The Resurgence of The Pinstripes
“When Sunny and I moved abroad, we knew it wasn’t the end of the band. It was a hiatus. I remember Sunny saying “even if our travels come to an end at the age of 50, we can still start the band again, right?” We weren’t finished with it, we still have more to say.” - Hettie
Like many beloved bands, The Pinstripes was born from more than just music. Their deep and enduring friendship is an essence that translates into sound, where creating feels natural, authentic and fun. But unlike some other bands, they’ve remained true to their cause, surviving years apart geographically, with trio members Hettie (she/her), Isabella (she/her) and Sunny (she/her) all living in different locations around the world for the past two years. With the band recently back together in Naarm after this hiatus, I chatted to the trio about their beginnings, where they are at now, and their upcoming show.
The Pinstripes is made up of three daringly unique individuals. Outside of the band, Hettie is currently launching a solo music career focusing on her folk song writing and playing shows locally in Naarm. Sunny, an Architecture masters student, just spent the last two years living in New York, whilst Bella is a florist by trade with a knack for gardening and knitting. With their diverse backgrounds and varied interests, they each bring a rich blend of perspectives that enhances their creativity as an ensemble.
The trio all connected in the summer of 2020 on a whim, getting together in Sunny’s basement and feeling an immediate connection with one another musically.
“I had dreamed of starting a band but had never had the balls,” Hettie recalls. “One day, I received a text from Bella, “Let's start a band. We will call it The Pinstripes” I thought, “fuck! Why not!“ I had never written a song before, got my note pad out and wrote ‘First Tattoo’ on my commute to Bella's house.”
Much has changed since then, with Hettie a now seasoned songwriter. Within the band, she is the guitarist and singer, writing the lyrics, melodies and guitar parts for the majority of the songs. Bella’s role is bass player, writing bass parts and melodies whilst also booking gigs and helping to design the band’s creative work. Sunny is the drummer, who comes up with the drum parts, “usually by just grooving to a new melody until something feels right.” At times, Sunny and Bella work together, repeating sequences to develop a cohesive baseline and drum beat, experimenting with new melodies until the right rhythm emerges.
The origin of the name ‘The Pinstripes’ stems from the comically creative vision shared by Bella, who imagined the band that would stand out in the scene by wearing suits at their gigs. The pinstripe pattern, characterised by thin light-coloured stripes against a contrasting dark fabric, became iconic in the 1960s and remains one of the most classic patterns for a suit. Although the trio is actually yet to debut such a performance in pinstripe suits, they are carefully choosing the right moment to do so - so stay tuned.
Describing the sound of The Pinstripes to someone who has never listened to their music is a difficult task because, as they admit, every song is extremely distinct from the next. Each member brings unique inspirations to their music, but they share some common idols. To stimulate their creativity and “get the juices going”, they’ll often listen to bands they all admire, such as The Kinks, Sneaks, and MGMT (all known for their compelling beats). The Pinstripes themselves mesh sides of punk with elements of indi and 60’s rock - “People have described us as having a jangly tone,” the band says, which refers to a sound typically characterised by undistorted, treble-heavy electric guitars and folk rock.
Having taken a break in both making music together and performing as a trio, the three have all individually reflected on the essence of the band that they’d like to keep, and what is evolving as we speak. There are many exciting updates. Their songwriting has evolved significantly, and they are “finessing” their overall style. As well as this, the trio plan to record a new EP in the coming months with a new set list they are currently working on. However, the core essence of The Pinstripes remains the same. They are centred on creating music that is enjoyable and light-hearted, music “that is fun and not taken too seriously. We will continue to keep this energy up.”
Social media continues to give musicians the opportunities they previously could only have through record companies. While it helps to gather people to their shows, they don't like to rely on it too much. Bella, who manages most of the social media side of things, says, “I like to keep it fun and silly. It's important to find the balance of spamming and promotion. It’s just part of getting your music out there, we wish we didn't need it, but we keep it enjoyable.”
The band has played a couple venues around Naarm. Their favourite venue, Fitzroy’s ‘Old Bar’ is a classic old-school music venue which has long been a shrine to the local scene for decades, and one that is extremely hospitable to booking local up and comers.
This does not go unappreciated, the band says: “The music scene in Naarm is fantastic, bands help bands, venues are always in touch - it's a loving community.” On what they would like to see change in the industry, they echo what many contemporary female artists are insisting: “We also always love and want to see more women in the industry - from making music, being soundies, recording, mixing, managing, photographing, filming, all of it.”
The Pinstripes will be playing their first show back at the newly opened ‘Persa’ band room (Fitzroy's iconic Perseverance Hotel) on Saturday September 14th. With amazing support acts - Neon Goblin, Dog Door and Gavin - they anticipate a big one!
Lastly, they share some advice for young people looking to start up a band and get gigs:
“Just start. Start making songs, make a set list, and before you know it, you'll have your first gig! Our first gig was at a house party, we didn't know WHAT we were doing. Just do it, it's all good practice. To get gigs you could reach out to friends in the music industry, message bands you want to support or just hit up venues directly via instagram or email. We are still figuring it out ourselves.”
Come see The Pinstripes on September 14th - Get your tickets here