The Pearl Charles Interview
Born into the mysticism of the West Coast’s cosmic community of spiritual sound, LA-based singer-songwriter Pearl Charles has been playing music since she could remember. Coming from a creative background, the musician would go on to establish herself amongst her peers as this devilish dancing gypsy of holy harmonies, swing sound, and the famously forgotten eras of the past. Influenced by disco, country, and the revolution of rock, Pearl captures the essence of the free spirit in a world filled with cold chains and tired tongues by expressing the eager energy that it takes to be an artist in this day and age. Coming off the dusty trails of her most recent effort, “Desert Queen,” Pearl effortlessly bridges the gap from the past to the present in a tailspin fever dream that reveals the delightful details of just what the future may hold.
Photo: Forty Palms Design
I understand you’ve been playing music since the age of 5. How did you initially connect with music? As a multi-instrumentalist growing up in LA with so much iconic influence all around you at all the time, I’m curious as to how those enlightening elements influenced not only your passion and drive for music, but you as an individual.
It’s funny. I often recount the memory of asking my parents for piano lessons when I was 4 because my older sister was taking them. I remember them telling me that if I still wanted to when I was 5, I could, and the rest is history. That’s the sort of story I only remember because it was told to me over and over growing up. I feel like music must have kind of found me rather than the other way around because I don’t remember falling in love with it. I knew that by the time I was old enough to form memories, I had already been singing and making up songs, so it was something I was subconsciously drawn to. My parents saw this in me and, luckily, were very supportive. Los Angeles is a huge influence on my work as an artist. I am truly obsessed with the city and all of the amazing artists it has produced. There’s something magnetic about it because amazing musicians and artists of all sorts from all over the world have been historically drawn to it. Whether I’m literally talking about it in my lyrics or if it’s more subtly represented in the sonic landscapes I put the songs in, it’s inescapable.
Photo: Michael Rault
“Los Angeles is a huge influence on my work as an artist. I am truly obsessed with the city and all of the amazing artists it has produced. There’s something magnetic about it because amazing musicians and artists of all sorts from all over the world have been historically drawn to it. Whether I’m literally talking about it in my lyrics or if it’s more subtly represented in the sonic landscapes I put the songs in, it’s inescapable.”
While researching, I learned that your father, Larry Charles, an extremely talented screenwriter and producer, worked on the incredible sketch show Fridays, as well as my favorite show, Seinfeld, with Larry David. Who were some of your biggest Influences early on, and how soon was the gap from listening and taking it all in to wanting to write and record yourself?
Well, my Dad just released a book a few weeks ago full of his own amazing stories, so there’s probably nowhere better to hear about than directly from the horse’s mouth! My earliest influences were the classic musicians my parents exposed me to, such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles, John Prine, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline. They were all regular listeners in my house. I credit my parents with encouraging me to explore music beyond just performing by extending into writing and recording. Since I started so young, I’ve been playing music for so long that by the time they suggested I explore that, I was still only about 14 or 15.
Photo: Sarah Eiseman
Before your solo career, you participated in outfits such as The Blank Tapes and The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson. I‘m curious to know about these groups and how this eventually led to you becoming a solo artist. I find your style and relationship to sound in general to be this wondrous whispering into the winds of change, like that of Joni Mitchell and Sibylle Baier, to name a few. Breaking away to focus more on your solo efforts, how did you initially approach your 2015 self-titled debut, as well as following titles such as “Sleepless Dreamer” and “Magic Mirror?”
Photo: Nikki Neumann
My musical journey as an artist has been quite chronological, The Driftwood Singers were very influenced by The Carter Family and the Anthology of American Folk Music and The Blank Tapes were influenced by 1960’s garage and psychedelic rock, by the time I got into making my stuff I tried to meld those influences and also move forward into the 1970’s which is now my favorite musical era. Both of those bands were led by my ex-boyfriends, so as I grew out of those relationships and found my voice and the confidence within myself to do my music, naturally, the next step was the exploration of a solo career. I learned so much from those bands and those guys, though, so I am super grateful for everything they taught me about music and being a musician. Wow, well, I am honored to be compared to two such amazing singers and songwriters and a lady of the canyon! My approach and influences changed greatly throughout all the releases you mentioned. On my self-titled debut, I was a much less experienced songwriter and solo artist coming out of a more garage rock background, and I think the record reflects that. There is an innocence to the simplicity of that release, but after that, I think I evolved from the more raw rock & roll sounds to the soft rock, country, and disco that define my sound now.
Jumping ahead to your most recent effort, entitled “Desert Queen,” not only was this a step from your home away from home label Kanine Records, but an even wider and visually vibrant body of work. What was most important for you to achieve both artistically as well as personally on this album, and how much has your general approach to nailing down songs, ear for production, and the overall observation of being a musician in this day and age changed?
I loved working with Kanine; they were a great label and supported me through many incarnations of my sound and vision. The music industry is moving in a specific direction for artists to self-release and not be beholden to anyone for any decisions, be it scheduling, creative direction, or otherwise. “Desert Queen” was much more of a collaboration between my partner, Michael Rault, and me, so I’d say that’s one of the main differences between this album and the past ones. Though he was also involved in “Magic Mirror,” this was the first record we made together from start to finish, and I love what we created. Michael is such a great producer and collaborator because he can facilitate whatever vision the artist has for the songs and the record, whether that’s in the songwriting, the production, the arrangements, the choice of players, or the mix. I’d like to think that we’ve both been honing in on the same ideas, separately and together, for a long time. By coming together, we’ve hopefully managed to make something greater than the sum of our parts.
Photo: Trippy Dana (Dana Trippe)
Is there anything else you would like to share further with the readers?
We’ll be continuing to tour all over the U.S. and Europe in support of “Desert Queen,” so I hope everyone will keep an eye out to come see us live and pick up a copy of the record, which is available now on vinyl, CD, and as a digital download on Bandcamp!
