Stephie Coplan & the Pedestrians

"Too badass to resist." - MP3 of the Day

"People’s Choice Award winners Stephie Coplan and the Pedestrians launched a YouTube campaign for the awards, and were so pleased that their fans came out in full support. 'It’s unbelievable,' said Coplan. 'We’re a new band that got together, and we campaigned pretty hard. It feels great. I'm so thankful.'" - Jessica Rosero

"Stephie Coplan and the Pedestrians is a band from Hoboken that formed in March, but judging by their resume and accomplishments, a fan would think they’ve been around for longer." - Ray Smith

A lot of independently-produced debut albums sound like independently-produced debut albums: trite lyrics, off-key vocals, and poor musicianship because they're often recorded too early in a band's development. Some bands' debuts, however, sound as if they've been together for years. Stephie Coplan & The Pedestrians are ready for their closeup: their self-titled EP is fun, catchy, witty, intelligent, and begging for you to take it home.

The album leads off with "Jerk!," which oozes with attitude and demands to be played loudly and screamed along to by everyone who's ever been wronged by a lover yet can't seem to break the ties with him or her. While "Jerk!" might remind you of Garbage, the rest of the album is totally different and sounds like Ben Folds due to Coplan's amazing piano skills and humorous lyrics. "Caroline" is Coplan at her Foldsiest and is a great character study. The funniest song on the album is "Take Me Back To The Suburbs," with its unbelievably catchy "get me to the burbs ASAP" refrain and pop culture references to Anthropologie, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, The Simpsons, Will Smith, Starbucks, Twitter, Urban Outfitters, Weeds, and The Wire. "Suburbs" was my favorite song on the disc until I spent this past weekend listening to and appreciating "We Don't Need Much," the album's closer, on a nonstop loop. "We Don't Need Much" is a sweet and mature song about love being more important than material items, and sounds like classic Liz Phair if Liz Phair had turned in her six-string for eighty-eight keys.

Stephie Coplan & The Pedestrians is a great album. My only fear is that the critics' inevitable comparisons of Coplan to Ben Folds might overshadow the greatness of this EP. But I don't think that will happen because Coplan owns these comparisons; she wears them like a badge of honor. The question is: does the world need a younger, hipper, funnier, and prettier Ben Folds?

Yes. Yes it does.

And so do you. - CD Review

"A gold-star keeper." - Michael Marotta

"A gold-star keeper." - Michael Marotta

"A great video for a great pop-rock song." - Paolo DeGregorio

"I first saw Stephie play at the Lizard Lounge's Open Mic Challenge and was blown away by her talent. She is a magnificent songwriter and pianist." - Meghan Chiampa

How did you form/start?

We met on Match.com. No, just kidding. Actually, kind of, though. I had been playing as a soloist in Boston since September 2009, and then moved to Hoboken, New Jersey last summer. When I got there, I was immediately offered a development deal by an indie label run by a producer who had worked with Beyonce, Shakira and Jason Mraz. So basically, my peers. I was excited about it until my lawyer made me realize how crappy the deal was and then things with the label fell apart. I initially took it as sort of a sign that I wasn’t meant to have a career as a musician. But after a few weeks of not playing, I became so miserable that I knew my knee-jerk reaction had been wrong. I had an epiphany – music or bust. The next day, I posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a bassist and drummer, and John and Shane responded. We instantly clicked – both musically and personally- and have been punishing New York City and parts of New Jersey with face-melting piano rock ever since.

Finish the sentence, someone would like your band if they like…

…Fountains of Wayne, Ben Folds Five, Billy Joel, Randy Newman, or Regina Spektor. I like to tell stories in my songs, so the people who probably get the most out of our music are people who like listening to lyrics.

What song of yours should people listen to first and why?

I think “Take Me Back to the Suburbs” does a really good job of summing up my style as an artist. I’m pretty sure I whipped out all of my signature moves in it: a jazz piano riff, some SAT words, a few laughs, a few songwriter observations.

Walk us through your songwriting process.

