Early adult years are a bit of a scary time to think about. You wonder if your first glass of alcohol will be one out of a thousand. Vancouver has an issue surrounding homelessness and drug addiction, and you may think that won’t happen to you, but being young and trying to find fun and acceptance can lead to some dark paths. 

A Vancouver band called Peach Pit in their album, “Magpie” showcases the worst that could happen in an alternate life if Neil Smith didn’t quit drinking.

Magpie / Peach Pit

His way of thinking in his 20’s was different. He feels that when people are young, people are naive about the world and more confident in their ability as they grow older. Even when he’s performing, he feels more nervous than he would have been when he was younger. I see nervousness as a constant battle, and I don’t think it’s wrong to have it especially if you gain more experience and responsibilities.

To Neil, there’s this delusional confidence you get when you start a career that not many people will see. Neil enjoys the simple and carefree things in his 20s that gave him excitement like the first time going to a bar with friends.

The band tried to put themselves in a different perspective in the “Magpie” album. They tried to give it more of a rock energy as opposed to their style of more slow and sad sounding songs. 

Their song, “Magpie”, is a good example of this since it gives that rock energy with a character who wasted his life.

The name of the song and the album came from their tour in Australia, where they saw magpies flying everywhere. The number of magpies flying together determines whether or not it’s a good or bad omen, and they gave the character who wasted his life on strip clubs and alcohol, Magpie. It’s based on an old superstitious poem about magpies that goes:

One for sorrow

Two for Luck

Three for a wedding

Four for death

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven for a secret never to be told

Eight for heaven

Nine for Hell

And ten for the Devil’s own sell

That character is what Neil feared he would become if he didn’t stop drinking, but Neil has been sober for seven years. He says he’s more boring than he was, so hopefully he and the band can experiment with something exciting.