They weren’t even regular country music. They were on a different level. They took country, folk and bluegrass and mixed it all together to perfection. They were born to make that kind of music.
The Band Perry, at their country peak, could really stand out from the rest of mainstream radio. "Better Dig Two" was one of the better singles that year and one of my favorites from them.
I very much dislike pop country but was obsessed with Better Dig Two. It’s still one of my favorite songs to rediscover every few years. Even though I don’t like or listen to modern/pop country aside from the occasional angry Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood song, I think they could have done a lot for the genre by singing about real feelings with an edge. Country is known for men singing about beer, trucks, and ‘Mericuh, and women getting revenge, and the angsty intensity is what pulls people who dislike the genre in (meaning it’s the woman-fronted acts that are able to cross genres more easily IMO, based on those stereotypes). That’s what calls to people who think or feel more deeply and think all country music is the same these days. I personally love unhinged songs like Better Dig Two and Miranda’s Mama’s Broken Heart. On my wedding day I walked down the aisle to Little Green Cars’ The Consequences of Not Sleeping and our first dance was to Hozier’s Like Real People Do. We like creepy love in my house, and songs like that captured my feelings better than something sappy. The music itself leaning more traditional instruments that get lost in most pop music (the mandolin is front and center!) helps a lot, too. Feels like O Brother, Where Art Thou? had a teen in an emo phase and it just really worked for them. I’m all for bands exploring and growing, people changing, but it’s a loss for sure when bands like TBP move on.
Better dig two is one of the best opening songs in a concert I’ve seen. In 2021 they played the Marion county fair. Kimberly came out wearing an undertaker hat and sunglasses and sang better dig two, it still gives me goosebumps to this day. One of the best concerts I’ve been too tbh
I thought they were an emo band back in the day and I got made fun of for trying to play “if I die young” at a party that’s when I found out they weren’t an emo band with country accents.
I had no idea they ever did any of this! I thought they vanished after "If I Die Young." I can't believe they went through all of these transitions. It is SO hard to make it in the music industry; I can't believe they got this many chances to completely throwaway their current image for a new one after several flops. Thanks for covering this - it was super interesting!
Her voice fits that slow country aesthetic which is hard to pull off. I think that’s why If I Die Young took off. It’s stripped down with a voice pure enough to keep you interested. All the other forays didn’t put her voice forward and the rest of it all wasn’t to the same level
Their initial run from Hip to My Heart to Postcard from Paris is one of the best stretches of country music I’ve heard. Each song was so good and unique. I loved the gothic, gypsy vibe they had going. If Kimberly Perry starts making similar music again I’d happily come back and listen but wow just what a crazy fall. I keep wondering why they even started out as country when they clearly had no desire to stay there
For me it was "If I Die Young" to "Don't Let Me Be Lonely". 🙂 "Chainsaw" was the first single I felt was a bit contrived (it sounded okay, but it just felt a bit forced lyrically)
She just put out a new song titled, "If I Die Young Pt. 2". I really like it. I wonder if her brothers wanted to stray from the country sound and it wasn't her idea?
I don't know why the band started out as country (usually it's the final genre), but it may have been because of living in Eastern Tennessee: they probably grew up in it and their fans were country. Country isn't usually my first choice, but there are a lot of artists I love who have covered lots of different music. Including country. The whole music industry is done, in my opinion. Memphis shouldn't be a place you go to "make it". We know too much about what these artists go through, the costs, the drugs, the exhaustion, the touring, the club they have to join... Exactly who has the talent? The record company executives or the entertainers? Being a "star" means abuse in my opinion. Abuse close to slavery. And don't bother with concerts at $4,000 a ticket. Shania.... The videos are made for the club members, the imagery is vile and I just want to listen to the beautiful, harmonic voices minus the production. And the artist pays for that production, pays for the management, pays for their flights, pays for their food....see what I mean? In the end most bands don't even own their music. I would love to hear from these band members in any arrangement they desire. Please don't use the word brand though, or I won't listen to a word, or a sound.
I miss The Band Perry. They were good for country music. I think they were the hardest working band in country music. I say that because I saw them many times in concert because it was like they opened for everyone at the time. That's why I was so puzzled how they could just leave us like nothing ever happened. 😥
I LOVE her voice. I’m not a huge country music listener but I’ll listen to her. It’s so weird how perfectly they fit the country mold but obviously had no desire to stay there. It’s a shame, but also I can respect it.
Taylor is a not only a musical genius, but a business genius. I think what TBP did wrong was completely wipe their identity and abandon and forgot where they came from. In that one song Comeback Kid or whatever it’s called she sings about people forgetting where they, the band, came from…they are the ones who erased their own past with all these “rebrands”. What Taylor has done is rebranded herself multiple times but pays homage to her earlier albums, her fans, her childhood and family, and has gradually grown. Not just taken breaks from everything, wiped away her entire image then tried to come back with a drastically different look. That’s what makes her so smart.
Right but Taylor has full control over her music I’m sure they didn’t and maybe wanted a different style and sound. The label was probably controlling their creativity. That’s why Taylor isn’t on that label anymore.