It’s slightly different each time, but the music always comes first, and I always have to be at my piano. I know some people who write in coffee shops or on the bus and I’m always amazed. Lyrically, my songs either begin with wordplay or with a theme. For instance, “heartbroken in Hoboken / wish I were jokin’” was something I thought of long before I even knew what “Heartbroken in Hoboken” would be about, whereas I knew I was going to write a song about how much I hate flying before I wrote the lyrics to “Flight 413?.

Tell us a little bit about your latest album.

Our upcoming debut album is the culmination of about six months’ worth of work with our producer Ben Gebert, and about a year’s worth of writing. I initially set out to make this album as a soloist in 2009, and then again in 2010. I’m glad I waited, because I think my songwriting has gotten better as I’ve gone through more significant life experiences. This is confirmed every time I post a new song on YouTube and someone invariably tells me that I’ve “really improved”. (Thanks! Hey, wait a minute…) The songs that would have appeared on my album even a year ago are already so outdated that I’m not sure I still remember know how to play them. I wrote my first song when I was 15, but unless you’re Justin Bieber, it takes a long time to find your stride.

What has your most memorable moment as a band been?

It’s been a helluva five months, but I think our best band memory is going to Quad Studios in Greenwood Lake, New York to record our album. We left the city on my birthday and drove with our producer to a secluded cabin on the lake for a weekend to record our live instruments – piano, bass, drums and a Hammond B3 organ (woah). We became better musicians that weekend. We also learned a lot about ourselves and our changing bodies, or was it a valuable lesson on life, love, and friendship? I can’t remember. I do remember that Shane snores really loudly, though. John and I had to download white noise apps on our phones to drown him out. Bass players – am I right?

What has been the hardest part of building your name onto the national level?

So far, it’s been getting people to listen to our music without any recordings, which sounds more like a Zen mind puzzle than a serious strategy. I think once our music is out there, it’ll be difficult to figure out what “box” or “scene” we should try to be a part of. We’re just left-of-center of mainstream pop/rock, so it’ll be up to the masses to decide if we end up in “commercial purgatory” as Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne put it.

Who are the best bands from your hometown that we might not know about?

Even though I live in Hoboken now, my musical roots are in the Cambridge/Somerville music scene. I used to love going out to hear local music when I lived there. Some of my favorites are Will Dailey, Christian McNeill, Emily Hulslander (who lives in New York now but performed in Boston as a songwriter while she attended Berklee), Travis Lund, The And Company and the Baker Thomas Band.

What band would you most like to open for?

Oof, this is a tough one. Maybe Taylor Swift, since we’d get to play in front of twenty million people. Also, I want to have a sleepover with her and talk about boys.

Who is your all-time favorite Boston band?

Boston! I wept for days when Brad Delp died a few years ago. I wore my Boston t-shirt last night and as I walked home in the rain, this hot bouncer on the sidewalk was like, “nice shirt”. So not only is Boston awesome, but they make hot people pay attention to you!

What are your thoughts on playing Boston?

We are so excited to play our first shows in Boston this weekend. Shane and I are natives, so we’re looking forward to introducing John to Boloco. When I was a soloist in Boston, I got the impression that Boston proper is where you go to see Journey cover bands, and Somerville/Cambridge/Jamaica Plain is where you go to see singer/songwriters. Not passing any judgment but I love that there’s something for everyone, depending on their taste.

What can people expect from your live show and why should our readers catch your next stop in Boston?

Our next show in Boston is at Toad on September 3 at 7:30, and then we’re doing an encore show at Precinct the next night opening for our friends, the Sea Monsters. And then we disappear back to New York as mysteriously as we came. We don’t have a guitarist in our band, so our live shows are very piano-heavy and emphasize our lyrics and technical chops. You should come to our next show because Toad doesn’t charge a cover. And we’re debuting some new songs. And we’re from New York, so this is your last chance to see us for at least a few months! That’s enough reasons, right? - Interview

"They roared through two sets of music with great energy and playfulness. Stephie’s songwriting and performing is at the core of the band. The sets are grounded in up-tempo songs with ironic, direct and frequently funny lyrics." - Dave Owczarek

"Stephie Coplan's razzmatazz keyboard tickling and lyrical witticisms take center stage in this guitarless trio. Featuring songs that twist jaded, rocker attitude with gooey, fun-time pop, Coplan makes hay with her mousey good looks and depth of personality. Covers include a peppy version of Taio Cruz's 'Dynamite,' a whimsical Coplan-free take on 'Mr. Roger's Neighborhood' and 'Someone to Love' by admirers Fountains of Wayne.

