, PA in late 2006, Pirouette is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Scotty Leitch. Starting out with a series of acoustic songs, Pirouette quickly expanded onto their much loved stirring sound, borrowing talent from close friends. Exploring the realms of genres like indie-rock and math-rock, Scotty has released numerous demos and EPs throughout Pirouette's lifespan. Their live performances were reportedly nothing short of excitement and thrill, including dance/sing-a-long sections and crowds strung in anxious awe. Unfortunately, Pirouette dissolved in late 2010, but also marked the birth of the cleverly named Little Pirouettes (featuring members of Little Kingdoms), fortunately, with the helpful aid of the internet, Pirouette will always exist, and Scotty will continue to impressively whisk us away with his noodly-twinkly goodness!
I was able to speak with Scotty on the fall of Pirouette, to the triumphs of Little Pirouettes:
1) What was the significance behind choosing the name Pirouette, and how did it all start?
Scotty Leitch: My ex-girlfriend Megan came up with the name Pirouette. We wrote songs together, and then we broke up. I liked the name, so I continued to use it.
2) 'Thinking In Subtitles' EP was released in 2007, was it recorded by yourself
completely, or did you have any outside help? Could you tell me a little bit
about the recording process too?
SL: I did it all myself, my brother sang on the song 'Revive'. Most of those songs were just drum tracks that I wrote music over. I used an Ibanez Ice Man and MG100FX.
3) Amanda Matyas seems to make a recurring appearance throughout your back
catalogue, how did the 2 of you meet, and how did you start making music
together?
SL: I stalked Amanda when she worked at the Exton Barnes and Noble. She came to my 21st birthday party/show. I freaked out, and worked up the courage to introduce myself. I moved in with her and her mother a month later. She sang to classical music, and it fit my songs perfectly. She doesn't sing anything now though, and that makes me sad.
4) Not long after the release of your first EP, 'Sometimes Sad Isn't Funny' was
born, which showcases even more tantrum fused indie pop than it's predecessor. Was it ever a conscious decision to follow the path of this genre, or did it naturally fall into place?
SL: At the time, there seemed to be 10,000 bands emulating the jangly-noodly-pop sound, and I wanted to separate myself from that scene. Also, the drummer who played on 'Sometimes Sad Isn't Funny' is the most talented I have ever worked with. A lot of the off-kilter ideas on the EP are a result of him and I just toying with song structure, meter, tempo, etc. It was definitely a conscious effort on my part to progress my song writing and expand on the ideas I already had. I've always enjoyed the odd parts of pop music.
5) What is your process for writing lyrics? "You're the world to me, and earth is just a place where we sit" is just one fragment of heartfelt lyricism heard in your writing.
SL: I work well with extremities. I would write best the day after I won the lottery, or maybe right after my pet cat died.
6) Being a multi-instrumentalist can only mean that you take influence from a
wide variety of genres and artists, would you care to share some with us?
SL: The band Allison Ranger changed my life. I saw their last show when I was a junior in High School. My english teacher was in a band with their guitar player. I'm also influenced by my Father, Rob Crowe, Wesley Willis, Zappa, Isaac Brock, Pavement, Tim Kinsella, Bowie, McCartney, Lil B, John Cage, and some others too.
7) What were your top 5 albums of 2012?
- Meshuggah - Koloss
- Deftones - Koi No Yokan
- Alex G - Trick
- Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
- mtthwrck - Pile High
8) After it's demise, Pirouette cleverly changed names to "Little Pirouettes",
featuring a member of Little Kingdoms and Pierce Jordan, and turned into a full time band. How would you say your writing has changed since this step? How do you feel about working closely with new members added to the line-up?
SL: Little Pirouettes is the product of myself, Jake from Little Kingdoms, and Pierce Jordan. It doesn't sound like Pirouette. It sounds like noodle-music, but it's earnest.
9) From an outsider's perspective, it seems that Pirouette dissolved quite
unexpectedly, what was the reason behind the step from the more 'solo-centered'
work, to the full-time band?
SL: We broke up because our drummer and bass player wanted to focus on their own band. That band is doing very well now.
10) Would you ever consider putting out future Pirouette material? Or will Little
Pirouettes continue to take over this role?
I want to put out one last Pirouette record. I have a bunch of songs that I'd like to show someone one day. I'd also like to yell things!
Thanks so much to Scotty for answering these questions.
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If you would like to download the entire Pirouette discography, go here.
If you would like to follow Scotty's work further, he has numerous projects you can find below:
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Thanks for reading!
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