Q & A with PELA

PELA is singer/songwriter Hannah Coombes and producer/instrumentalist Olly Shelton. Together, they weave reflective lyricism through synth-laced, alternative pop soundscapes with ethereal, ambient breaks. The duo received support from John Kennedy (Radio X), BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing London, COLORS and Notion on their early releases in 2020. 

Since moving out of London to live by the sea in Brighton, PELA have been creating new music with their single, Tell Me, Out Now! 

 

Tell us about yourself….

 

We are PELA – me, Hannah Coombes (singer) and Olly Shelton (producer / instrumentalist). We’re based in Brighton and our music is a blend of alternative pop and electronic sounds! We’ve just release our first single in a couple of years and in the next few weeks we might have some more news share!

 

What can we expect from your Noz performance?

 

It will be our first time playing our new music at a festival and we’re so happy that it will be at Nozstock! We’ll be there as a 4-piece and you can expect a lot of pent up festival excitement after years of waiting. 

 

What’s been your proudest achievement to date?

 

All the music we worked on last year and really allowing ourselves to enjoy that creative process. 

 

Do you have a dream venue you’d like to play at in the future? 

 

We would love to play the Roundhouse in London! I used to be in the Roundhouse choir and have envisioned us playing our own show there since. 

 

How did lockdowns and restrictions during COVID affect your process?

 

We wrote a lot and having that outlet to get through lockdowns was so needed! Lockdowns meant that the first time we released music in 2020, we couldn’t perform live! So playing live now feels even more special.

 

What artists are killing it right now?

 

Too many to name! But a few I love are Lianna La Havas, Little Simz, Self Esteem, Liz Lawrence, Gabriels, Porij.

 

What books / podcasts / blogs / accounts do you recommend checking out?

 

I love the Feminist Bookshop in Brighton and we’re both really into Jameela Jamil’s podcast iWeigh. 

 

What’s next for PELA?

 

We’ll be announcing something in the next few weeks that we are really excited about and can’t wait to share!