Pearl and the Beard continue to impress

Pearl and the Beard’s interesting band name is only the beginning of the unique and captivating style of the Brooklyn indie trio. Percussionist Jocelyn Mackenzie, cellist and pianist Emily Hope Price and guitarist Jeremy Styles share the duty of vocals.

The band released its latest single, just finished a tour with indie pop band Wild Child, and has shared the stage with Matt & Kim, The Drums and Ingrid Michaelson. They released their first EP, At Home With Pearl and the Beard in 2008. In 2009, they produced their first full-length album entitled God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson. Two years later, their second album, Killing the Darlings, was released. They are currently in the final stages of producing their third album.

The band’s name promises an epic tale and, while there are no Moby Dick-esque stories of heroes and heroines named Pearl or the Beard, the reasoning behind it is just as intriguing. Price explained that when Mackenzie and Styles got together, the band was named Pearl and the Beard. Mackenzie is a knitter familiar with a specific knitting technique known as purling. She liked the sound of the word but spelled it “pearl”-ing. The two words, pearl and beard, share similar structures. The two band mates, in addition to a mutual appreciation for word symmetry, enjoyed the way the words sounded together. In the end, she says it’s up to the listener to decide the meaning.

“There is no beard — imagine it’s just a title of a book or a story that continues on and on forever weaving its way through,” Price said. “Pearl is not a person either. There is no pearl, there is no beard.”

The band’s sound is made up of only the best components; brilliant lyrics, beautiful instrumentals and powerful vocals. Yet, the true beauty is found in the cohesive and astounding sound of all the components combined. Listeners might be surprised to learn that there are only three band members, considering each song comes with the strength of an entire orchestra. Each track is fresh and original with a different vocalist.

“In the past, it’s been whoever initiated the song or were more attached to the song,” Price said.  “On this new album, it was more about painting a picture appropriately and [choosing which vocalist] was right for the song.”

Their mastery of music stems from their ability to provide both subtlety and power. Their lyrics can be evocative as well as simple, but they are always brought to life with the soft and swelling vocals.

“Once we have the feeling of a theme or something that feels right, we kind of sculpt it from there,” Price said on the trio’s writing process. “I do a lot of illustration. I can’t illustrate real life — I mean I can, but I prefer drawing, thinking out of nowhere, so what ends up happening is if my pen leaks on the page or smears, you involve the smear in the illustration … that can, a lot of ways, work for music in a lot of ways … that kind of stuff that happens naturally to a moment, and help it feel like a whole piece.”

A conversation with Price illustrates the quality of the band. Her relaxed eloquence comes across in such a wonderfully warm manner that it’s impossible to not want to both learn from her wisdom and hug her.

The band’s passion for its music is in every aspect, whether it’s an interview, a live performance or its album. The phrase “it’s in their genes” has never been more applicable. Pearl and the Beard was made to make music. And its passion keeps growing and driving them and its music.

Price shared one anecdote during her time performing with the R&B singer songwriter D’Angelo. He was closing a set with his hit song “How Does it Feel,” and she said there was a palpable connection with the performer, even though he has performed the track countless times.

“He was singing every word like it was the last time he was singing it,” she said. “That experience I had is the experience I want to have and I want to give to people.”

The band just released a single on SPIN and is currently on tour with Ani Difranco.