Taylor is a product rather than an artist. She's the musical equivalent of junk food, and we all know how popular and well marketed junk food is. I thought she was rather mediocre when she burst on the country music scene in 2006, but I can look past that because she was just 16. At least she seemed like an earnest singer/songwriter. Once she turned to pop, her marketing team went to work and the transformation into a soulless mainstream pop star was complete. Why care how shitty your music is as long as the money's rolling in? She could sing gibberish, and her fans would still eat it up as long as the beat was catchy. And don't forget her commercials, which further cements her place as a product and a piece of marketing.
@@bfsgmanUnironically, I think Taylor Swift sounded better as a country artist. She was much more... authentic. And I remember when she was country, I didn't like her then, but in hindsight, that's how I prefer her.
While I do think they could be lumped in to the Mumford-like bands, I've always felt like The Band Perry had a unique Southern-gothic vibe in their early albums that no one else has replicated. They were unique, which is why I will never understand why they threw that away to try to be a generic pop act. I mean, I guess it's what they wanted, but man, they threw away a special niche.
@@Lindsey-ml3xv Yeah, but a lot of artists are self produced now. Hanson dropped their label and went Indie back in the '90's. It sounds like they just kept hopping onto the next thing. And I would say pop isn't cool or edgy at all. I guess contriving to contrive was just too meta.
Also, I didn't know they did "Stay in the Dark." I used to hear it all the time when I worked at a grocery store. Grocery store soundtracks are where minor adult contemporary hits finally receive heavy rotation.
I toured with The Band Perry back in 2010 when they opened for Alan Jackson. I had never heard of them, and their style of music wasn't normally my thing, but I liked them, aesthetically, musically, and personally. Once that tour ended, I went on to another artist (as roadies do). I never kept up with what they were doing, but I started hearing that first album in stores and was happy for them because they deserved recognition and success. The last memory I have of them was when I was doing some work in a recording studio in Nashville, and as I was leaving, I walked upon the three of them standing side-by-side at the front door, watching a huge downpour. You can recognize all that hair, even from behind. They were even standing in the same order that they stood in on stage. From looking at their release history, they must've been recording "All Your Life" at the time. I said "Hello, Perrys", and the four of us silently stood there waiting for the rain to slow. I had to get to work at a different building, so I was the first to relent and run into the rain to my car. I could see their faces behind the glass, through the rain, as I drove off. Since I wasn't aware of their other chapters before seeing this video that came up in my recommendations, I'll always remember them from their Debut (and I think their best) era.
“If I Die Young” was super popular at the time we were coming home from a funeral of a friend who unalived themselves, and it came on the radio. It really hit me.
@@SilentKnight43 Its usually used by people that are willing to talk about tragedy but they don't want to lose their monetization for doing so. True Crime and such.
Was going through my Spotify tonight for a 11hour country playlist I’ve got for when I’m out running. Saw The Band Perry, and thought “what happened to these guys”. Then tonight you released this video, timing couldn’t be better. I miss them, they deserve to be happy in whatever they do now. They tried to ride the Taylor Swift coat tails, and could have landed on the moon, but kinda never made it there. I think Kimberly will try to get back on the Country band waggon, it could be difficult for her as the genre has changed so much in the past decade or so. Even the past 2-3 years has seen change. I wish her the best, if she makes it to where she wishes to go. As fans, we have to give her a chance, but that chance will be guarded as to not loose trust.
Yeah, I think if they had been a bit more patient, they could have eventually made it into the pop scene. Their country stuff had plenty of pop appeal. My mom didn’t think “If I Die Young “ really was country because she didn’t hate it! What’s really wild though is that their grandfather was the minister that performed my parents’ wedding in 1978.
Both their debut and ‘Pioneer’ were sonically different from one another, but both were solid albums as far as a debut and follow-up go. I was obsessed with both when they were released and got my mom to start listening to them. I really wish all of the members the best, and I’m looking forward to Kimberly’s new EP. They were solid writers and had a great team behind them too in the country days.
One of those bands that sometimes you sit and wonder about when you hear an old song out of nowhere. Now we know where they went! Excited to hear new music from Kimberly!
I was OBSESSED with their first album and it's still to this day one of my favorites of all time (LOVED All Your Life & Independence). I thought they had such a unique and fresh sound at the time (and even if it were present day) and was so disappointed when they strayed from that. Such an interesting video of everything! Thanks for putting it all together!
I'm so glad you did this video because I've been wanting it for a while. Some thoughts: I think it was a Rolling Stone article that mentioned creative differences between the band and their label. They wanted to be themselves and make new music, but their label said no, so they left. Nobody ever mentions how they went after what they wanted (besides you). They didn't care what people thought and freaking did it anyway. Did it work out? No, but they made the music they wanted. So many country artists tend to not make the music they want to because they wanna make money. Luke Bryan, Chris Young, all people who said yes to a sound they didn't fully want in order to be successful, and TBP said no. That takes HUGE guts, and I'm really proud of them for that. I'm also really excited to see what Kimberly does. If I Die Young pt 2 seems really country/folk, but we could also be getting some Kacey Musgraves-esque pop stuff too, or stuff that's more rock; there are a million options for her to take. I feel like since she's not attached to anything, she can do whatever, and there's no way for it to be out of character or different. For the first time, it's a legit reset, and I'm all here for it.
I love their country era, all of it is just perfect; sound, songs, voice of Kimberly, lyrics, videos, etc. Hopefully the solo comeback is more of that.
