Gen X-er living in a time machine, high on nostalgia. Flashbacks is the debut album by Peach on a beach, a tribute to growing up in Dartmouth, NS during the 80s. Available on streaming and CD. Check out YouTube videos for "Beeping and Bleeping", "Pizza Corner", "Before Call Display", "Anticipation Street" and "Boogeyman Trail". Stay tuned for a holiday tune on December 1 and a second album in 2024. Official website: https://www.peachonabeach.ca/
I decided to make a holiday song thanks to a suggestion from a co-worker in late 2022. Last Christmas break I started creating the song and writing lyrics then continued to work on it throughout the year.
"Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" is a festive
tribute to a small artificial tree from my first Christmas away from home.
Poignant lyrics recall childhood memories as melancholic vocals blend with
uplifting synths riffs, bells and piano to create a nostalgic soundscape.
Some
25 years later, I still hold on to the ragged yet symbolic “Charlie Brown”
Christmas tree, now embraced by my wife Joelle who sings soothing backing
vocals.
"Boogeyman Trail” is the 3rd track on the Flashbacks album, a song celebrating the Halloween season that straddles the line between fun and fear in the forest.
I've always wanted to create a spooky song and horror video, thanks to John Carpenter scores, Stephen King novels, The Blair Witch and Stranger Things.
The lyrics recall an activity we played in the woods during the late 70s/early 80s, which in this song ultimately devolves into fictional mayhem, with a twist at the end. Best experienced on headphones, alone at night.
The music video for "Boogeyman Trail" is my second as a video producer, compiled using free video clips fromPexels.
Special thanks to Cottonbro Studio (Pexels) for the great clips of the kids.
This fall I decided to share my earliest instrumental songs made two years back in fall 2021 with my Casio workstation keyboard when I was transitioning from playing synth riffs from the 80s to creating original material.
The first in my ambient series is called "Illumination", inspired by the beauty of sunrises and features a pan flute synth.
Hope you enjoy these short instrumental interludes that bridge the time between the release of my debut album and the next one, slated for release later in 2024.
“The Dark Side (Doughboys)” is the 5th track from the Flashbacks album, a song celebrating a hell-raising activity from my youth.
An inside joke for the club's alumni, our gang invented the pastime of "doughing" in the Southdale-North Woodside neighbourhoods of Dartmouth during the mid-80s.
At nightfall, clandestine dumpster diving at the Tim Horton's revealed a bounty of day-old doughnuts and timbits to used as biodegradable projectiles.
Shenanigans transformed into suburban art as we glazed the streets, unsuspecting vehicles and unlucky pedestrians with a hodgepodge of pastries to create a veritable nocturnal tableau.
Long before social media and mobile phones, the lack of photographic and videographic evidence of doughing may make you wonder if we made it all up.
So this song is my little digital artifact to ensure the "Doughboys" legacy is immortalized and perhaps even inspire future teen generations to discover their own version of teenage tomfoolery.
But for the safety and sanity of suburbia, let's hope that it doesn't.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
“Parcel Pickup” is the 6th track on the Flashbacks album, a tribute to my first job as a grocery store employee.
I started working part-time at Sobeys during the summer of 1988 between my first and second year at SMU in Halifax.
Remember the big red bins and rollers that transported them to a loading area for pickup? Back when customer service was still a thing...
The lyrics recall the trials and tribulations of a typical shift of the never ending busyness of the front-end: hours full of price checks, spills, jar piles of carts and ultimately bin screw ups.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
Marc d'Entremont of Ghostjunk did a fab job creating a clean design! 😎🙏
Take a looksee.
Thanks to Music Nova Scotia for its financial contribution.
Also a reminder: You can order my new CD for $15 from the website. Free shipping anywhere in Canada.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging artist creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach's debut album, Flashbacks, was released online on June 30, 2023. CD released on July 19, 2023.
I am offering FREE SHIPPING in August to anywhere in Canada for my loyal Facebook followers.
