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Feminist icon and avant-garde musician Peaches has been disrupting rock music for over two decades. To celebrate her return to Aotearoa next month on ‘The Teaches of Peaches’ 20th Anniversary tour, she discusses patriarchy, Madonna and being a queer pioneer with Oliver Hall.

I WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO YOU WHEN YOU PERFORMED AT THE BIG DAY OUT FESTIVAL IN THE EARLY 2000’S. YOU WERE ONE OF THE VERY FEW FEMALE PERFORMERS AND THE ONLY OPENLY QUEER PERFORMER ON THE LINEUP. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU IN THOSE DAYS TO BE ENTERING THAT BOYS CLUB?

I was like. I’m not entering this boy club. I’m just entering … I was just trying to do my thing, and it was a struggle, but in that struggle, you could see a lot of queer lights turning on.

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YOU’RE COMING TO NZ ON YOUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TEACHES OF PEACHES TOUR. IN THOSE 20 YEARS, HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS HAVE SHIFTED FOR WOMEN AND QUEER PEOPLE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

It’s completely shifted for queer and female-identifying artists and trans artists. It is so much more welcoming, and there are a huge amount of artists that are willing to, and without fear, express themselves. We’re seeing incredible talents, like obviously Lil NAS X, but behind him you have Le1f, Arca, Sophie (rest in peace), and Wendy Carlos, who paved the way!

And you had these gay super rock icons that somehow slipped by people that they were even gay, like Rob Halford. How did people not know Hell Bound For Leather was a gay anthem? Freddie Mercury – come on, the band’s called Queen!

YOU YOURSELF PIONEERED SOME GENDER FUCKERY AND ENCOURAGED LOOKING BEYOND MALE/FEMALE GENDER BINARY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO NOW SEE TRANS AND NON-BINARY COMMUNITIES RECOGNISED IN THE MAINSTREAM, AND WAS IT SOMETHING YOU SAW COMING?

I didn’t see it coming. But I had hope. I just had some ideas, and I let them out … It’s incredible. But it’s also a really tough time. The systematic patriarchy is trying so hard to hold on to these horrible stupid ideas that stop people from being who they are, so that they can hold on to their greed and their power and their crap that doesn’t make sense. Just let go of your crap, give it up … People are just so scared to give up their power. So scared to even be themselves. How many times have we seen the hypocrisy of patriarchal ways and religious views?

Why don’t we just let ourselves be who we need to be? Why hold on to this system that has grabbed us all by the genitals for years and years?

Peaches | PHOTO : IZABELLA CHROBOK AND GRZEGORZ BACINSKI OF KEYI STUDIO
Peaches | PHOTO : IZABELLA CHROBOK AND GRZEGORZ BACINSKI OF KEYI STUDIO

SOME OF YOUR MORE RECENT LYRICS FOCUS ON AGING, PARTICULARLY THE PERCEPTION OF WOMEN AGING. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CRITICISM LEVELED IN THE MEDIA AT PEOPLE LIKE MADONNA FOR STILL BEING SEXUALLY SUGGESTIVE ON STAGE?

She’s Madonna. She doesn’t care what you think. She can look like as much of a tiger as she wants to. She doesn’t care. She’s just smoking weed and having a good time … Madonna was not one of my influences, but now I think she’s incredible.

TALKING ABOUT BEING SEXUALLY SUGGESTIVE ON STAGE, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR NZ TOUR? WILL YOU BE STRAPPING ON?

I’m going to be strapping on everything! I’m going to be humping the speakers. I’m going to be humping the mic stand. It may not even seem sexually suggestive to anybody anymore. It’s going to be completely entertaining. It’s going to be an arc of like surprises, joyousness and celebration. Bringing people together and understanding that we’re here, we’re queer and beyond!

Peaches play Auckland’s Powerstation on Monday, 20 February, and Wellington’s Meow on Tuesday, 21 and Wednesday, 22 February.

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