Would love to see more of these "evolution of the band" videos! Specifically, the Avett Brothers, who I absolutely loved in their early years, but something changed for me around Magpie and the Dandelion and I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I just fell out of love with them around then. I'd like to hear your take on it!
I'm a metalhead who listens to country music radio from time to time, and I always said "You Lie" was one of the best Aerosmith songs that Aerosmith didn't write.
I remember hearing them all the time on the radio back then, Pioneer was truly inescapable. My guess is they thought they built up a loyal fanbase that would follow them no matter where they went. I do hope Kimberly has success in her solo career, I really did enjoy thier songs when ever they came on.
I remember meeting them at a fan club party during the Pioneer album with my mom, and we had the loveliest chat about our moms and the song they wrote for theirs on the album. I definitely miss their original sound! I also seem to have blocked out eras 3 to 5, so this was fascinating to watch
I’ve always thought that Kimberly wanted to stay in country, but her brothers wanted to take the band in a different direction… and she had to come along given she’s the voice of the band, but they were the majority. Now she’s independent, she’s come back to the country sound that she never wanted to leave. I’m obviously speculating, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.
I'm excited to see what Kimberly's solo career brings, and I'm glad she's going back to her roots here. I hope its authentic to her. I think all the rebrands of The Band Perry just felt inauthentic. I totally agree that Taylor Swift's transition from country to pop was very gradual, and thats why she was successful at it. It felt authentic because it felt like we were growing up with her. With The Band Perry, it felt like they were just chasing trends.
I remember when I was just becoming a country fan, and I came across "When I die young" and was like cool song and band. Then one of their weird not pop, but not country, albums dropped, and I was like "What happened"... now I know. Also, love your videos! It's always a great day when I see a new video from you!
6:25 “loose illusions to choreography ” - that is one heck of a line between the alliteration and the backward play on the literal meaning of choreography - it’s masterful writing you should be proud of. Someday someone will make a top 20 Grady smith one liners and this will be on it
The Perry’s are family friends with mine, and I credit them with bringing me into country when my music tastes were just forming. While my music taste has certainly moved towards more traditional country and red dirt, I still miss TBP’s music. It’s still disappointing that they cut their career as a band short by trying to jump ship to pop music.
Thank you so much for covering this topic! I enjoyed their music SO much back then and they are one of the reasons why I fell in love with country music in the first place. The way they more or less self-sabotaged their career still makes me sad to this day - just as much as the downfall of Hunter Hayes does. I also do love the song „Pioneer“ A LOT. Caitlyn Smith recently released a song called „Mississippi“ with Garth Brooks as backing vocalist, which reminds me a lot of „Pioneer“. I‘m very excited to see where Kimberley‘s fresh start is going to land and I hope she goes back to her country roots. Her voice suits country music just so well!
I think Reid and Neil were the ones that were leading them astray. I always thought this, but now that Kimberly has come back on her own to continue the gothic country sound, I think it makes it obvious that her brothers wanted different things than her.
Fun fact the song “If I Die Young” WAS inspired to the poem “Lady of Shallott” which is why it reminds you of the painting done of the same poem. 8-9 years ago I used to use this song to teach how to write “inspired” poetry/art
In my opinion their first album has the best song lyrics I have heard in the whole country genre. Their words are so beautiful and her voice is so unique. It’s sad to see the mass production operation that is the music industry just chew them up and spit them out. The aesthetic change ups came off so phony and no doubt they would have been so much more successful had they stayed true to their original sound. I’m afraid her credibility is shot at this point. I hope that’s not the case though because I saw them live at a fair last year and she’s definitely still got it. Hopefully going back to her roots pays off !
Excellent overview of the rise and fall of the Band Perry. I loved them as country but as they turned to rock and rebranding themselves my interest waned. I think Kimberly will be successful with her new album and albums to follow as long as she stays true to her country roots and doesn't try continuously rebranding as something she's not.
As someone who has met them before and they’re parents they are the kindest people ever! I got to speak to them for about an hour between all three of them and their music is the soundtrack of my middle school years. I’ll forever love them! ❤
To me, the problem with The Band Perry going pop and then electro-pop is that they didn't really ease into it. I've seen a few country musicians try easing themselves into more pop-leaning stuff. Taylor Swift is one of the biggest examples. But when she did albums like RED and 1989, she slowly eased into more pop-leaning material. She eventually leaned too far into it with Reputation and LOVER, but she later course-corrected at the right time with Folklore and Evermore. Those were albums that showed she could go back to basics and retain what helped her work in the first place, but keep the brighter parts of her that worked before. The Band Perry, on the other hand, after making two folk/country-leaning albums (although that Better Dig Two song straight-up sounds like Undo It by Carrie Underwood), them outright abandoning their original sound and going into straight-up pop was an out-of-nowhere left turn. I could see how their fanbase was left stunned by that change. It was about as bizarre as Jewel going from a folky singer/songwriter type into a Britney Spears knockoff with Intuition and the 0304 album. And then all these different eras of trying all these new pop sounds out felt more and more desperate attempts to stay relevant than something creative or passionate from them.
T swift is a washed up has been singer. She is trying to revive her career by going woke. It is a well known fact that when a singer uses politics to stay relevant in music, they are no longer viable as musicians.
