Biography
-
Years Active
2007 – present (17 years)
-
Members
- Milena Mepris (2007 – 2010)
Meshing influences from the 80s with a futuristic soundscape, Pin Me Down make dance music for rock kids, or “apocalyptic pop” as singer/songwriter/guitarist Milena Mepris likes to describe it. Mepris was previously in Pin Me Down managers Robt Ptak band Artificial Joy from 1998 to 2001.
Pin Me Down began in 2006 when British guitarist Russell Lissack (of the band Bloc Party) met Milena Mepris in New York City, when Mepris’s former band Black Moustache supported Bloc Party at the legendary Knitting Factory. The two shared guitar equipment at the show and instantly became friends, bonding over guitar playing, Twin Peaks (television show), as well as the bands they loved like Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, and 80’s guilty pop pleasures like Cyndi Lauper and Madonna. Armed with identical laptops and protools music programs, the two began sending songs they had each written back and forth over the Internet. Lissack had many song ideas, in addition to those he worked on with Bloc Party, many revealed a more sensitive side, while some featured his signature guitar delay textures and blistering riffs. Mepris, an accomplished songwriter and singer who often writes for others with a back catalog of over 300 songs, played Lissack some tunes she’d written for herself.
It was only a matter of time before the pair began to assemble songs together. Whenever their busy schedules would permit, they recorded demos together in whatever city was convenient, until they felt ready to take the next step and flesh out their songs properly in the studio. Bringing in producer, drummer, jack-of-all-trades Alex Elena, they camped out in the heart of New York City’s east village to make their debut album of danceable, heartfelt songs. While the melodies and lyrics deal with love, loss, and the (sometimes crumbling) world around them, one of Pin Me Down’s main concerns was to make sure their music was sassy fun.
When their first single, “Cryptic”, the duo’s ode to modern pop culture and the unknown, appeared on February’s Kitsune Maison 5 GOLD compilation in Europe, the band was singled out and praised by the likes of NME, Dazed and Confused, Pitchfork Media, The Times (of London) and Drowned In Sound. Pin Me Down released “Cryptic” as a single on May 19, 2008 on Kitsuné on 12” vinyl and digital formats. The single featured remixes by acclaimed producer and remixer Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Babyshambles, New Order, Kate Nash), Dave P and Adam Sparkles (remixers to Klaxons, The Rapture, Bloc Party), as well as a mix by Pin Me Down’s own Russell Lissack and Jamie Ellis.
More recently, Pin Me Down have released their new song "Time Crisis" as a free download available through their official band website.
Pin me Down were managed by former Size 14 Bassist Robt Ptak. The album was produced by Alex Elena who played previously with Ptak in The Bastard Kings Of Rock and Artificial Joy
The band split in 2010
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
