Perfect Blue Sky
{{Short description|Musical collaboration between Pontus "PNA" Andersson and Jane Kitto (2014–present)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Perfect Blue Sky
| image = Perfect Blue Sky Mailaul Festival Estonia Photo Oliver Kuusk.jpg
| image_size = 270
| caption = Perfect Blue Sky in 2018
| origin = Stockholm, Sweden; Current location Newquay, England
| genre = Alternative, psychedelic, classic rock
| years_active = 2014–present
| label = Right Recordings,{{Cite web|url=https://www.rightrecordings.org/perfect-blue-sky|title=Perfect Blue Sky|website=rightrecordings}}/Nova Universal,{{Cite web|url=http://www.novadist.net/digital.html|title=Digital Music Distribution UK by Novadist|website=www.novadist.net}} Scarecrow{{Cite web |url=http://www.scarecrowgroup.com/?page_id=17#toggle-id-1 |title=Scarecrow Music Group | Recordings |access-date=2017-06-22 |archive-date=2017-10-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006113450/http://www.scarecrowgroup.com/?page_id=17#toggle-id-1 |url-status=dead }}
| associated_acts = Netherbird, Kitto, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Armada Lucia, Mr. Lab!
| website = {{URL|perfectbluesky.net}}
| current_members = Jane Kitto
Pontus Andersson ("PNA")
Frank Bessard
Danny Oakhill}}
Perfect Blue Sky is the collaboration between Swedish black metal guitarist Pontus "PNA" Andersson (Netherbird) and Australian alternative rock vocalist Jane Kitto.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntnews.com.au/entertainment/kitto-returns-to-darwin/news-story/5662b5405346ad33b0e17a85d7dc1974|title=From the North Pole to the Top End|date=February 9, 2017|website=www.ntnews.com.au}} Combining their influences as songwriters, their sound is a hybrid between the 1970s psychedelic classic rock and 1990s grunge eras.
History (2014–present)
Andersson and Kitto formed Perfect Blue Sky in 2014 with a premier performance at Finland's Puistoblues festival{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MER-U6slZUc|title = - YouTube|website = YouTube}} and a live performance on Radio Rock,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOfnrotHFyk|title=Perfect Blue Sky - Bend me your sky live|website=YouTube}} as well as other shows in Sweden. They featured well known US musicians Dave Getz (drums) and Peter Albin (bass) of Big Brother and the Holding Company and Danny Oakhill (keyboards) from Australia to launch the band on both their live shows and the studio recordings.
In April 2015, they went on a second tour in the outback of Australia's Northern Territory{{Cite web |url=http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/10070/256350/17/NTN30APR15PG017-MAI-COLOUR-PRIMARY.PDF |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-08-10 |archive-date=2017-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810170528/http://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/bitstream/10070/256350/17/NTN30APR15PG017-MAI-COLOUR-PRIMARY.PDF |url-status=dead }} with Oakhill and newcomer Allen Murphy (Yothu Yindi, Village People){{Cite web|url=https://www.ntnews.com.au/entertainment/former-drummer-for-village-people-and-yothu-yindi-allen-murphys-passion-for-music-dance-and-sport-in-top-end-indigenous-communities/news-story/401552c5a4678e00b78b1a9ff9a75b80|title=You can't stop the Murphy|date=January 7, 2015|website=www.ntnews.com.au}} on drums, and performed at the Nightcliff Sea Breeze Festival{{Cite web|url=https://darwin1087.rssing.com/chan-63112884/all_p12.html|title=Greg & Ali - Mix 104.9 Darwin |Page 12, Chan:63112884 |RSSing.com"|website=darwin1087.rssing.com}} and the Humpty Doo Hotel, as well as made a live appearance on Darwin's ABC radio.
They have since performed in alternative line-ups throughout Scandinavia, France and the UK together with French drummer Frank Bessard, US drummer Bil Bryant (Machine Gun), Swedish bassist Weine Johansson,{{Cite web|url=https://metallian.com/baltimoore.php|title=METALLIAN - Baltimoore|website=metallian.com}} French percussionist Stephane Bébert{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047777/|title=Stéphane Bébert|website=IMDb}} and drummer Frank Bessard as well as a duo.