When artists go a different direction in music, most fans are typically interested in seeing the boundaries of their sound be furthered, you touched on a wonderful point of how quickly they tried this maneuver and how other successful people, like Taylor, have done this process slowly. When you “rebrand” and delete everything you were previously, it leaves your fans feeling some whiplash. Most people don’t view their favorite artists rebranding the same way you’d view a company rebranding and it made everything feel rehearsed and transactional to me. On top of that, I feel like a lot of their lyrics within these separate rebrands were exceptionally complicated and hard to follow. Pop music you hear charting typically is a bit more simple. It won’t stick in your head if it’s overly complicated. I really enjoyed the sound of Coordinates (her voice with the electronic sound actually goes well together in my opinion) but it didn’t feel revolutionary nor catchy enough to make it into any of my core playlists.
A few years ago, I went to my local karaoke bar in Los Angeles, Ca. I walked in and a female voice sounded very familiar as the singer was singing, "If I die young." After this girl sang, I approacher her and said to her, "You sound an awful lot like Kimberly Perry!" Her brother Neil was sitting at he table ( along with their other friends ) and said, "IT'S HER!" I couldn't believe it! I was not planing on playing my saxophone that night, as I usually do, but after seeing Kimberly, I BOOKED IT HOME, got my saxophone and came back! I serenaded Kimberly that night, and also brought my photo opp. with me as I had met her at the Country Music awards about three years prior and asked her to sign it. The video of me playing for Kimberly is on my channel.
As someone who is a huge fan of If I Die Young, Anne of Green Gables aesthetics, and Better Dig Two, as well as Taylor Swift, this was a very interesting analysis.
Live Forever is my favorite song by TBP. Talented group, hope to hear more of them, I am most familiar with their country side. The amount of hair between them is crazy, wonderful, fascinating and even a little odd. Wish them them best in all they choose to do. Thanks Grady, great episode.
I remember hearing ‘If l die young’ on the radio and being mesmerized by how different and sweet and country it sounded and thought I hope this band makes it but I’ll probably never hear anything from them again. I was delighted to buy their 1st two albums but put off by their third. I knew the brothers had other musical interests and it seemed that Kimberly pulled them into country success and wondered how long they could stay together. Could you do a what happened to a trick pony video too?
Every time i hear if i die young i tear up i played this at my friend's funeral she died on her 30th birthday it will always hold a special place in my heart
I’m not a country fan and I just clicked on this video out of curiosity. Holy cow this band has had the most bizarre history! I knew who they were and that they sang “If I Die Young” but that was it. With each new era things got weirder and weirder. Like, EDM rebrand?! You couldn’t even write this stuff though I could see Danny McBride doing a movie spoof of this band’s history lol. This video was so fascinating and I loved it.
I feel like they showed up authentically at first and it worked well, so they had the courage to pivot. When the pivot was not as well received as they expected, they panicked and tried to do what they thought would succeed rather than being authentic. This is where that "dashing from here to there" thing comes from: a symptom of desperately trying to find the success they initially kind of stumbled on. I do feel they wanted to go pop genuinely, but when it wasn't received well, that's when it went off course. The truth is that sometimes making your genuine music will not be a hit with the public. That doesn't make it not good or not genuine.
I loved them when they were Country, When they switched genres, they lost me. I adored Kimberly, especially, and her brothers. Now I only wish the best for them in their separate pursuits. Maybe they'll find their way back to the origins.
I remember when “Live Forever” was playing on country radio all the time and wondering what the heck happened. The mid-2010’s was just such a weird era for country music in general (not in the least part due to Sam Hunt’s reign of terror).
I discovered TBP while surfing UA-cam videos a few years ago, and finding the Letterman show with them doing Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls". I really liked it and watched it again several times. Recently I was adding to my Amazon digital music library, trying to add music I did not already own on other formats (vinyl, CD's, DVD's). After adding Highway 101. The Blasters, Average White Band, etc., I was out of gas. Then I remembered TBP and added "Pioneer". Great stuff. My wife heard it and asked "Who is that?" She said it sounded like "After Jack" a female trio we saw a while back on the small college circuit. They also did a kick ass version of "Fat Bottom Girls" (not the TBP song my wife heard). So ... thank you David Letterman for an alltime fave group discovery.
I have not thought about this band in years! When they were touring their first country album I went to a small radio studio concert of theirs. They talked about how their parents were rock music lovers so that’s what they grew up knowing best and one of the songs they played was a rock song cover (can’t remember which one) to nod to their rock roots. They also talked about trying the rock music scene first and didn’t find much success… so they switched to country and were happy to be doing well with it. It’s fascinating to hear that they kept genre hopping, sad that it didn’t work out well.
The Band Perry of the Country Version has always been my favorite. I still like Chainsaw, Better Dig Two, and bunch of their other tunes, I have like 12 favorited on my Spotify. I am not sure how to take Kimberly as a solo artist especially releasing If I Die Young Part 2 that seems lost without her brothers (I will listen though). It just surprised me with the restarts too of their career, they did so well in the beginning then fell away to nothing, I didn't even know they were pop until a few months back but I didn't listen to the songs. I will admit once they weren't heard on Country Radio anymore I quit listening.
