Interview: Pearl Handled Revolver (Written)

Enigmatic UK dark rockers Pearl Handled Revolver are back with their deeply alluring new album, ‘Tales You Lose’, which arrives on Friday 18th April. The Bedford based quintet have revealed their compelling new single and video, Space Invader. In this interview, we get to know them a little better.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

Lee Vernon, vocals & harmonica
Simon Rinaldo, organ, keyboards
Lucas Rinaldo, bass & guitar
Andy Paris, guitar
Chris Thatcher, drums

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

Chris: The band may have started as blues rock based, but we’ve expanded in so many different directions as time has passed and we’ve grown individually and as a band and incorporated psychedelia, prog, electronica, film-scores, stoner rock, soul and funk into the mix. Genre isn’t really something we think about as we’ve always felt that pursuing what feels right to us and the music that excites us is the only driver.

Simon: We don’t like to pigeonhole our music. As a band we take influences from so many different genres, our music is unique.

3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?

Simon: We have just finished creating our fifth studio album ‘ Tales You Lose’, the album is being supported by at least two singles and videos plus shows taking us to the end of the year.

4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?

Simon: We are really excited about the new album. So far it has been really well received by music press and we are gaining some traction with radio stations around the world. We feel this is our best work yet. The new material has been really well received at our live shows.

Chris: I think the new album really captures where we are as a band right now. We’ve been through a lot – good and bad – and this band has been a constant throughout and, beyond the music, I’m incredibly grateful to be playing with these guys and to have a space that transcends the day-to-day. Having a creative outlet is so important and one that is shared with four other individuals, who can create something that is greater than the sum of its parts, is magical. When we get together in the studio and on stage something else takes over and we leave everything but the moment behind.

Lucas: We have already begun working on a new album, writing songs, jamming ideas in the studio. Perhaps all the discussion of the upcoming album has given us ideas for the next one.

5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.

Simon: It has been six years since we released our last studio album. In that time we had been performing and developing the sound. Some of the songs on this album were written over three years’ ago and others came together in recent months. It was an immense project but probably the easiest and most natural for us to write and record, out of all our albums.

Lucas: Many hours have gone into writing and recording this album, however as Simon mentioned it was spread over a three-year period. The advantage of not rushing it and working on it like this meant that we approached each song with a fresh perspective, we could focus on writing one song at once, having already completed the previous song when we begin working on a new one. There were only a couple of moments across the album’s creation where I remember we were writing two songs at once. We were able to shape the album into what we really wanted it to be.

6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?

Simon: I think it is safe to say that for all of us, it is an essential part of our lives. Our escape, creativity and our focus.

7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?

Simon: For us, making music is not the challenge but to maintain the band is a little more complicated… but we have managed to do this for over sixteen years. We have to be understanding of each-other, and manage our time to allow us to create music together.

8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?

Simon: We have always been active with our online promotion, when we started there was ‘My Space’, if you remember that? The web is an essential part of our marketing and getting our music heard. Our music is available on all streaming platforms and our YouTube page is an important resource for music videos. Fortunately, most of our fan-base like to buy our records for our next project.

9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?

Chris: I genuinely believe that fulfilment only comes from within and that the only way to enjoy creativity is to do it for yourself, to express something that is authentic to Self. Everything else takes a back seat. We’re so grateful to the people who like what we do, follow us and buy our music, but genuinely – I would do this even if no-one else heard it because being creative is a compulsion that can’t be diluted by expectations or business. The biggest mistake you can make is to conflate creativity with commerce.

10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?

Simon: Please keep coming to see us perform live, this is most important. While you are there, buy a record or CD, T-shirt or hoodie…. Or go to our web shop and order there.

11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?

Simon: I like riding bikes. Road cycling and off-road cycling.
Chris: I paint and draw.
Lucas: I enjoy running.
Andy: I play football and I like cycling too.
Lee: I am a sculptor and a blacksmith.

12. Where can people find you?

Simon: For gigs, web-shop, news etc.: The website: http://www.pearlhandledrevolver.co.uk

Go to YouTube and watch our videos, stream our music on all streaming platforms…. Make friends on Facebook, most importantly come and see us live.