The Pipettes talk to Sam Breen

Most people will recall The Pipettes as the polka-dot skirt wearing, Grease lightning-sounding pop group from just a few years ago.

The girls have certainly been going through changes since they were last on the scene - not least a line-up reshuffle and the development of a snappier new sound - but they're still sounding pretty goddamn tasty.

Artrocker's Sam Breen spent some downtime with the band, in an attempt to discover their magic formula...

ARTROCKER: Who are The Pipettes?

PIPPETES: I am Ani and we are a self manufactured six piece bubble gum pop machine.

ARTROCKER:There’s been a real boule-face in terms of your music. How did this come about? When did the new direction start?

PIPPETES: It was a natural progression. For us, it has always been about attempting to re-write our own pop history without falling prey to rockist ideals, combining our individual musical paths and pasts in order to create one big pop future. When you look at it that way, The Pipettes were never going remain dedicated to just one great era in musical history when there is so much more to explore.

ARTROCKER: Were you fans of the Pipettes prior to being in the band?

PIPPETES: Of course! I genuinely thought it was the best band I had ever seen in my life!

ARTROCKER: Do have any creative control in the running of the band?

PIPPETES: There are six songwriters in The Pipettes, each one striving to write the perfect pop song. We've got it all covered!

ARTROCKER: With no original members and with a departure from the band’s original sound, there’s a distinct sense that your band is intended to come across as contrived as if to highlight the disposable nature of pop. Would you say The Pipettes are strong proponents of authenticity?

PIPPETES: It's really not that complicated. The Pipettes is but the result of an extremely successful experiment, a series of great ideas and musical ideals, the right people, the right place at the right time... We believe in pop, the music we make is honest. Pop music, as with any other genre, can be disposable - but great music lasts.

ARTROCKER: Phil Spector or Giorgio Moroder?

PIPPETES: Spector by day, Moroder by night.

ARTROCKER: Can we trust pop music to save us from internet-age isolation?

PIPPETES: Why certainly! We are here to entertain the masses, we are space-age pop queens from the future!

ARTROCKER: Should pop stars wear clothes from charity shops?

PIPPETES: How else does one afford designer?!

NEW SINGLE 'STOP THE MUSIC' OUT ON APRIL 19