Their first single "Give You My Love" was released on 12 May 2017 by UK label Right Recordings/Nova Universal. The single is taken from the album The Eye of Tilos,{{Cite web|url=https://musicbrainz.org/artist/db897cba-1d2d-4051-a1f9-a0ae2b8a3ae5/recordings|title=Perfect Blue Sky - Recordings - MusicBrainz|website=musicbrainz.org}} released on 19 May 2017. The album features Jerry Donahue (guitarist for Fotheringay and Fairport Convention) and drummer Dave Getz (Big Brother and the Holding Company). Also in the line-up is Frenchman Frank Bessard (Mr. lab!, Joe Satriani, Stanley Clarke) on drums, Australian keyboardist Danny Oakhill, and British viola player Lewis Parsons.
Perfect Blue Sky completed their first UK live radio tour including BBC Essex,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p051tlwb|title = BBC Essex - Tony Fisher, in session: Perfect Blue Sky}} BBC Oxford,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0528y9v|title = BBC Radio Oxford - Nick Piercey, Perfect Blue Sky, half term events & Bill Beverly}} BBC Lancashire,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p051szrx|title = BBC Radio Cornwall - David White, 24/05/2017}} Metro Radio, Total Rock Radio and Phoenix FM{{Cite web|url=https://www.phoenixfm.com/2017/05/31/perfect-blue-sky-live-music-interview/|title=Perfect Blue Sky - Live Music & Interview|date=May 31, 2017}} in May 2017.
Astronaut, the band's follow-up single for 2017, was released on 20 October and well-received onto various UK radio playlists, and supported by acoustic duo's mini-tour in November. Perfect Blue Sky appeared once again live on various radio programmes; BBC Bristol,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05l1nc0|title = BBC Radio Bristol - Claire Cavanagh, 14/11/2017}} BBC Cumbria,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05ksm8j#play|title=BBC Radio Cumbria - Gordon Swindlehurst, 16/11/2017}} BBC Merseyside,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05ksl25|title = BBC Radio Merseyside - Billy Butler, 16/11/2017}} BBC Humberside{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001tbfl|title = BBC Radio Humberside - James Hoggarth}} and BBC Lancashire,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7bk/episodes/player|title = BBC Radio Lancashire - John Gillmore - Available now}} and made an interview and performance for the Children in Need 2017 campaign with BBC Lancashire presenter John Gillmore.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KyGrJpXluY|title = - YouTube|website = YouTube}} Perfect Blue Sky also made live appearances with Alan Robson on his 'NightOwls' programme at Metro Radio in Newcastle as well as 103 The Eye and Phoenix FM.{{Cite web|url=https://www.phoenixfm.com/2017/11/13/perfect-blue-sky-back-live-peformance-interview/|title=Perfect Blue Sky are back! LIVE performance & Interview|date=November 13, 2017}} Whilst on tour, they supported John O'Leary (Savoy Brown) and SugarKane, among others. Whilst on tour in November 2017, Andersson and Kitto also joined alongside UK representative Darren Weale of Pro Music Agency and consequently moved their base to the UK.
File:Perfect Blue Sky photo by Magnus Wegler.jpg
In December 2017, Perfect Blue Sky supported Swedish rock band Sator at Söder Teatern in Stockholm,{{Cite web|url=https://sodrateatern.com/sator-30-ar/|title=Sator 30 år!|website=Södra Teatern}} and in March 2018, they toured throughout Finland with yet another constellation of the band's line-up; this time with Marko Ahonen on drums and Salomon Kosunen on keyboards via Finnish booking agency Gogo Rodeo.{{cite web |url=https://www.hameensanomat.fi/uutiset/kanta-hame/347975-psykedeelisia-kaikuja-menneilta-vuosikymmenilta |title=Psykedeelisiä kaikuja menneiltä vuosikymmeniltä {{!}} Hämeen Sanomat |website=www.hameensanomat.fi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517082325/https://www.hameensanomat.fi/uutiset/kanta-hame/347975-psykedeelisia-kaikuja-menneilta-vuosikymmenilta |archive-date=2018-05-17}} In May, Perfect Blue Sky performed with the band's main drummer Frank Bessard at the Mailaul Festival Tartu, Estonia.{{Cite web|url=https://menu.err.ee/829350/mailaulu-galerii-miljardid-ja-perfect-blue-sky|title=Mailaulu galerii: Miljardid ja Perfect Blue Sky|date=May 7, 2018|website=ERR}} During the festival they also hosted a series of workshops at Heino Eller Tartu Music College. Perfect Blue Sky released three singles consecutively 2018, "Fiction Man", "Wasteland" and "Winds Ransom", from their album The Eye of Tilos.