Simply DM your address and kindly send $15 via e-transfer to peachonabeachmusic@gmail.com and I will mail you the goods.
Thanks for the support!
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging artist creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach's debut album, Flashbacks, was released online on June 30, 2023. CD released on July 19, 2023.
I’m a kid in a candy store this evening, checking off a bucket list item and test driving one in the car stereo 🤡
Mom & Dad would have gotten a kick out of it.
Stay tuned for how to get one, once I sort out some details and locations!
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging artist creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach's debut album, Flashbacks, was released online on June 30, 2023. CD released on July 19, 2023.
The music video for "Anticipation Street" is my first as a video producer, compiled using free video clips from Pexels.
Special thanks to MART PRODUCTION (Pexels) for the amazing nightclub clips of the couple and club clips.
Additional thanks to Pexels contributors for various awesome clips of the city at night. In order of appearance: Pavel Danilyuk, Madam M.A (Akari P.), Jack Kazanjyan, Foster, Steve B, German Korb, Simon Croft, Stacey Koenitz R, Free Videos, Kelly Regan, StefWithAnF and WeStarMoney.
The song is a summer groove about the euphoria of heading out for a night on the town, celebrating that feeling of comradery, that something great could happen with your friends.
From feedback I've received on Distrokid, there are some musicians who envision a clip of the music could be used in a movie or TV series. In the meantime, I await the call and dream...
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
"Anticipation Street" is the 4th single and 7th track on my debut album.
The track is an uplifting summer groove about the euphoria of heading out for a night on the town, celebrating that feeling of comradery, that something great could happen with your friends.
Joelle nails the vocals while Paul’s bass line adds an organic element to the electro mix.
One of the first demos I'd made, the track was originally called "Le Groove" and entirely instrumental. I am pleased that I sat on it and eventually added lyrics and Joelle's vocals.
Bonus - the song has already been played on two stations new to me: PopCanRadio, based in Toronto, and CFRC-FM, the non-commercial campus radio station at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
The video release will be this Friday, and will be my first as a video producer.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
“Boogeyman Trail” is the 3rd track on the Flashbacks album, straddling the line between fun and games and fear and tears in the forest.
I've always wanted to create a moody horror riff, as well as record a spooky narration.
The lyrics tell a story that is based on a real activity we used to play in the woods, which ultimately devolves into fictional mayhem with a twist at the end.
Influences include John Carpenter scores, Stephen King novels and The Blair Witch Project film.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
My debut album Flashbacks under artist name Peach on a beach is now available online on all major streaming platforms.
Super pumped and proud to share my debut record with you, a whimsical tribute to growing up as a teen during the 80s in the suburbs of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Album produced, recorded and mixed by music maven & mentor Paul Morris at Music Box Studio.
I will post a little background info each song over the next few weeks and highlight the inspiration and the awesome collaborators.
Hailing from Dartmouth and based in Clare, Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming album called Flashbacks.
I invite you to listen to my third single "Before Call Display".
The song is inspired from an epic prank phone call session I orchestrated with my brother during our early teens circa 1984. One day after school while our mom was working, we called ~ 10 taxicabs, pizza shops, Chinese take-outs and a bottle exchange, then watched them all arrive across the street at the neighbour's house.
SpotifyApple Music
Watch the official music video for "Before Call Display".
T’was a mega blast filming "Before Call Display". Huge shout-out to all the amazing actors to help make this memory from almost 40 years ago come alive!
Video created by Shawn Bourque, Greenlight Studios
Video directed by Larry Peach
Video filmed at my Mother-in-law's residence in Middle West Pubnico, NS (Merci, Betty D'Eon!) and Wissam's Pizza in Meteghan River (Clare)
Song recorded and produced by Paul Morris aka The Music Box in Clare
Lead vocals, music, and lyrics by Larry Peach
Additional vocals by Marshall, Owen and Amy Paradis
Additional sound effects: https://www.zapsplat.com
Video actors:
Brothers Marshall and Owen as teen versions of Larry and younger brother Darren
Amy Paradis as Mom
Josh Purdy as pizza delivery guy
Travis Bullerwell as cab driver
Wissam and Nadine as pizza shop staff, thanks for the yummy pepperoni pizza prop
Larry Peach as old Mr. Sheeves, the neighbour.