Unpopular Option, I loved all of the singles they dropped before the end... even Live Forever. I really loved the Band Perry though, and happy to see her making more music!
You are over thinking the lyrics. "If I Die Young" is capturing of the melancholy aspects of life that we all feel from time to time. Yet, the power of the song can be found in the family dynamic between the three siblings. They support each other in an authentic way. I think Kimberly Perry needs to join back with her brothers because that is where her music can be best voiced. They just are dynamic as a musical family. They need to be in that country pop lane.
Wow, great breakdown and hilarious narrative one-liners on your part! I was OBSESSED with this band’s first album when I was 14. They kinda lost me with Pioneer and I totally missed all their rebrands. Still love their original sound though. Also you’re right, that was a shocking amount of hair
I loved The Band Perry' first two albums and really wanted to love and support what they put out next. But like so many found it kind of confusing, as I don't think they even knew what kind of music they wnated to put out. Love that Kimberly is trying some solo stuff now... she still has an incredible voice.
"Pioneer" made such an impact on me, to the point where that's my username of choice on the interwebs lol. Thank you for the video, it was so fun to relive their older music. I used to love them so much, but I listened to "Live Forever" briefly, and kinda tuned them out after that. They'll always be special to me, but the sound I loved was obviously long gone. Thanks again for the update! It will be interesting to see what Kimberly's new music is like.
I saw them at a rodeo in San Antonio in 2016 or 2017 and Kimberly Perry was wearing black leather pants, had died her hair black, and they were singing pop rock music… SO weird. It was the WRONG crowd. I remember looking around at everyone in the crowd wearing boots, flannel, and cowboy hats being like “they MISSED the mark here.”
I've been following since the beginning, Grady, but I never really comment. Thank you for this! I've watched you actually become a forerunner in this avenue, congrats dude
I saw them at the KY state fair back in 2010 when they were still in country era and at their country peak and I LOVED the show. Of course, they hadn’t got to their techno/pop era yet 😂 they were def on country radio a lot back then, great video!
I went thru a very tough break up when “If I die Young” First came out……I’ll never forget that time or that song because it was a bitter sweet song. I can’t believe what happened to the band that had a song that defined a moment in my life
I loved The Band Perry and saw them three times in concert. I remember listening to the edm era and just being extremely upset. Their music meant so much to me and it always was so upsetting that they stopped writing. I am hoping Kimberly has amazing success, because golly her country music is so freaking good. Amazing Amazing video
I grew up with the Beatles as a massive influence in my life. A couple of years ago Paul McCartney had a big documentary cross promotion with his book(s) about 64 years of writing music. I got to see some of Ringo Starr's pieces as a print maker in the visual art scene. These dudes are old AF and they have had a long documented history of their creative endeavors. Of course they are gracious enough to honor their early work, but even if you looked at just the Beatles years, there is massive evolution. I'd argue that the post Beatles stuff is more interesting, as the collaborate with each other and others occasionally, but go off in their own directions. It will be sad when they are no longer creating...except for remastered tracks 👀, but it will come. Artists change their style and even their medium.
Honestly I feel bout their foray into pop, the same way I felt about Kacey Musgraves latest album. It isn't that they went pop, I would have been cool with that, it was that the music just wasn't that great. Pop has always had so much competition, why only produce mediocre music?
my older brother's friend died when we were all in high school in a drunk driving accident. she was only 16 years old and it really affected everyone at our school. before she went out that night she was messaging with a friend and talking about how she was listening to the new song, if i die young. anytime i hear it, shes the first person that comes to mind.
If you ever wonder what I'm thinking about throughout the day, it's usually the yellow era.
& what I imagine haunts you through the night as well.
@@brockfehr some of their photos from over the years are very unsettling
They were always weird
That's where they lost me and I was a diehard fan!! 😂😂 And their damned SM wipeouts. Ugh!
Can we talk about Collin Stough
The band Perry always struck me as an emo band who accidentally stumbled into saloon and decided to make the most of their situation 😬
😂😂
This is accurate 😂
That is an absolutely wonderfully accurate description! Same feels.
I love Kim Perry's voice in songs like Pioneer and When I die young. That's her wheelhouse.
Accurate hahaha
They weren’t even regular country music. They were on a different level. They took country, folk and bluegrass and mixed it all together to perfection. They were born to make that kind of music.
Grady is the internet's foremost scholar on The Band Perry
I really might be.
This saga went on for several chapters longer than I was expecting 😂
I'm here for it!
Haha
@@GradySmith can you do a video on the Civil Wars?
I was obsessed with this band. I loved their whole _yallternative_ vibe.
Oh my god Yallternitive. That’s meeeee. As a Texan emo kid. Preciate the new vocabulary.
i'm more into _y'allvant-garde_ myself
Y’allternative YES this is exactly the subgenre of country that I’m obsessed with. If that term isn’t already in wider use it needs to be.
The Band Perry, at their country peak, could really stand out from the rest of mainstream radio. "Better Dig Two" was one of the better singles that year and one of my favorites from them.
