The Canadian musician and performance artist Peaches is both an enigma and an inspiration. She is famous for her transgressive music, though she has talents in multiple fields, from stage to screen and everything in between. In What Else is in the Teaches of Peaches, written by Peaches with photography by Holger Talinkski and published by Akashic Books in June 2015, six years of her exhilarating and inspiring life are illuminated with honesty and clarity. The book captures moments from all facets of her life, from onstage, backstage, at home, and everything in between. The photo book also includes essays by Michael Stipe, Yoko Ono, Ellen Page, and Peaches herself.
Matt Stieb for Orlando Weekly said on August 5th, 2015, that What Else is in the Teaches of Peaches is “full of grit, sweat and dripping sexuality,” and The 405 released an interview with Peaches by Clara Heathcock on August 6th 2015 that delves into her unapologetic and provocative life and shows how inspiring people find Peaches to be. These articles are just two examples of the fondness and appreciation audiences have for Peaches. No matter who you are or where you come from, Peaches offers something extravagant yet sincere with her music and performance art that you are sure to connect with. Akashic Books shows off the woman behind the outrageous performance persona with the photo book to connect her to even more audiences.
There are few words that can accurately describe Peaches. As Heathcock said in The 405 interview, “Peaches is able to give herself to the moment of performance fully, trusting herself to shape it into a narrative later.” Photographer Holger Talinski captures this philosophy, each striking photograph catching Peaches thriving in the moment. The title of the photo book is taken from her debut record from 2010, “Teaches of Peaches,” which launched her career.
Stieb noted that for Peaches, “the body and all its politics – gender orientation, sexual identity – are there to be toyed with.” The photo book illustrates her interest in gender, highlighting the fact that her role as a queer performer has inspired countless others who feel boxed in by society. In the essay Ellen Page wrote, she recalled how inspiring Peaches was for her: “for a 16-year-old gay person, she offered something that I could not find elsewhere.”
Peaches is set to release a new record, “Rub,” in September, which once again showcases her talent for creating subversive and entertaining content. Peaches is not afraid to push boundaries and explore different outlets for her creativity, and What Happens in the Teaches of Peaches is another example of her performance art that also exposes the woman behind the transgressive music.