Seattle Weekly: "People Eating People Delivers A Fearless Performance, With Nouela Johnston's Emotions Laid Bare"

Amazing review of People Eating People's performance at Bumbershoot last monday! From Paige Richmond at Seattle Weekly:

Who: People Eating People
When: 12:30 p.m.
Where: EMP Sky Church

When People Eating People performs live, Nouela Johnston (the woman behind the band) pounds the shit out of her keyboard. Banging away at the lowest keys--creating these deep, heavy rhythms on songs like "All the Hospitals" and "I Hate All My Friends"-- and singing in her sweet but angry voice, Johnston seems completely confident. She's clearly talented and artistically smart: her live band doesn't even have a guitar player, relying instead on bass and drums to compliment her keys, which are always front and center. Throw in those semi-growling vocals, and Nouela Johnston seems like she's totally sure of herself in every way.

But there was one song during her Sky Church performance that truly demonstrated how raw and deep Johnston's emotions run, and it spoke to the insecurity she might feel. She sent her band off stage when she performed "For Now," playing the ragtime-influenced song alone on her keyboard (the same way it appears on her self-titled album. The first few lyrics--"None ever is gonna know that/ everything that I do/ is solely to impress you"--hinted insecurity and self doubt. It's a theme in many of People Eating People's songs, but it was laid bare when Johnston belted out "One day/ I'll make/ I'll make you love me" to a crowded room of fans. For Johnston to let those insecurities be seen, especially as a young female musician, well, that's beyond confident; it's fucking fearless. And it's why her songs are so powerful.

Great interview with Nouela Johnston from People Eating People!

Johnston does find humor in her songs, even if it’s not immediately obvious. She sounds quite angry with how she pounds on her piano and sings the lyrics in “I Hate All My Friends,” for example, but said “That song is more funny than anything. I think anyone who listens to it… we all feel that way sometimes, but I don’t feel that way all the time.” Check out the rest of the article at Another Rainy Saturday!

Magnet premiers the second single from People Eating People!

"Seattle-based Nouela Johnston named her musical project People Eating People after holding a contest among friends for the “world’s worst band name.” The winning name might be terrible, but she can sing and tickle the ivories like nobody’s business, and she proves it her self-titled debut (out now via The Control Group). Dark cabaret number “All The Hospitals,” which premieres today on magnetmagazine.com, will have you imagining Johnston onstage in a dim jazz hall, dressed to the nines and pounding on a beat-up grand piano." Magnet Magazin

“All The Hospitals” (download)

People Eating People blew Loudvine away at her performance last week at the Fremont Abbey!

"Johnston is basically a solo keyboardist who is occasionally accompanied by a drummer, but she doesn’t need any backing musicians, especially when she has a pair of perfectly good feet and hands to use for percussion. Her songs are plaintive, jazzy, poppy and gritty all at once. For example, “For Now” is simple, musically, until you listen to the lyrics: a wistful, melancholic love song that is so personal- and common to us all – that it will stick in your head for days." Read the rest!

Magnet falls head over heels for People Eating People's video for "Rain Rain"

"'Rain Rain' is a bouncy and absurdly catchy piano number with liberating lyrics that will weasel its way into your heart." Magnet Magazine

Fuse TV flips for the wonderful new People Eating People video!

"Today we're watching "Rain Rain" from People Eating People. The details in this video are really what make it so great. From the tiny model piano (with each key drawn in) to the model bicycle, everything you see was made from things you could find around your own home! " Read the rest!

CMJ is way into the brand new People Eating People

New review of People Eating People's s/t debut is out now at CMJ!

"After feasting on her phenomenal skill on the piano, her voice is the icing on the cake. Johnston's vocal ability shakes walls and benefits her rambunctious lyrics."

People Eating People debuts the music video for "Rain Rain"

One song, "Rain Rain", has particularly captured many hearts and Nouela holed up at home and set to making a fantastic video for it. Armed with construction paper and a cheap camera, she proves that she's more than a nimble pianist with an amazing voice. The folks at Three Imaginary Girls are insanely excited to premier the new video today!

You can also preview her new album in it's entirety all week at Spinner.com!

Spinner.com is streaming the brand new People Eating People album all week!

If you hop over to Spinner.com, you can listen to the new People Eating People album in its entirety, out this week from the Control Group!

People Eating People in NYC next week!

Jam "I Hate All My Friends" really loud...

Go rock out this weekend...

Don't miss Boy Eats Drum Machine, Finn Riggins, Hosannas, People Eating People, Sea Of Bees or Visqueen this weekend! All stone-cold stunners, all over the country, all weekend long!

Birth Announcement: Riot Act is proud to welcome three new bands to family!

Our little family is growing and today we're bringing home triplets! We're so proud to announce that we're working with Portland's Soft Tags and, from Seattle, Triumph Of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death and People Eating People.

Soft Tags is touring all over America over the next two months. People Eating People is heading to NYC in June and a new, s/t, album is out in July. Finally, Triumph Of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death has its debut full-length album out in August! Catch the fever!