Picture Parlour's producer Steph Marziano weighs in on the "industry plant" discourse

Comprised of Katherine Parlour, guitarist Ella Risi, bassist Sian Lynch and drummer Michael Nash, Picture Parlour are currently the hot topic of discussion in the music industry, and have been the target of "industry plant" allegations.

Alongside the release of their debut single, Picture Parlour were given an NME Hype cover, and unfortunately, rather than celebrating a new band being given a huge platform, a selection of people have decided that the band must be "industry plants" or "nepo babies", as opposed to having worked hard to get to this point.

I'm all for championing new and undiscovered artists, but I also get 4,000 emails a day and this band never once appeared in my inbox. Also, Alan Moulder mixed their debut single. And they're already playing major festivals.

Some weird stuff going on over in the UK. https://t.co/tzGZcRLQ8W

— Aléx Young (@AlexYoung) June 20, 2023

They only have around 500 Twitter followers. Whose mouth is speaking these words? It feels suspiciously like payola.

Their single has 6,800 plays on Spotify but somehow they have 7,800 Instagram followers? Something here really stinks to high heaven!

— Tecate Papi (@LifeTecate) June 21, 2023

In response to there being some questions about how Picture Parlour seem to have come out of nowhere, Steph Marziano – producer of "Norwegian Wood" – has come to their defence.

"They were gigging every other week, and more and more people were coming to the shows. Once the industry buzz came, it's like every A&R was there. I saw it happening," she reveals.

By consistently playing shows, Picture Parlour created a buzz around themselves, and eventually their music was seen by the right people. Marziano goes on to explain the time when Courtney Love was at the Windmill on a night that the band were playing. She posted a video of them to her Instagram, which obviously blew up.

"A week after that, I saw Colin Greenwood from Radiohead there and he was buzzing about how much he loved this band and so it was all just word of mouth," she continues. "I think what's really sad is to see people on the internet – especially people in bands or people in music – saying something fishy must have happened just because it's happened a bit quicker."

So… bands who’ve had a leg up

Wet Leg - plants
Picture Parlour - plants
Last Dinner Party - plants

…

The Strokes - Legends
Inhaler - Generally liked by most 👀

See the issue here?

— NICE GUY (@NICEGUYBAND) June 22, 2023

There are clear, systemic industry issues which mean hardly anyone makes money from their music. A band has attracted structures which could give them a fighting chance, it's not their fault that others haven't, is it. Why should they have to take the brunt of the attack?

— Cath Hurley (@CATHFACTORY) June 21, 2023

It's important to highlight the similarities between bands who have recently been called "industry plants". First it was Wet Leg, then The Last Dinner Party, and now Picture Parlour. Marziano is quick to call it what it is: misogyny. Picture Parlour have been open in interviews about having a team behind them, despite people being convinced that they must have some kind of privilege in order to be at the point they are.

"Truthfully, nobody says this about successful male bands. It's bullshit. Whether it's meant to or not, it is misogynistic, and it's a shame that people aren't seeing that... It happens to women-fronted bands and LGBTQ communities".

Explaining how she became involved in the debut single of Picture Parlour, Marziano explains that she had been to numerous gigs of theirs, and was charmed by their music, noting that their live performance is what blew her away. "Katherine's voice is what made me want to record her right away."

"The band are very much working class and no nepotism was involved in their rise. I produced their single and Alan mixed it all, because we love it and believe in them... they don't come from a rich family that's funding it. It breaks my heart to see this band being lumped into this thing that they're not."

Our thoughts on recent online discourse pic.twitter.com/5YQJzuGNJ9

— VOCAL GIRLS (@vocalgirlsclub) June 21, 2023