Despite the support of bass and drums, Coplan alone shoulders the act's weight. Though her keyboard abilities trump her vocals, it's the stunningly clever choruses and galloping, astutely constructed verses that shine strongest.

Entertaining a packed crowd in her first-ever Boston appearance, the literate songstress entranced all with a generous double set, the first of which rocked hardest. At the mid-point of the band's opening number, Coplan ripped off her iconic glasses, showing she meant business. While balance issues became apparent early on, with the bartender weighing in and a mic check executed between songs two and three, Coplan's salty-tongued humor and amiable stage presence smoothed over the technical imperfections. Though their final jam turned things up a notch, the second set cooled the evening down as Coplan performed two introspective solo numbers. It wasn't until the evening's final, explosive num-ber that the others let loose, particularly bassist Hebert, whose funkified attack was heartily approved by the crowd.

A homecoming of sorts, Coplan hit a homerun with her college town return. Still, one can't help but wonder how a guitarist or other element could expand the Pedestrians' sound. Although they present a unified front, the drums and bass feel like mere props for Coplan's plucky vision. Nonetheless, her considerable charisma definitively wins over a room. If America accepts her bookish, sweetheart persona, she may yet travel beyond the confines of underground notoriety." - Andy Kaufmann

"Take a twist on a cabaret style of storytelling and infuse a strong knack for pop-hooks and the first word that comes to mind might be 'quirky'. But that really doesn't do Stephie Coplan justice. Adorably aggressive? Maybe. Damn good? Definitely.

There's a strength to her music and an innocent friendliness to her personality that make her songs irresistible. This night at Maxwell's (1039 Washington St, Hoboken) was my first time seeing Stephie with a rhythm section.

Calling themselves The Pedestrians, John Hebert on bass and Shane Considine on drums offered a solid anchor to her piano-pounding, original style.

The band is currently recording at Quad Studios in Greenwood Lake, NY. I cannot wait to hear what comes out of those sessions. In the meantime, you can usually catch them playing around the NYC/Hoboken area. You should definitely keep an eye and an ear out for this girl and this band.

To give you an idea of just how good she really is, this song ['Caroline'] is described on her website as a "crappy" demo. I wish my demos were half this 'crappy' back in the day." - Stephen Bailey

"Very Ben Folds/Fountains of Wayne-esque." - Kurt Gardiner

"Stephie rocks the piano, not sure I mentioned that. Her sarcasm and wit come through every song and even inbetween songs as well. Charlie Sheen would say she’s an F-18, even during breaks. Sadly he was not available for comment." - Zac Clark

"She bangs the sh*t out of the piano...fun to watch. So funny." - Caroline O'Hare

"'Dear Ben, I think you're really great / But I have to say I hear some certain similarities / That make me think you're stealing from me.' This is the most refreshing solution to the anxiety of influence that I've heard in ages. Stephie Coplan's articulate, piano-driven songs were drawing Ben Folds comparisons even before she added drums and fuzz-happy bass. But she beats the wannabe-factor with fearless moxie and a wicked sense of humor. "Dear Ben," quoted above, would just be a novelty song if it didn't continue to dish up precisely phrased kiss-offs for four solid minutes. Check out her full-band show tonight, and you might actually leave wondering which piano-person came first — and firmly believing Coplan's claim, 'You can fall in line with Tori Amos / And I'll call you when I'm famous.'" - James Rickman

"Immensely talented." - Adam Schlesinger

blah blah - James Rickman