I very much dislike pop country but was obsessed with Better Dig Two. It’s still one of my favorite songs to rediscover every few years. Even though I don’t like or listen to modern/pop country aside from the occasional angry Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood song, I think they could have done a lot for the genre by singing about real feelings with an edge. Country is known for men singing about beer, trucks, and ‘Mericuh, and women getting revenge, and the angsty intensity is what pulls people who dislike the genre in (meaning it’s the woman-fronted acts that are able to cross genres more easily IMO, based on those stereotypes). That’s what calls to people who think or feel more deeply and think all country music is the same these days. I personally love unhinged songs like Better Dig Two and Miranda’s Mama’s Broken Heart. On my wedding day I walked down the aisle to Little Green Cars’ The Consequences of Not Sleeping and our first dance was to Hozier’s Like Real People Do. We like creepy love in my house, and songs like that captured my feelings better than something sappy.
The music itself leaning more traditional instruments that get lost in most pop music (the mandolin is front and center!) helps a lot, too. Feels like O Brother, Where Art Thou? had a teen in an emo phase and it just really worked for them. I’m all for bands exploring and growing, people changing, but it’s a loss for sure when bands like TBP move on.
Better dig two is one of the best opening songs in a concert I’ve seen. In 2021 they played the Marion county fair. Kimberly came out wearing an undertaker hat and sunglasses and sang better dig two, it still gives me goosebumps to this day. One of the best concerts I’ve been too tbh
I thought they were an emo band back in the day and I got made fun of for trying to play “if I die young” at a party that’s when I found out they weren’t an emo band with country accents.
E
YES GREAT SONG
I had no idea they ever did any of this! I thought they vanished after "If I Die Young." I can't believe they went through all of these transitions. It is SO hard to make it in the music industry; I can't believe they got this many chances to completely throwaway their current image for a new one after several flops. Thanks for covering this - it was super interesting!
What flops
Her voice fits that slow country aesthetic which is hard to pull off. I think that’s why If I Die Young took off. It’s stripped down with a voice pure enough to keep you interested.
All the other forays didn’t put her voice forward and the rest of it all wasn’t to the same level
Their initial run from Hip to My Heart to Postcard from Paris is one of the best stretches of country music I’ve heard. Each song was so good and unique. I loved the gothic, gypsy vibe they had going. If Kimberly Perry starts making similar music again I’d happily come back and listen but wow just what a crazy fall. I keep wondering why they even started out as country when they clearly had no desire to stay there
For me it was "If I Die Young" to "Don't Let Me Be Lonely". 🙂
"Chainsaw" was the first single I felt was a bit contrived (it sounded okay, but it just felt a bit forced lyrically)
She just put out a new song titled, "If I Die Young Pt. 2". I really like it. I wonder if her brothers wanted to stray from the country sound and it wasn't her idea?
I don't know why the band started out as country (usually it's the final genre), but it may have been because of living in Eastern Tennessee: they probably grew up in it and their fans were country. Country isn't usually my first choice, but there are a lot of artists I love who have covered lots of different music. Including country. The whole music industry is done, in my opinion. Memphis shouldn't be a place you go to "make it". We know too much about what these artists go through, the costs, the drugs, the exhaustion, the touring, the club they have to join... Exactly who has the talent? The record company executives or the entertainers? Being a "star" means abuse in my opinion. Abuse close to slavery. And don't bother with concerts at $4,000 a ticket. Shania.... The videos are made for the club members, the imagery is vile and I just want to listen to the beautiful, harmonic voices minus the production. And the artist pays for that production, pays for the management, pays for their flights, pays for their food....see what I mean? In the end most bands don't even own their music. I would love to hear from these band members in any arrangement they desire. Please don't use the word brand though, or I won't listen to a word, or a sound.
I miss The Band Perry. They were good for country music. I think they were the hardest working band in country music. I say that because I saw them many times in concert because it was like they opened for everyone at the time. That's why I was so puzzled how they could just leave us like nothing ever happened. 😥
I agree
I LOVE her voice. I’m not a huge country music listener but I’ll listen to her. It’s so weird how perfectly they fit the country mold but obviously had no desire to stay there. It’s a shame, but also I can respect it.
Taylor is a not only a musical genius, but a business genius. I think what TBP did wrong was completely wipe their identity and abandon and forgot where they came from. In that one song Comeback Kid or whatever it’s called she sings about people forgetting where they, the band, came from…they are the ones who erased their own past with all these “rebrands”. What Taylor has done is rebranded herself multiple times but pays homage to her earlier albums, her fans, her childhood and family, and has gradually grown. Not just taken breaks from everything, wiped away her entire image then tried to come back with a drastically different look. That’s what makes her so smart.
Right but Taylor has full control over her music I’m sure they didn’t and maybe wanted a different style and sound. The label was probably controlling their creativity. That’s why Taylor isn’t on that label anymore.
😊
Taylor is a product rather than an artist. She's the musical equivalent of junk food, and we all know how popular and well marketed junk food is. I thought she was rather mediocre when she burst on the country music scene in 2006, but I can look past that because she was just 16. At least she seemed like an earnest singer/songwriter. Once she turned to pop, her marketing team went to work and the transformation into a soulless mainstream pop star was complete. Why care how shitty your music is as long as the money's rolling in? She could sing gibberish, and her fans would still eat it up as long as the beat was catchy. And don't forget her commercials, which further cements her place as a product and a piece of marketing.
@@bfsgman Omg you're so uneducated. Please don't speak on things you don't understand.
