For Christchurch band Pieces of Molly, the last few years have been a whirlwind of recording, performing and rubbing shoulders with their idols backstage. It’s been a blast.

Forget that warning about meeting your heroes. The Datsuns were awesome, and lovely guys as well, says singer and guitarist Ewen. So were Shihad when Pieces of Molly opened for them at the James Hay Theatre in September. And Head Like A Hole. And US band Sasquatch, who they supported on an Australia and New Zealand tour last year.

In fact, says other guitarist Sam, all the musicians they have met have treated the band like friends and been really generous in sharing their knowledge.

Pieces of Molly came together when Ewen, Doug and Sam met at Jazz School. There was a break while Ewen was overseas, then the band reformed when he got back. The current lineup has been around for six years.

Coming up at the end of July is the band’s second appearance at Go Live!, the first since the winter music festival moved to the Christchurch Town Hall. Pieces of Molly are one of 14 acts on the bill, which boasts the best emerging local indie, hip-hop, rock and
pop acts.

It’s another chance for the band to get their music out there after the release of their first album last September. Called Pieces of Molly, the album has garnered good reviews and has had two singles chart in the Top 10.

What’s on the set list for the Town Hall? “We’ll be cranking the album, and there will be some of our old bangers in the mix. Also some new stuff that is unrecorded and we’ll be road-testing the songs in front of an audience,” says Ewen.

Onstage, the self-described “mind-altering riff hypnotists” channel their influences of Black Sabbath, Motorhead, The Who – hey, the whole classic rock pantheon – into a high-energy display of head banging, hair swinging and guitar shredding.

Pieces of Molly have built the kind of fanbase that means sing-alongs from the audience at gigs – which they love. And following those dates in Australia in support of US band Sasquatch, they’ve fielded inquiries asking when they will be coming back.

The momentum continues, with the band heading back into the studio this year to work on their second album.

What with work and family, there must be a lot of juggling going on? “We’ve built it into our daily lives now. Performing is always happening, writing songs is always happening, recording is always happening. We’ve all got good family support as well, while we
are living the dream,” says Sam.

For now they’re keeping their day jobs while they wait on that viral hit to propel them to global fame. When will that be? “Could
be any moment,” says Ewen.

Damn straight.

Pieces of Molly are Doug Stewart (bass), Sam Kubiak (guitar), Ewen Glasgow (vocals, guitar) and Kurt Fleming (drums). 

Go Live!, Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 29 July, piecesofmollyepk.com