A Chat with Pearlbossa (18.08.2022)
There are songs and albums that speak to us on a deep and emotional level. This is something that Pearlbossa understands and he has now covered an album that holds a special place for him. Tickets to Another Downfall is a stirring and emotional cover album that takes the original and infuses a new sense of perspective and understanding to each song. Infusing his desire to inspire us to all be who we really are inside, he takes the messaging of the album to a new level. We had the opportunity to chat with Pearlbossa about the cover album, his creative process, multi-instrumentalism, challenges and much more.
OSR: Pearlbossa is a one-man band, but what prompted you to start this musical project and where did the name come from?
Pearlbossa: Honestly, I’ve always been super shy with this caged-up alter ego stuck in the pit of my stomach. This project really came to fruition by not being able to hold that in anymore. I’ve been writing music for quite a while, but had just let it sit inside my head or on paper for a long time. I could throw out a ton of excuses for this, time constraints with work, studio costs, and finding the right collaborators, but it all really came down to insecurity. After lots of hard work addressing my mental health, along with the constant increase in speed that time passes, I knew it was time to build out a studio and scratch this itch I haven’t been able to shake since I was a kid.
The name itself comes from combining a couple of my cat’s names. I’m a huge animal guy. I have 7 and volunteered to help with the humane society. It felt right to fit them into the project somehow and I thought the name ended up sounding really cool.
OSR: As a multi-instrumentalist, do you have an instrument that you like more than the others?
Pearlbossa: The guitar, definitely. Growing up in love with the attitude of punk rock, I always saw the guitarist as the coolest person in the room. I also just love the look of so many different guitars and how they can build on the aesthetic of a production. Now, I’d love to be a better drummer and play more complex parts but when I try to sync my hands and my feet, my brain decides to revert my motor skills by about 25 years. That’s probably the reason I’m such a bad dancer too. I do hope that in the future I can bring in some great drummers because I absolutely love them and think that can be seen by how I try to keep the drums big and cutting through on the recordings.
OSR: Earlier this year, you released your debut album Tickets to Another Downfall which is a cover album of Tickets to My Downfall by Machine Gun Kelly. What was your process for stripping the tracks down and making them your own?
Pearlbossa: I used this project to really dive in and challenge myself to learn the production side of things. With improving my abilities as a large goal for the album, I approached different tracks with different stylistic choices. Some I focused on a stripped-down rock track, some more emo trap, and “bloody valentine” I tried to see what would happen if you took the elements of a typical pop song and gave it more of a DIY style sound you find in punk music. After deciding on the style I wanted to use, I’d throw down the bass and drums. Without any other mud on the mix, I want to make sure you can dance with just those 2 tracks playing and dial in the sound. With the melodies, I tried to match most of the originals as far as the pattern goes, to keep the original identity alive. This is probably the area I played with the most, throwing in different guitar tones, synths, pads, and/or highly processed vocals to imitate an instrument until I thought it matched the goal of the track.
OSR: There is a clear emotional connection woven into each of the tracks, was this something you found easy to infuse into your music?
Pearlbossa: With this album being a cover album, I’d say the ease varied from track to track. Under the right circumstances though, I’m that guy that can let music cut all the way into my soul. I absolutely love the feeling of moshing at a hardcore show with tons of people living life to the fullest, but some of the most powerful moments music has given me is when I hear a soft, beautiful melody that can bring me to tears. It may sound simple, but after I put down the initial instruments, I’ll just close my eyes and let it loop a few times. I’ll try to see how it makes me feel and add in or alter elements until I start feeling the emotion I’m shooting for.
OSR: You bring a very personal touch to the tracks through the melodic styles and elements you have used. Was this something that you focused on achieving or did it happen naturally in your creative process?
Pearlbossa: I’d say my own style is something I’m still developing, but I have the ideas in my head on what directions I want to keep moving. My musical tastes are all over the place. I love rock, I love hip-hop, I love pop, I love classical music. I also have some classical training. One thing I’m naturally drawn toward is orchestral strings. I absolutely adore the emotional power you can get out of those instruments. Starset would be a great band that incorporates strings into their heavier music. I like layering it a bit more into the background to make more of a subtle emotional impact while keeping the sound nice and clean. I’ve also really enjoyed exploring more acapella elements. Some of the backing instruments are vocals run through different effect stacks. I hope to keep developing these elements to make a more unique style in the pop-punk space.
OSR: You not only play all the instruments on the album, but also did all the production yourself. What was the biggest challenge you faced with this?
Pearlbossa: Phew, this was a big one! I had never touched a DAW before. I had always just played live with friends or in the rare instances I worked on a project with someone, I only laid down a recording and somebody else handled the setup, processing, and everything else. This project served several purposes, and one of those was to train myself on the tools I’ll need to make sure my music sounds great when I release my own originals. It’s given me a whole lot of humility and respect for the producers out there.
OSR: Through this cover, you have added a wonderful rock infusion to the pop-punk style of the original. What draws you to this genre?
Pearlbossa: I’m really drawn to all kinds of rock. One day I’m listening to stoner metal, the next classic rock, after that pop rock. I despise gatekeeping for any genre, but I think it’s especially silly to do so in sub-genres. I think all styles and artists give us something to learn from and hopefully that’s reflected in how I arrange my music.
OSR: With the changes to the tracks, is there one that holds a special place in your heart that the original version didn’t?
Pearlbossa: I think ‘Drunk Face’ resonated really well with me. While I don’t think it was the most removed from the original, I feel like the messaging behind it really related to where I’m at right now in life and really hit on some underlying struggles I’ve had with my demographic getting older and never having put myself out there like I’ve wanted to for so long. Recording that song felt especially cathartic.
OSR: After listening to the album, what is the one thing you would like people to take away from the experience?
Pearlbossa: There are an endless number of new musicians hitting the scene year after year. There are also tons of existing music made by incomprehensively talented artists that have collaborated with producers that have a level of knowledge most of us can only dream of achieving. I wanted to present something familiar for people to latch on to when initially hearing about this Pearlbossa guy and hope that hearing this version of a beloved project makes them interested to see what’s next, whether that be covers of other artists and styles or the original music in the pipeline.
OSR: While this cover album is a great introduction to your style and sound, are you working on any original music?
Pearlbossa: Absolutely. I actually have a few albums written, though when I go back and look at some of them from when I was younger, I can definitely see how far I’ve progressed and how much work they need! I love albums that tell a story, so currently I’m arranging the top tracks that fit a story I’m preparing and finding what holes in that tale needs new pieces created to fill them.
OSR: What do you have in the pipeline for the next 12 months?
Pearlbossa: I have a ton of fun with the covers, so I plan to keep sprinkling those in while working on original pieces. I’m hoping to put at least 2 out each month once all the videos drop for this album. That helps me train and improve on the production side without having to worry about every creative element every time. Outside of that, I’m hoping to have an original LP out in less than 12 months from now. It may seem like a long time, but right now I’m producing in my home studio. When putting out something original I want to give myself time to find the right musicians, producers, studio, videographers, and marketers to make sure it all releases right and all the potential there is actualized. I’m trying to teach myself all I can, but collaboration with other talented people will almost always result in a better creation. Until then, anyone that wants to keep in touch, stay updated, and form any community around the music can join me on YouTube and social media.
Thanks to Pearlbossa for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