@@bfsgmanUnironically, I think Taylor Swift sounded better as a country artist. She was much more... authentic. And I remember when she was country, I didn't like her then, but in hindsight, that's how I prefer her.
While I do think they could be lumped in to the Mumford-like bands, I've always felt like The Band Perry had a unique Southern-gothic vibe in their early albums that no one else has replicated. They were unique, which is why I will never understand why they threw that away to try to be a generic pop act. I mean, I guess it's what they wanted, but man, they threw away a special niche.
Remember a lot of this has to do with the label and them not having creative control over their music
@@Lindsey-ml3xv Yeah, but a lot of artists are self produced now. Hanson dropped their label and went Indie back in the '90's. It sounds like they just kept hopping onto the next thing. And I would say pop isn't cool or edgy at all. I guess contriving to contrive was just too meta.
Also, I didn't know they did "Stay in the Dark." I used to hear it all the time when I worked at a grocery store. Grocery store soundtracks are where minor adult contemporary hits finally receive heavy rotation.
it was on the radio station at my old job and i hated it so much
I toured with The Band Perry back in 2010 when they opened for Alan Jackson. I had never heard of them, and their style of music wasn't normally my thing, but I liked them, aesthetically, musically, and personally.
Once that tour ended, I went on to another artist (as roadies do). I never kept up with what they were doing, but I started hearing that first album in stores and was happy for them because they deserved recognition and success.
The last memory I have of them was when I was doing some work in a recording studio in Nashville, and as I was leaving, I walked upon the three of them standing side-by-side at the front door, watching a huge downpour. You can recognize all that hair, even from behind. They were even standing in the same order that they stood in on stage. From looking at their release history, they must've been recording "All Your Life" at the time. I said "Hello, Perrys", and the four of us silently stood there waiting for the rain to slow. I had to get to work at a different building, so I was the first to relent and run into the rain to my car. I could see their faces behind the glass, through the rain, as I drove off.
Since I wasn't aware of their other chapters before seeing this video that came up in my recommendations, I'll always remember them from their Debut (and I think their best) era.
“If I Die Young” was super popular at the time we were coming home from a funeral of a friend who unalived themselves, and it came on the radio. It really hit me.
"Unalived themselves"
Sounds like an odd turn-of-phrase.
Aside...condolences.
@@SilentKnight43 that’s just what I see everyone else call it online. We all know what it really is. Thank you.
@@SilentKnight43 Its usually used by people that are willing to talk about tragedy but they don't want to lose their monetization for doing so. True Crime and such.
@@hannahhelton3789You don't have to censor yourself.
Sad they broke up. She had a beautiful voice and the song was beautiful. It was a great band. All the best to them.❤️👏🎶⭐️👍
Was going through my Spotify tonight for a 11hour country playlist I’ve got for when I’m out running. Saw The Band Perry, and thought “what happened to these guys”. Then tonight you released this video, timing couldn’t be better. I miss them, they deserve to be happy in whatever they do now. They tried to ride the Taylor Swift coat tails, and could have landed on the moon, but kinda never made it there. I think Kimberly will try to get back on the Country band waggon, it could be difficult for her as the genre has changed so much in the past decade or so. Even the past 2-3 years has seen change. I wish her the best, if she makes it to where she wishes to go. As fans, we have to give her a chance, but that chance will be guarded as to not loose trust.
Yeah, I think if they had been a bit more patient, they could have eventually made it into the pop scene. Their country stuff had plenty of pop appeal. My mom didn’t think “If I Die Young “ really was country because she didn’t hate it! What’s really wild though is that their grandfather was the minister that performed my parents’ wedding in 1978.
Good ‘ole grandpapa Perry
How is that really wild? Who gives af who married your parents
The Grand Perry.
this band has always fascinated me
absolutely loved The Band Perry when they were a country group. I don’t know how many times I listened to that Pioneer album.
'Bloom' is an outstanding EP. Beautiful songwriting.
I hope all of you listen to it start to finish. Way to go, Kimberly!
Both their debut and ‘Pioneer’ were sonically different from one another, but both were solid albums as far as a debut and follow-up go. I was obsessed with both when they were released and got my mom to start listening to them. I really wish all of the members the best, and I’m looking forward to Kimberly’s new EP. They were solid writers and had a great team behind them too in the country days.
I think her solo career is gonna get off to a big start with big artists taking her out as an opener because they know she will play the massive hits
One of those bands that sometimes you sit and wonder about when you hear an old song out of nowhere. Now we know where they went! Excited to hear new music from Kimberly!
I was OBSESSED with their first album and it's still to this day one of my favorites of all time (LOVED All Your Life & Independence). I thought they had such a unique and fresh sound at the time (and even if it were present day) and was so disappointed when they strayed from that. Such an interesting video of everything! Thanks for putting it all together!
I'm so glad you did this video because I've been wanting it for a while. Some thoughts:
I think it was a Rolling Stone article that mentioned creative differences between the band and their label. They wanted to be themselves and make new music, but their label said no, so they left. Nobody ever mentions how they went after what they wanted (besides you). They didn't care what people thought and freaking did it anyway. Did it work out? No, but they made the music they wanted. So many country artists tend to not make the music they want to because they wanna make money. Luke Bryan, Chris Young, all people who said yes to a sound they didn't fully want in order to be successful, and TBP said no. That takes HUGE guts, and I'm really proud of them for that.
