Spotlight On... pedalo

In a short space of time, Glasgow-based dreampop outfit pedalo have racked up quite an impressive list of achievements. Since forming in 2022, the five-piece have since played live sessions for the BBC and already sold out shows across Scotland, from The Poetry Club to Nice N Sleazy in their hometown to Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh and The Tooth & Claw in Inverness, where they’re set to return in celebration of their brand new single this weekend.

The single in question is She’s the Sun, a shimmering slice of optimistic sunshine indie-pop. It follows on from the band’s accomplished Migration EP, released late last year. It's probably their biggest earworm to date and one that has us excited for what their future holds. Ahead of its release today, we caught up with three-fifths of the band to find out more; from the band's formation via their EP to their latest single and what's next.

You formed in 2022 – how did you meet and what inspired you to start a band together?
Nick Eadie: Most of the band met while studying music in Glasgow! The band started with Charlotte [Stuart, vocals] and Callum [Geddes, keys/vocals] looking for an outlet to perform their own songs. After asking Calum [Steel, guitar] and Beth [Mackenzie, drums] from uni to join, Calum S recruited me on bass as we had previously played in high school bands together. Shortly after the formation of the band we all began writing together and that’s when we decided to start pedalo.

You released your debut EP, Migration, late last year. You described it as being about the transition into adulthood after leaving home for the first time. What was this transition in your life like, and how did turning to music to explore the complexities of it help, if at all?
Charlotte Stuart: For me, it was chaos. I think a lot of time and energy was spent trying to prove who I was to the world before actually knowing myself, and that leads to a complex jumble of personas that all contradict and scramble over each other. 

I’m a big fan of lists and anything that can help me order my thoughts, so having this body of work to examine what I was going through has really helped me understand more about myself. Each track in the EP can be separated into different topics: Something Real looks at anxiety and derealisation. Lighter takes on body image and a need for perfection. Interlude signifies a kind of breaking away from the (musical) norm. Mystery talks about a strained friendship. And then we’re closed out with Never You which deals with the aftermath of a relationship ending. 

The goal for us was to make these songs in a way that is relatable to people, while still feeling deeply personal. I think this is the kind of project I’ll be able to look back on in ten years time and say “that was who I was”, and that feels quite special.

You seem to have a fair bit of momentum now, and your latest single She’s the Sun is out today! You say this latest single is heavily influenced by artists like Alvvays and Slowdive – how do you turn such strong influences into a sound that’s your own?
Eadie: With each member of the band having such different musical tastes and backgrounds we find that these strong influences really come through in each of our writing. We are all heavily involved in the writing process. You can see when one of us is wearing our inspiration on our sleeves and it’s this intense collaboration that makes us sound like us. During the writing process it's also not uncommon for us to specifically reference bands and their styles when communicating ideas to each other, so it’s exciting when you find common ground or a totally new angle to look at.

Beyond musical influences, what can you tell us about the song – what’s it about?
Stuart: To be honest this song is about as happy as my lyrics get! It’s an optimistic song about letting yourself imagine that a new relationship will work in the end, rather than assuming it’ll go up in smoke. It might sound strange given the upbeat vibe, but there was a definite sense of vulnerability when writing it, about admitting that you want something and letting yourself hope. All our songs come from lived experiences, but I’m such a pessimist that this “happy ending” expectation doesn’t come naturally. I’m so pleased with how the song has turned out though, so maybe you’ll see more optimism from me in the future (but no promises).

You’ve got a couple of big live shows coming up in the not too distant future, playing Inverness this weekend and Belladrum the weekend after. What can people expect from the live pedalo show and do you have any surprises in store for the Belladrum festival crowd?
Callum Geddes: Alongside playing our debut EP, our live shows consist of some unreleased tunes, so seeing us is a great opportunity to hear some of our greats that have yet to hit the streaming platforms. Since we write our songs taking inspiration from each of our individual musical influences, our setlist becomes quite varied in style, with euphoric, anthemic pop to more subdued, jazzy numbers – we like to keep the audience on their toes! We also are going to be playing a completely new song that may or may not be coming out later this year… our lips are sealed.

p.s. There may be a sneaky cover... We hope our audience likes The Cure, wink wink nudge nudge.

What’s next for pedalo, and specifically what does the rest of the year have in store for you?
Eadie: The rest of the year is an exciting one. After a year of support slots, festival appearances, and headlines across Scotland we are back into the studio to record another single that will be released in October alongside our first hometown headline show of 2025 at McChuills. After that we’re taking time to write for a larger project that's in its very early stages.

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She's the Sun is out now; pedalo play The Tooth & Claw, Inverness, 26 Jul; Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Belladrum Estate, Kiltarlity, 2 Aug

Follow pedalo on Instagram @pedalo._