044 – Peter Koppes (The Church) interview: Guitars, Chemistry, and Syncretism

In this episode, we sit down with Peter Koppes, founding guitarist of The Church, to explore the deep currents of his musical life—from early influences to legendary albums, solo works, and new collaborations.What we cover in this conversation:• 🎹 Early beginnings: Why Peter’s first love was the Hammond Organ, how he wound up on drums, and the Beatles’ surprising link to bossa nova.• 🎸 Forming The Church: The transition from Precious Little → Baby Grande → The Church, and setting the record straight on Steve Kilbey’s “firing” from Baby Grande.• 🌌 The Church’s legacy: Recording Starfish, the happy accidents behind “Under the Milky Way,” and Peter’s reflections on key tracks like Almost With You, Reptile, and A New Season.• 🥁 Behind the music: Richard Ploog’s contributions, producers pushing drummers to click tracks, and what changed between Starfish and Gold Afternoon Fix.• 🎼 Solo artistry: Manchild & Myth and From the Well—his painterly approach to songwriting and the role of collaborators.• 🌀 Syncretism project: A creative partnership with Dave Scotland, the track “I Live,” and weaving cultural/ambient elements into new soundscapes.• 🌱 Family & future: Reflections on boxing lessons as a child, the spirit in music, and his daughters’ project Rain Party.A candid, wide-ranging conversation with one of alternative rock’s great sonic architects.👉 Follow Peter’s music:Website: https://peterkoppes.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdn2kYdQR2yQJ6YcU0QluJQ/featuredX: https://x.com/peterkoppesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.koppes.3Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ENOFSRHD8RnVWRp4gQJha?si=pU-8kinsTBiteH-ciPTG8g👉 The Church:Shadow Cabinet: https://shadowcabi.net/👉 Snow Koppes:Bandcamp: https://snowkoppes.bandcamp.com/album/supastar👉 O and Shea:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vw6GFtH8CBLQmXATwArqW?si=rny5tquYQ2qkmlBzFGQMkgBandcamp: https://oandshea.bandcamp.com/👉 Follow Post-punk Heartstrings for more deep dives into the sounds that move us:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PostpunkHeartstringsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjKWsuzqWiSY0vln1Py5ahgSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kngtZ8HsbDL0YFt4m6otZ?si=8c5782e8d30e4258