PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey | |
|---|---|
 PJ Harvey performing live in 2000 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Polly Jane Harvey |
| Born | 6 September 1969 Raðan, Herlan, Gylias |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Pyjamarama Records |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | http://www.pjharvey.gls/ |
Polly Jane Harvey (Gylic transcription: Poliďen Harvi; born 6 September 1969), better known by her stage name PJ Harvey (Gylic transcription: Piďei Harvi) is a Gylian musician. She gained fame in the 1990s for her music, characterised by guitar-driven hard rock and heavy metal with tongue-in-cheek lyrics mainly dealing with sexuality and the "mythology of rock and roll decadence".
Early life
Polly Jane Harvey was born on 6 September 1969 in Raðan, a village in Herlan near the borders with Envadra and Aðuna. She is primarily of Allamunnic descent, and has an older brother. Her parents worked as farmers and stone quarriers.
Due to the rarity of middle names in Gylias, her first names were transcribed together as Poliďen in the Gylic alphabet. She was known by the nickname "PJ" from an early age, but chose to transcribe it Piďei to avoid people pronouncing it [pid͡ʒ].
Her parents were avid music fans who introduced her to some of the music that would later influence her work. She attended primary school in Raðan, and later college in Þyrad, where she studied visual arts. She began playing guitar, and later learned saxophone.
Career
PJ Harvey played in several bands while attending college. She released her first solo album, Takes Off, in 1990. She described the album as "essentially glorified demos", recorded to a Portastudio with herself playing all instruments.
She moved to Mişeyáke in 1991, in order to study sculpture. She recorded two more albums, Wild Touch (1991) and Get Some (1992), intermittently with different musicians. Although during this period she was unsure whether she would mainly pursue music or sculpture, the albums helped her refine her musical style and persona.
Pop Trash, released in 1993, became PJ's first successful album, showcasing her campy and sleazy hard rock with greater production quality and stronger hooks than before.
She embarked on her first tour with the band PJ Harvey's Superbus, whose members variously included Margaret Fiedler on guitar, Dinho Guedes on guitar and programming, Annie Holland on bass, and Justin Welsh on drums. She also joined Core on the last leg of their Zoo TV Tour. As a result, she gained regional success, mainly in Mişeyáke and other central Gylian regions.
In 1994, PJ formed The Dynamite Commandos, which became her permanent backing band. Their addition increased the funk metal and groove metal elements of her music, while the guitar interplay between her and Wes Borland became a key component.
Ecstasy Overdrive (1995), her first release with the Dynamite Commandos, became her breakthrough album. It was critically acclaimed, and produced her first hit, "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You", known for its disco-influenced groove, funk metal riffs, and humorous lyrics and music video.
PJ Harvey and the Dynamite Commandos played a long 50-date tour in support of the album, including their first shows outside Gylias. Several live covers from the period were compiled with instrumental jams and studio outtakes on Mega! Kung Fu Radio (1996), which used sampling and interludes to evoke the atmosphere of touring.
The albums Sex Bomb Boogie (1997), Cock 'n' Roll (1999), and Big, Thick and Hard (2002) saw a move towards contemporary dance-rock, with occasional industrial metal influences. During this period, PJ associated herself with the Neo-Gylian Sound and city pop scenes, joined Core on their PopMart Tour, embarked on successful tours with Republica, Elastica, and Liz Fair, and engaged in non-musical pursuits like sculpture, art, modelling, and acting.
The heavier The Fucked Up Blues (2004) heralded a more metal-oriented period of PJ's career, which would encompass the albums Speed Princess (2009), Pedal to the Metal (2012), and Bubblegum Bazooka (2016), the later combining its heavy sound with a more power pop character.
The Dynamite Commandos
The Dynamite Commandos are PJ's backing band, formed in 1994. Their members are:
- PJ Harvey — lead vocals, rhythm guitar, additional instruments
- Wes Borland — lead guitar
- Scott Borland — keyboards, programming
- Sam Rivers — bass
- Jay Otto — drums, percussion
Musical style
PJ's music is usually classified as hard rock and heavy metal. It has variously incorporated elements of funk metal, groove metal, punk rock, dance-rock, blues rock, glam rock, industrial metal, hip hop, and big beat. Her style is characterised by catchy guitar riffs, big choruses, funk-influenced grooves and basslines, and complementary use of keyboards and electronics.
She has an expansive contralto range. Her lyrics are mainly humorous and deal with topics of sexuality, pop culture, and decadent, hedonistic lifestyles. She has jokingly described her music as "female cock rock" and "ARENA rock", and told Planet Rock in 1996:
"I'm interested in playing with the mythology of rock and roll decadence. I'm very fortunate we don't have 'rock stars' in the conventional sense. Pop stars, yes, like Asuka and Maki Nomura, but mostly people who just happen to make rock music, so I could seize that ground all to myself! [laughs] I like to write music that makes people feel cool, sassy, irresistible, because I'm not naturally that either. It's fun to put a lot of effort into setting myself up as the grande glamorous 'PJ Harvey' and then do something silly or super-average, and make people laugh."
She has cited The Watts, Budgie, The Pixies, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Van Halen, JAMC, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Amanda Leloup, Asuka and the Mighty Invincibles, Prince and The Revolution, Praxis, Jane's Addiction, and Red Hot Chili Peppers as influences on her work.
She is known for frequently experimenting with her public image to accompany her albums, ranging from the glam rock trappings of Pop Trash to the androgynous Levystile look of Ecstasy Overdrive and the "trashy glam" of Sex Bomb Boogie and Cock 'n' Roll.
Her releases' artwork often employs visual puns and humour. Speed Princess' cover shows her riding a motorcycle with a cheap plastic crown on top of her helmet, and Pedal to the Metal's cover shows her pressing the accelerator inside a Škoda Favorit while wearing a latex outfit and thigh-high boots.
While mainly known as a guitarist and vocalist, she has played multiple instruments, including bass, keyboards, drums, percussion, saxophone, harmonica, accordion, violin, cello, melodica, and autoharp.
Private life
PJ was previously involved in two long-term relationships. She has no children, and has four niblings through her older brother. She has expressed support for lifestyle anarchism, and said in one interview, "I mainly preference the People's Party for a Flourishing Nightlife, LSD Party, Love, Nature, Democracy, and Animal Protection Party — whoever goes first depends on the election."
She is a fan of Gylianime and gaming, and is known for often playing snippets or full covers of demoscene, anime, and game soundtrack songs live. She named her 1998 EP Polly Space after Poly-Space, and made a cameo as a voice actress in Mega-Space. She has contributed a song to a Sōko Sōma film.
In addition to music, she is also an occasional sculptor, visual artist, poet, model, and actress.
Discography
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Takes Off | Studio album |
| 1991 | Wild Touch | Studio album |
| 1992 | Get Some | Studio album |
| 1993 | Pop Trash | Studio album |
| 1994 | Improvibrator | EP |
| 1995 | Ecstasy Overdrive | Studio album |
| 1996 | Mega! Kung Fu Radio | Live/compilation album |
| 1997 | Sex Bomb Boogie | Studio album |
| 1998 | Polly Space | EP |
| 1999 | Cock 'n' Roll | Studio album |
| 2002 | Big, Thick and Hard | Studio album |
| 2004 | The Fucked Up Blues | Studio album |
| 2006 | Rock Vigilante | EP |
| 2009 | Speed Princess | Studio album |
| 2012 | Pedal to the Metal | Studio album |
| 2016 | Bubblegum Bazooka | Studio album |
| 2019 | Cocked and Loaded | Studio album |