Hope you enjoy!
Hailing from Dartmouth and based in Clare, Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming EP called Flashbacks.
I invite you to listen to my second single "Pizza Corner", an edgy hip-hop tribute to all those blurry late nights spent at the iconic downtown Halifax landmark during the 90s.
"Pizza Corner" is now available on streaming platforms:
It was a blast collaborating with my wife Joelle on the vocals, giving the track some added depth.
The playful lyrics recall how we gravitated to “Pizza Corner” during the 1990s to grab a pepperoni slice or a super donair, to people watch, and compare notes after a night on the town.
The intended market is primarily Gen Xers, but also other generations who spent copious amounts of time downtown during the heyday of Pizza Corner.
In the meantime, click the thumbnail below for a sneak peek of the music video. The rest of the video will be filmed locally at Wissam's Pizza in January.
Hope you enjoy!
Hailing from Dartmouth and based in Clare, Peach on a beach (Larry Peach) is an emerging singer-songwriter and synth player creating nostalgic vibes. Influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and comedy rock, Peach on a beach is recording several singles prior to the release of his upcoming EP called Flashbacks.
Earlier in the year I considered many options that seemed to fit at first glance. But the main goal was to find a unique nom de plume/artist name.
And that's where I hit the wall.
As I was dreaming up a name for this project, I thought of using a derivative of Depeche Mode. For a few weeks I toyed with the idea of some sort of play-on-words with my surname Peach.
In French, a peach is une peche. Working in a French Acadian community for over twenty years, I have been referred to as both La peche or Le peche.
But the problem was finding a unique version that wasn't already in circulation by another music artist on Spotify and other streaming platforms.
The Peach Mode - While initially envious I wasn't the first to claim this one, I have made peace with it. This outfit actually has created some really fab electro tunes!
Le Peche Mode / The Peche Mode - Although seemingly available, these names sounded much too similar to the electronic godfathers.
Alas, this research soon became fantasy as I grappled with a serious issue:
Is it legal to use a similar name as another artist?
After some online research and a brief chat with my lawyer, I decided to bail from any possible future legal headaches.
Apparently, if the other artist has trademarked the name they use, then they have broad rights to prevent you from using any name that could reasonably be seen to cause confusion among consumers. Your name does not have to be an exact match, if it's close enough to cause confusion then you could be in violation of their trademark.
So after this sobering news, it was back to the drawing board and brainstorming alternative artist names.
And soon enough, a litany of new possibilities bubbled to the surface. You would think this exercise would be relatively easy, given that I am a one-person outfit with full creative control.
But the process quickly devolvedinto an exercise of inanity, as these curious samples reveal:
LP. Used by American singer-songwriter Laura Pergolizzi since circa 2006.
Peach! Dang, taken!
Peachman. See above.
Peach Schnapps. Formerly a nickname at uni. But now, too boozy.
Peach Snaps. Too whimsical.
Peach Snapped. Too psychotic.
Peach Jam. Too vile.
DJ Jammy Peach. Yeah, I'm not really a DJ.
Daft Peche. See above, legal issues.
Daft Peach. See above.
Twisted Peach. Getting inane...
Twisted Peach Jam. Gonna stop here.
After having spent some time erasing this random silliness from the whiteboard, I circled back to an obvious choice: Larry Peach.
Sure it's safe, and it's me, and it's legal and all. But I wanted to be at least a little creative...
Following copious amounts of hand-wringing, it turned out my artist name had been staring right at me all along. On my iPhone.
For years, I've logged into my Instagram account under the handle:
peachonabeach
I chose this name when I first signed up for Instagram in late December 2013, to post a photo of a cool snow shower on Mavillette Beach. My first run beach photo would be added a few weeks later.
