Indie favourites Bdy Prts want to challenge stereotypes

The pals decided to team up a few years ago as Bdy Prts, and now they are releasing Fly Invisible Hero, a dancefloor friendly collection of sleek synths and indie pop.

“We didn’t deliberately set out to make a pop record, we just wanted to challenge what an indie record is supposed to be,” says Jenny, ahead of playing Stereo on Friday.

“I think we tend to listen to similar stuff and it might surprise people, so we love Kendrick Lamar, TLC, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush… It’s been quite satisfying to let loose and have fun, and be cheeky with the production, and then having much darker things too in the lyrics.”

The duo are sitting in a West End coffee shop, munching on some lunch before dealing with the unglamorous task of taking vinyl albums to the post office. However it took getting out of Glasgow and going on the road to fuel the pals’ songwriting.

“In Glasgow everything is so hectic that you don’t have time to see an idea through,” adds Jenny, who has collaborated with the likes of Arab Strap and Idlewild.

“To get away to Cumbria or the Isle of Arran was an attempt to remove ourselves and each environment really inspired us. We could get into the right headspace – for some people I think removing all your distractions could be too intense, but we write so collaboratively that it really lets us get into ideas.”

Jenny and Chicago born Jill first met several years ago, on a writing project. They immediately hit it off and have built towards Fly Invisible Hero over that time, only delaying the project when other parts of their life, such as day jobs, took over.

Although helped by Creative Scotland funding, they’ve also had to deal with the lack of money in the music industry, meaning that despite getting good numbers on Spotify for recent singles, there’s a little revenue from it.

It’s an issue that concerns both women on a wider scale, beyond their own band.

“A guy like Steve Albini (producer and Shellac guitarist) can go on about it being the best time for music because anyone can make it, but if it goes into a void then is that really a good thing?,” wonders Jill, who also fronted folk-indie band Sparrow & the Workshop.

“It’s free, so there’s no value, and eventually the person making music will end up going and doing something else, because they can’t afford to carry on. Now we have something like Ed Sheeran taking all but one place in the charts. It’s like we’re living in the mirror universe in Star Trek, where something has gone wrong.”

An even more depressing topic is the current wave of allegations regarding sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. These come as no shook to either of Bdy_Prts, who have had to put up with a lot during their careers.

“I think all of this (discussion) might lead to an awakening of the gravity of the problem,” says Jenny.

“I’ve had everything from casual comments to situations where folk just grab your bum. In my case it was someone I knew, while Jill got pinched at a gig in Inverness – someone just leaned over the merch table and grabbed her breasts.

“That has become so normalised that it just gets laughed about, rather than being seen as a problem. The fact that this is coming out into the open might make people re-think their behaviour, but casual sexism is so ingrained in people that it will take another generation for any real change to happen.”

A happier subject to finish on is the sense of joy both women clearly feel at releasing their debut album. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it.

“We had a vision of what it would be, and every step along the way, when it has felt like a door is shut in our face, we have found a new one to open,” says Jill.

“Early on we got knocked back from Creative Scotland, but we were very dogged and went back again. Whether it makes a little splash or a big splash, getting it out there is the important thing. If just one person dances around in their bedroom to this album, then I’d be happy.”

Bdy_Prts, Stereo, Friday, £10, 7pm