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By: Amanda Epstein
Australian pop-punk band Poor Littte Things released their full-length album Disco's Burning at the end of 2019. This comes after their self-titled EP was released back in 2018. Tina Jackson’s gritty voice combines with the musical talents of guitarist Dave Talon to create an album that steps back in time. They take you back to a time of pop melody rock music with catchy music.
This duo, with the addition of Fernando Marlboro on drums, embodies Rock & Roll from the 70's and 80's. A mix of pop and rock that can speak to every generation. Tina has a passion in her voice that is on par with some of the great female musicians of the era. The beats in the music are made for rocking out and dancing.
The first track, “Panic Attack”, sets the tone for the album with a beat that makes the body want to move. It doesn't take long before the infectious grooves and rhythms get right into your bones. The energy in the song comes through so well I can see the performance in my head. The energy that accompanies this band in a live show must be intense.
If you're looking to dance, look no farther than “Wait’n on the Line” and “P.I.T” The dance vibe strings all of the songs together .
Everything comes to a close on the track “Deja Vu”, which carries the rhythmic clapping from the previous song.
I had the opportunity to interview the band recently:
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me
The pleasure is all mine Amanda
How did you form the band?
P.L.T is a Duo, My Husband Dave Talon & I had talked about creating a project based on a “when Rock was Pop” concept for quite a while before finally committing to it in 2018 and releasing our self titled EP. Dave has played in various Australian bands since the 80s. He was a member of a reformation of The Kings of the Sun from 2012 to 2014, has recently toured in Australia with the reunion of Rollerball and currently plays in an instrumental band, The Marlboro Men. These are all heavy rock bands but we both share a love of songs with hooks and melody and the fact that we live together enables us to work at our own pace, as fast or as slow as we feel like between other commitments. The stuff we play is what we‘d like to hear on the radio and thanks to THE GLAM ROCK JUNK SHOP, Rodney Bingenheimer and thankfully quite a few other broadcasters around the world in both traditional and internet radio, our little dream came true. An important point to note is that at this stage P.L.T is a studio project. That may change in the future but for the moment, we are content to focus on crafting tunes and sharing them with like minded fan‘s of Rock’N’Roll.
You have an interesting band name. How did that come to be your name?
Dave’s mother refers to any cute animal she sees regardless of the situation as a poor little thing. It’s an insider joke that went rogue.
What are some of your musical influences?
We both have very broad taste but the common denominator is always passionate honest Songs with a lot of energy. I love Blondie, Divinyls, Juliette Lewis, Suzie Quatro & AC/DC. These artists are the basis of our sound mixed with Dave’s love of simple hooks from bands like B.T.O and DeeDee Ramone.
You released the album “Disco’s Burning” back in 2019. What can you tell me about the album?
That's our debut LP and we feel really good about it. It was a rewarding process from start to finish and the art work from German Artist Alex Von Weiding topped it off nicely. We didn't want to focus on one or two tracks and then pad the record with mediocre McMusic. Every song had to be great in our eyes or not make the cut. The fact that radio stations have spun 4 or 5 different tracks on the air is a testament to that plan. It’s rewarding.
What is your creative process?
This is literally an in house project. The only other person involved is Fernando the drummer but he is working as a session musician and arrives very late in the game. It’s sometimes challenging to stay focused on the end goal and not get disillusioned during the process.
What message do you want to tell your fans? What do you want them to take away from your Music?
A lot of artists have big messages they want to share with the world, Human Rights, Politics, conservation etc. that's great but we see our music as more of an escape from day to day issues, You could call it a half hour of Rock’N’Roll meditation. It's not all flowers and bubble gum but mostly left to self interpretation.
What is your favorite part of being a musician?
I get a lot of satisfaction from sharing the music with others and hearing how it makes them feel. That's very satisfying.
What do you find most challenging?
I’m very focused on improving as a singer. I know i have a long way to go to get where i’d like to be with my voice. It’s a journey i’m looking forward to.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the music business?
The BIG point is to create what you want to hear. Work with people that share the same goals and if you feel good about what you create, You have succeeded.
What changes would you like to see in the music industry?
In my opinion, the biggest problem facing artists today is the lack of fair royalty payments from streaming platforms. The streaming concept is great but there has to be a more just distribution of the revenue generated. I don't know how this is allowed to happen when there are performing rights associations linked worldwide that are supposed to be representing the artists? I think that people with regular jobs in the music industry are far too comfortable to rock the boat.