Today I’m thrilled to re-introduce everyone to Baltimore-based punk band, Pearl, who are returning with their newest single and video for “Party.” On this energetic song, Pearl showcase their wide range of influences that range from metal bands like Black Sabbath to punk-tinged rock like early-Nirvana and Bad Brains. The four piece band was founded in 2018 by Sienna Cureton-Mahoney (vocals) and Tommy Rouse (guitar), who were shortly thereafter joined by Jesse Hutchison (bass) and Flynn DiGuardia (drums) in 2019. In true nature of “Party,” Pearl have also announced their new album, Love and Grief, will be released on April 20th via 20/20 Records. If you’re enjoying the music video, please consider pre-ordering Love and Grief here.
”Party” feels both confrontational and cathartic—was the song written as a critique of the idea of ‘having fun’ in chaotic times, or does it reflect something more personal about release and survival within the scene?
”Party” is most definitely about release and excess. Between social media, which vacillates between images of AI puppies to the horrifying reality that the world is falling apart because of our government, it feels like we are all being bombarded by information that can’t possibly be processed quick enough or to the best of our abilities. I think in Baltimore, our chosen community and support system is what really keeps us creating music and art and protesting. In the instances where we decide to celebrate each other, there’s a lot of love, but with partying comes excess. What is meant to be lighthearted can really easily take a turn when there’s an underlying heaviness to our stark reality, which I’ve seen in myself and my loved ones. The song is about teetering on that line between joy and a breakdown. When your on one side of the line its pure satisfaction and when your on the other its about guilt and shame. Lyrically, all of the music I create is personal. My hope is that someone may be able to relate as opposed to trying to teach someone a lesson. The last thing anyone needs is an unprompted preacher, when we are all trying in our distinct ways to survive and maybe even flourish despite a barrage of obstacles.
The video directed by Alexa Bristol adds a strong visual tension to an already forceful track—how did you and Alexa translate the physical energy of Pearl’s live shows into the pacing, mood, and imagery of the video?
The visuals that accompany the music are all about forward motion. It relays that feeling of being on autopilot or always on the run, which is a classic avoidance tactic. Same as with partying or excessive use of any crutch. Alexa did an amazing job of this through the constant movement in the imagery, from the road peeling out from under the car, to the layered images of the body movement in surreal color. I think she did a good job of creating something both fun and seedy. For me, there’s an interesting juxtaposition between our band’s lyrics and music versus our actual performance. The writing and music composition is pretty intentional and reflective. We fine tune a lot of our songs over time, allowing them to morph into something that at some points are totally different from their origins. The actual performances reflect the drive that are relayed through the video; short, fast, loud and grinding.
Sonically, “Party” sits at an intersection of hardcore urgency and groove-heavy momentum—did you see this song as a mission statement for Love & Grief, or did its role evolve once you saw how it paired with the video?
I think that punk and hardcore that is devoid of a pulse or sexuality is boring. I think that even the most seemingly hardened folks are always dancing in there mirror secretly for hours to something, and rather than repress that outside, I want to bring it to light. That’s reflected in our live sets and was captured in the way Alexa collaged our visuals. I think that the video evolved from the song’s sentiment rather than the other way around. I think that within Love & Grief, each song represents one of the many facets of human emotion through personal narrative, “Party” leaning into lust and indulgence, while other songs on the album reflect yearning, frustration, anger and adoration.