Member Since: 14/03/2007
Band Website: www.americanpearlnet.com
Sounds Like: So, here's the story:
In a time when rap & roll and pre-fab foursomes dominated the retail arena, and the electronica-influenced "nü-metal" brigade scored increased recognition at radio, the standard guitar/bass/drums lineup had become almost anachronistic. Fortunately, there was a new act that fervently embraced a more raw and true rock & roll dynamic: gritty dual-guitar onslaught backed by a potently percussive rhythm section, with soaring, impassioned and inspired vocals overarching all.
Hailing from the storied streets of Hollywood, American Pearl was put to the masses to deliver their message. That message can basically be summed up in four words: Let There Be Rock. Unlike many new groups at the time, American Pearl possessed a healthy respect for their rock & roll forefathers and readily admit to being influenced by the records they grew up listening to. Melody and harmony are key elements of any Pearl tune, but the guys were also fanatical about loud guitars and smashing drums--their album was, after all, co-produced by Sex Pistol Steve Jones. American Pearl does rock out with the best of them--numbers such as "Automatic" (featured in Scream 3), "Free Your Mind" (debuted #1 most added at rock radio) and "Amphetamine Girl" are guaranteed to get pulses pounding and fists pumping.
However, there's also another side to the band, one that might surprise those who take in the four members' multiple-tattooed torsos and attempt to pigeonhole the group as another in a long line of Hollywood sleaze rockers. Before jumping to conclusions, though, check out moments on American Pearl like "Underground," "Bleed" and radio single "If We Were Kings"--you just might find yourself pleasantly surprised by the depth of the lyrical sentiments. "If We Were Kings is a fighting song," remarks vocalist/guitarist/primary songwriter Kevin Roentgen. "It's about fighting for what you believe in.. it's about taking on long odds and not letting anything stop you from taking your shot - it's about winning the big game."
Helping out with the radio remix of the single was noted boardsman Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park), who helped the song reach its full potential with his studio wizardry.
The dynamic duo that produced the American Pearl album; Steve Jones and Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold/Godsmack) made a killer team. Jones took charge of the musical end of things, acting as a sounding board for ideas while contributing several worthwhile ones of his own (not to mention providing some comic relief in the studio - and playing a wicked lead at the end of California). Mudrock, meanwhile, brought his years of experience in the nuts-and-bolts end of engineering albums…that, and a tremendous enthusiasm for American Pearl's music.
Many of the songs on American Pearl reflect life as seen through the band members' eyes, inspired by real people and actual experiences. For example, album opener "California" acts as a heads-up for anyone heading to a big city with even bigger dreams, expecting it to be just like the plastic fantastic images seen on the silver screen. "California" though, warns the unsuspecting to expect the unexpected while simultaneously being prepared for anything--yet at the same time says it's possible to rise above the horror and "seize the day."
The hard-earned lessons of life in Hollywood run rampant throughout American Pearl, which isn't too surprising when one considers that Roentgen, bassist Rodney Rocha and drummer Noah Shain are all L.A. natives (guitarist Kevin Quinn escaped from Detroit a little over a decade ago). At the same time, it presented the band with a rather ironic situation; unlike themselves, most of the players on the local music scene are émigrés from elsewhere, some of whom make good for themselves, but most not so good. L.A., and Hollywood in particular, can be a tough town to survive in--people quite literally (and metaphorically) slip through the cracks, becoming shadows of themselves in a mere matter of months.
Though not a Southern California native, Kevin Quinn was one of the rare ones who quickly adapted to the scene and thrived: he opened a tattoo studio in Hollywood (the sublimely monikered Quinntessential Motherfucker) and quickly became famous for his inking skills, decorating the bodies of local patrons ranging from Axl Rose to Billy Joe Armstrong to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Spice Girls to Julia Roberts…plus, of course, his fellow AP members. However, upon the band's signing to Wind Up in '99, Quinn chose to close the doors of the popular shop that overlooked the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gardner, and turn his immediate focus to the group.
Pondering their roots, Kevin states - "We're an L.A. band.. to us, that meant we were part of a long line of both memorable and forgettable bands.. in other words, not just the ones that went on to succeed on the world stage." Chimes in Shain, "Sure, we're from L.A., but we've expanded our fan base well beyond Southern California, through hundreds of shows played around the country."
Indeed, American Pearl are road veterans, having played Woodstock '99, opened shows for legends KISS and The Cult, shared bills with Marvelous 3, Fu Manchu, P.O.D., Lit, Everclear, Buckcherry, Ted Nugent, Days Of The New and David Lee Roth - as well as a Japan headlining club tour. Most memorable, however, was the cross-country arena jaunt that the guys enjoyed with 3 Doors Down and label mates Creed in 2001. Opening arena shows for two platinum-plus acts could understandably make a baby band nervous, but on that tour American Pearl's true colors shone through: after their set each night, all four members could be found prowling the crowds at venues like Detroit's Pine Knob Amphitheater and New York's Madison Square Garden, just looking to hang out with their fans, pose for pictures, chat.. whatever.
"Our fans rule.. we wanted people to know that they could always just come up to us and say hello", enthuses Rocha - "The great thing is that we were able to stay in touch with all the friends we'd made through our site." American Pearl had indeed embraced the internet (pre-MySpace), and been welcomed in return: the band's official site was the hub of online Pearl activity, as well as fan sites dedicated to the group based all over the world, from Japan to Canada to the U.S.
What, then, is the essence of American Pearl?
It's quite simple, actually.
Real rock. Real people, living through a somewhat surreal scene at the dawn of the third millennium's brave new world order. Real people who, amidst the chaos and the confusion, were seeking their salvation through the medium that moved them like no other: the ecstatically enlightened frenzy that we all know as rock & roll. Roentgen concludes, "If people can listen to our cd and pick just one song that makes them feel something.. anything.. then I think we've done our job."
American Pearl (1997-2002)
Record Label: Wind Up
Type of Label: Indie