01 Desert Frequencies
Somewhere between Los Angeles neon and Joshua Tree silence, Pearl Charles creates music that feels timeless without becoming nostalgic.
1. Your music pulls from so many different places, indie, alt-pop, folk, disco, even hints of blues and psychedelia. When you’re creating, do you consciously blend those influences, or does it happen instinctively?
I think I would have to say a little bit of both! I’ve always loved so many different types of music, so blending them just came naturally, but I have also consciously considered how I could push those boundaries and make something that feels unique and authentic to my voice and for me that meant merging genres and styles that I resonated with to create something new that felt distinctly my own. Although some of the combinations may be unexpected to the listener, for me they’ve always felt organic since they’re just different interpretations and amalgamations of what I love.
02 Old Souls Never Sound Dated
Pearl Charles draws deeply from older eras of music, but her songwriting always remains rooted in the present.
2. There’s a strong retro undercurrent in your sound, but it never feels nostalgic or stuck in the past. What draws you to older eras of music, and how do you keep it feeling current?
I don’t really know why I’ve always been drawn to older music, but it has always been the case as far back as I can remember. I think I may just be an old soul, but I think the way to keep the music contemporary is to speak honestly through the lyrics. My music has always been very autobiographical and since I am a person existing in the modern day and I’m not trying to cosplay as someone from the past despite strongly drawing on those influences, inevitably the themes and the lyrics reflect my current reality and I think that’s what keeps it fresh and new rather than feeling like a pastiche.
03 Space Between The Notes
On Desert Queen, everything feels slower, wider and more patient, almost as if the silence itself became part of the songwriting.
3. With Desert Queen, there’s a noticeable shift in atmosphere — less urgency, more space. How much of that change came from your move away from Los Angeles?
I definitely think my move to the desert hugely influenced the sound of this album. Los Angeles is obviously a major, urban city and though you can fight to find ways to tune out, you’re definitely pretty much always immersed in the hustle and bustle. Out in the desert there is truly nothing but open space and silence, so you can really take the time to get inside your own head without distractions and I think the writing and the production really reflect that.
04 Letting The Songs Breathe
Experience has changed the way Pearl Charles approaches songwriting, allowing intention to replace urgency.
4. Your recent work feels more patient, almost like it allows the songs to breathe rather than pushing them forward. Has your creative process slowed down intentionally over time?
I do feel like there’s just a maturity that comes with getting older and more experienced as an artist. When you’re young you’re very anxious to keep pushing and creating for the sake of creating, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it’s how you learn and grow, but as I’ve made more and more records, I’ve definitely become more intentional with each melody, lyric and arrangement. There is nothing superfluous and I think every aspect of the songs and the entire album hits harder that way.
05 Beauty With Shadows Underneath
Even in its warmest moments, Pearl Charles’ music often carries something darker beneath the surface.
5. There’s a subtle tension in your music between beauty and something darker underneath — especially in how you reflect on places like LA. Is that contrast something you actively explore when writing?
Absolutely. I’ve always loved to juxtapose seemingly happy music with darker lyrics, I just think it creates a deeper listening experience to create contrast rather than hit people over the head with more obvious choices.
06 Finding Cohesion
Though unmistakably a solo artist, Pearl Charles has found consistency through the people surrounding the music.
6. You’ve moved through different phases as an artist, from band dynamics to a more defined solo identity. At this point, what feels most “you” in your sound?
It’s funny, I actually almost feel the opposite. Although I am distinctly a solo artist, I’ve actually been playing with a lot of the same players for years now which has given my last few albums and the live show more cohesion than I had in the past.
07 Building Entire Worlds
The visual atmosphere around Pearl Charles’ music feels inseparable from the songs themselves.
7. Your music often feels cinematic, like it exists in a visual world as much as a sonic one. Do images or environments play a role when you’re writing or recording?
I always want to create an entire world you can really escape to and live in when listening to my albums, so naturally that includes the visual elements - from the outfits to the album art and the music videos. Of course this album was strongly influenced by the desert, but it also touches on my lifetime in Los Angeles, as do my past albums. Who knows where in the world the next one will take us!
08 Creativity Beyond Music
Joshua Tree didn’t just influence the album, it changed the rhythm of daily life itself.
8. Living in Joshua Tree seems to have introduced a different pace and perspective. What did that shift teach you about creativity, beyond just making music?
Living out in the middle of the desert has definitely allowed me to explore other creative avenues without the easy distractions that come from being in the city. I’ve spent more time exploring my other artistic passions, whether that’s shooting Polaroids or super 8, editing music videos, writing ideas for novels or scripts or just taking more time to find inspiration from other sources like literature, film and even nature.
09 Human Connection In A Digital Age
At a time where music increasingly feels automated and disposable, Pearl Charles still approaches songwriting as something deeply human.
9. In a time where music is increasingly fast, digital and even AI-driven, your work feels very human and intentional. How important is that sense of human connection in what you create?
Human connection is literally everything to me when it comes to making and consuming music. Part of why I love performing live so much is the energy exchange between the audience and the band every night. No two nights are ever the same and that really is such a big part of the magic. Though I’m not in the room with the listener when they’re taking in the album, I know I put my all into the music, so I’d like to think they can feel that and feel a bit more understood and less alone in the world when they’re listening because that’s how I feel when I’m creating and that is the experience I want to create for others.
10 Music That Evolves With The Listener
For Pearl Charles, music isn’t about forcing meaning onto people, but allowing listeners to find themselves inside the songs over time.
10. If someone hears your music for the first time, what do you want them to feel, not just understand, but actually feel?
That’s a big question! I don’t know if I have a strong answer for that, I just want the listener to be able to take away whatever they need from the music in that moment, and that may very well change from day to day, month to month, year to year. That’s the joy of following an artist for their entire career or for a lifetime. The artist changes, the listener changes, but ideally that relationship evolves and grows to meet the moment that they’re in at any given time.
Explore More From The Interview on Instagram