In fact, the majority of my posts illustrate beach runs, or spending time on a beach, near and far.
You see, the beach has always been a major source of inspiration.
I’ve run on Mavillette Beach a few hundred times: in thick fog, pouring rain, humid heat, and during a light snowfall. And it’s a completely different experience every single time.
But the beach is so much more than just a place I go for runs. It’s therapy.
Emotions soften when I start feeling the flow of an inspiring run on the hard sand.
Along la Baie Sainte-Marie, there’s a special mix of salt, sand, sea, sky and above all, solitude, and space.
All these natural elements come together to a carefully curated playlist to create a symphony of spirituality.
The beach is also my lab: where I contemplate and ruminate over current challenges and where new ideas start to bloom. More recently, thoughts of creating music are part of this experience.
I am so grateful that my favourite beach is located a short and scenic seven-minute drive from home.
***
Peach on a beach's debut single, "Beeping and Bleeping", is a hip hop track about my experience as a young teen in the early 1980s and part of the first generation of kids who enjoyed playing video games in arcades.
The single will be released on Thursday, September 22, while the video will be released on Friday, September 23. Below is a short teaser:
This fall I will be launching Peach on a beach - a new music project that began during the pandemic.
I invite you to join me on a musical journey, where for starters, I will be exploring a world of 80s and 90s nostalgia.
Now in my early 50s, the stability of my career and the
soul-searching journey of the pandemic created the ideal opportunity to
purchase a synthesizer/drum machine and DAW and get serious about making
electronic music.
Inspired and
influenced by 80s new wave and hip hop, 90s dance and downtempo, I have
created 15 original demos since dabbling with making original music over the last year.
In May 2022, I recorded my debut single "Beeping and Bleeping", mastered in a local studio by industry
professional Paul Morris ofThe Music Box.
"Beeping and Bleeping" is a hip hop track about my experience as a young teen partaking in the first generation of kids who
enjoyed playing stand-alone video games in arcades.
The lyrics recall the
iconic early 1980s video games, and the nostalgic vibe of the song naturally
lends itself in making a captivating video.
The single and video will be released in late September. Below is a little teaser:
I was inspired to inventory my favourite 100 music videos for two main reasons:
1) the epic nostalgia experienced while currently binging on The Goldbergs (Thanks to Patrick Carr for the heads-up), and 2) Lee Turner's and Richard Cross' top 10 music videos shared on Facebook this past fall.
Growing up in the suburbs of Nova Scotia, I was a hopeless music video junkie. Starting
in junior high during the early 80s, we watched Switchback with Stan the Man
and that cool ASN program on Saturday nights, Atlantic Canada's Choice. On high school weekdays before supper we
turned on CBC's Video Hits with
Samantha Taylor, and on weekends, Good
Rockin' Tonight hosted by Terry David Mulligan and eventually Stu Jeffries.
For the night owl, the U.S.-based Friday
Night Videos kept us entertained.
The best part was also the worst: having to wait
then hope your favourite song made the cut. Yet all those countless hours binging on video shows as a teen has prepared me for this moment. Now I am ready for a deep dive into the vast reservoir of memorable videos, many forever etched in my psyche.
This exercise will not only feature the usual suspects that you can easily find on a Rolling Stone webpage; I plan to sprinkle in a few cult faves, forgotten classics and hidden gems, too!
The selection process will be happening over the next couple of weeks, as I watch, mull and organize over 200+ videos into a top 100 format.
The assembly is a consolidation of many methods:
Memory recall
Online and magazine lists
You Tube rabbit holes
Previous lists including my own charts from the 80s
My CD + MP3 collections
Researching new bands
Once satisfied with my rankings, I will aim to post one daily, starting with #100. Each post will feature a YouTube link, along with some commentary explaining why it deserves to make the cut.
Although the 80s may have been the halcyon days of music videos, let's not forget about the passion and the polish from some of those shot during the 90s and 00s. Even a few more recent videos will also make the cut.
