“Daddy rocked us to sleep with the Rolling Stones; Mama woke us up with Loretta Lynn. So we get it honest.” That’s how Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry describes the music she and her brothers, Neil and Reid, write and perform together. Their catchy melodies, rootsy harmonies, and strong beats are a fluent marriage between country music and rock & roll.
The siblings’ journey to country music began with their early love of playing and writing songs together. Their stage experience started when they all performed in different high school bands. Eventually, they realized they were strongest together and joined forces as The Band Perry. Soon longtime Garth Brooks manager Bob Doyle took them under his wing. In June of 2010 the rest of the world noticed The Band Perry when their hit single, “If I Die Young,” took country radio by storm.
Still, they were just another talented, up-and-coming country music band. But when such a fledgling band takes home three CMA wins (New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year) it says something. Their sudden overwhelming success makes The Band Perry worth talking about. What sets them apart and gives them such broad appeal?
The first thing to notice is their genuine talent. These days, producers can turn just about anyone into a stage-prancing superstar. But Kimberly, Neil, and Reid seem to bring individual talent to their shows. All of them play instruments, indicating their musical knowledge. Some of them handle several different instruments, from guitar to banjo to mandolin to accordion.
But perhaps their greatest strength lies in their tight familial harmonies. Kimberly’s gutsy alto carries their songs between impressive ranges, but the siblings’ three-part harmony sets them apart. It gives their sound a haunting effect and shows that they know what they’re doing when it comes to music.
“The Band Perry is here,” Kimberly says on their website, “and we just have so darn much to say.”
So what are they saying? Their self-titled debut is a good showcase for the trio’s creative songwriting abilities. They cleverly weave the fiber of all-American, small town culture together with the restlessness of youth into their songs. Kimberly seems to especially enjoy belting out sassy break-up songs like “You Lie” and “Miss You Being Gone.” But her expressive voice shines in more thoughtful tracks like “If I Die Young,” “All Your Life,” and “Independence.” All these make for fun listening. But it’s a little early to tell what kind of statements The Band Perry will use their new platform to make.
They are still settling into their big name, but it’s clear they plan on sticking around. “You have changed the lives of my brothers and me,” Kimberly recently told an arena full of Wichita, KS fans. “We are so grateful.”
For a band with just a debut album to their name, The Band Perry has been blessed with a broad stage. As their career continues, the question remains, what will they do with it?
- Grace D. Williamson