Andersson and Kitto relocated to the south west of England in Newquay, Cornwall during 2019 after having felt inspired by the Atlantic coast and its vibrant music culture. Perfect Blue Sky's first British line-up featured James Frost on drums and bassist Jon Middleton. However, during early 2020 with the onset of COVID-19, most of the band's performances had been cancelled until 2021. In the meantime, the duo have kept up their music presence making occasional on-line acoustic appearances, song projects, recording, and creating music videos in the staircase of their apartment block. As a result, Perfect Blue Sky's first single/video "Oh Pretty One" and " The Silver Ark" were released in June, 2020 and distributed to Spotify and Apple iTunes via Record Union based in Sweden. A subsequent series of singles and videos followed on throughout the year including "Plush" "One Starry Night" "Stymie" "Honest Man". Their most recent single releases in 2021 are "Howl to the moon" (12 March) and Double A sides "Beat of That Drum" "Apple Gaze" (12 February), mastered by British record producer and sound engineer John Cornfield Muse, Oasis.{{cite web |url=https://www.perfectbluesky.net/ |title=Home |website=perfectbluesky.net}}
During 2021 Perfect Blue Sky made several appearances in their home county of Cornwall including The Acorn Theatre Penzance,{{Cite web|url=https://www.theacornpenzance.com/events/16976/|title = Perfect Blue Sky - the Acorn, Penzance}} The Great Estate Festival Scorrier House,{{cite web |url=https://www.greatestatefestival.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=greatestatefestival.co.uk}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.greatestatefestival.co.uk/entertainment/perfect-blue-sky-duo/|title = Perfect Blue Sky Duo}} Newquay Beer Festival and Whiskers in Newquay.
Band members
- Jane Kitto – guitar, vocals (2014–present)
- Pontus "PNA" Andersson – guitar, vocals, bass (2014–present)
- Frank Bessard – drums (2016–present)
- Danny Oakhill – keyboards (2014–present)
File:Mailaul-6288 Pna Andersson of Perfect Blue Sky Mailaul May 2018 Photo by Oliver Kuusk Permission granted and copyright free to use 01.jpg|"PNA" Andersson
File:Mailaul-6279.jpg|Jane Kitto
File:Mailaul-6164.jpg|Frank Bessard
=Past and session members=
- Lewis Parsons – violin (2016–present)
- Salomon Kosunen – keyboards (2018–present)
- Dave Getz – drums (2014–present)
- Allen Murphy – drums (2015–present)
- Marko Ahonen – drums (2018–present)
- Bil Bryant – drums (2015–present)
- Weine Johansson – bass (2015–present)
- Stephane Bébert – percussion (2016–present)
- Jerry Donahue – guitar (2015-2017)
- Peter Albin – bass (2014-2015)
- James Frost – drums (2020)
- Jon Middleton – bass (2020)
Discography
- 2015 – Emerald (CD/LP)
- 2017 – Give You My Love (digital single)
- 2017 – The Eye of Tilos (CD/LP)
- 2017 – Astronaut (digital single)
- 2018 – Fiction Man (digital single)
- 2018 – Wasteland (digital single)
- 2018 – Winds Ransom (digital single)
- 2020 – Silver Ark (digital single)
- 2020 – Oh Pretty One (digital single)
- 2020 - Know my enemy well (digital single)
- 2020 - Mevis and the raven (digital single)
- 2020 - Plush (digital single)
- 2020 - One Starry Night (digital single)
- 2020 - Stymie (digital single)
- 2020 - Honest Man (digital single)
- 2021 - Beat of That Drum (digital single)
- 2021 - Apple Gaze (digital single)
- 2021 - Howl to the moon (digital single)
References
External links
- [http://www.perfectbluesky.net Official site]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups from Stockholm
Category:Musical groups established in 2014