The pipettes: a rethinking of '60s girl-group glee, punk rock style

"We want to encourage people to be escapists," says RiotBecki, one of the three twentysomething singers in the indie-pop band the Pipettes, whose debut album, We Are the Pipettes (Cherrytree/Interscope), has just been released in the United States. The three together--RiotBecki and Rosay from Brighton, England, and a Welsh lass named Gwenno--look like they walked straight out of a photo shoot for a '60s girl group. "It's obvious what form of music we're referencing," says Rosay.

Three-and-a-half years ago the Pipettes began gigging around Brighton, opening for the likes of the Go! Team and Maximo Park. Onstage they perform in coordinated polka-dot frocks and are backed by a group of guys they call the Cassettes. Their routine consists of some late-'50s and early-'60s staples like synced arm movements with hand clapping and finger snapping to match their doo-wop harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. "It is important to do songs in a way that everybody can enjoy," says Gwenno.

However, these girls are not waiting around for a Johnny Angel to notice them. In fact, their lyrics would probably shut down a sock hop after the first few measures. Tracks like "One Night Stand" and "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" assert a willingness to explore ideas about women's sexual freedom. "We use our look as a starting point, but we don't want to be a pastiche," says Gwenno.

Justin Conner is a frequent Interview contributor.

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