I'm also really excited to see what Kimberly does. If I Die Young pt 2 seems really country/folk, but we could also be getting some Kacey Musgraves-esque pop stuff too, or stuff that's more rock; there are a million options for her to take. I feel like since she's not attached to anything, she can do whatever, and there's no way for it to be out of character or different. For the first time, it's a legit reset, and I'm all here for it.
You always got the most thoughtful commentary!
Thank you! I really love videos like this and like to use the comments as a place to let out my thoughts
I love their country era, all of it is just perfect; sound, songs, voice of Kimberly, lyrics, videos, etc. Hopefully the solo comeback is more of that.
Would love to see more of these "evolution of the band" videos! Specifically, the Avett Brothers, who I absolutely loved in their early years, but something changed for me around Magpie and the Dandelion and I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I just fell out of love with them around then. I'd like to hear your take on it!
My fave band, and I don't disagree. The HBO-ificiation of the Avett Brothers!
I 100% agree with you and now need Grady to do a similar deep-dive into their demise as well.
@@GradySmith don’t know much abt them but Rick Ruben on joe rogan (produced their ‘09 album) said they were the nicest people he’d ever met
@@GradySmithplease do a deep dive on them! They’re my favorite and I just haven’t felt the same about them for several albums now. 😢
Same!! 😢 it’s so sad, they were my favorite for a long time
I miss them. They were one of the better groups out at the time and even my husband, who is definitely a metalhead, loved their music.
I'm a metalhead who listens to country music radio from time to time, and I always said "You Lie" was one of the best Aerosmith songs that Aerosmith didn't write.
Fun fact: Brad Paisley wrote one of the songs on Pioneer called “Forever Mine Nevermind”
People always screw up a band thinking they are more important than the others, but chemistry is hard to find, and generally not repeatable.
I remember hearing them all the time on the radio back then, Pioneer was truly inescapable. My guess is they thought they built up a loyal fanbase that would follow them no matter where they went. I do hope Kimberly has success in her solo career, I really did enjoy thier songs when ever they came on.
I love this group. You never turn your back on where you came from. It happens all the time in music, tv and well, really any form of entertainment.
I remember meeting them at a fan club party during the Pioneer album with my mom, and we had the loveliest chat about our moms and the song they wrote for theirs on the album. I definitely miss their original sound! I also seem to have blocked out eras 3 to 5, so this was fascinating to watch
I’ve always thought that Kimberly wanted to stay in country, but her brothers wanted to take the band in a different direction… and she had to come along given she’s the voice of the band, but they were the majority. Now she’s independent, she’s come back to the country sound that she never wanted to leave. I’m obviously speculating, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.
I'm excited to see what Kimberly's solo career brings, and I'm glad she's going back to her roots here. I hope its authentic to her. I think all the rebrands of The Band Perry just felt inauthentic. I totally agree that Taylor Swift's transition from country to pop was very gradual, and thats why she was successful at it. It felt authentic because it felt like we were growing up with her. With The Band Perry, it felt like they were just chasing trends.
I remember when I was just becoming a country fan, and I came across "When I die young" and was like cool song and band. Then one of their weird not pop, but not country, albums dropped, and I was like "What happened"... now I know.
Also, love your videos! It's always a great day when I see a new video from you!
6:25 “loose illusions to choreography ” - that is one heck of a line between the alliteration and the backward play on the literal meaning of choreography - it’s masterful writing you should be proud of. Someday someone will make a top 20 Grady smith one liners and this will be on it
The Perry’s are family friends with mine, and I credit them with bringing me into country when my music tastes were just forming. While my music taste has certainly moved towards more traditional country and red dirt, I still miss TBP’s music. It’s still disappointing that they cut their career as a band short by trying to jump ship to pop music.
Any idea on how their doing now?
Thank you so much for covering this topic! I enjoyed their music SO much back then and they are one of the reasons why I fell in love with country music in the first place. The way they more or less self-sabotaged their career still makes me sad to this day - just as much as the downfall of Hunter Hayes does. I also do love the song „Pioneer“ A LOT. Caitlyn Smith recently released a song called „Mississippi“ with Garth Brooks as backing vocalist, which reminds me a lot of „Pioneer“. I‘m very excited to see where Kimberley‘s fresh start is going to land and I hope she goes back to her country roots. Her voice suits country music just so well!
“….”
@@Patrick3183what does this even mean
I think Reid and Neil were the ones that were leading them astray. I always thought this, but now that Kimberly has come back on her own to continue the gothic country sound, I think it makes it obvious that her brothers wanted different things than her.
This was so interesting and very well done. Thanks for putting this together.
Fun fact the song “If I Die Young” WAS inspired to the poem “Lady of Shallott” which is why it reminds you of the painting done of the same poem. 8-9 years ago I used to use this song to teach how to write “inspired” poetry/art
In my opinion their first album has the best song lyrics I have heard in the whole country genre. Their words are so beautiful and her voice is so unique. It’s sad to see the mass production operation that is the music industry just chew them up and spit them out. The aesthetic change ups came off so phony and no doubt they would have been so much more successful had they stayed true to their original sound. I’m afraid her credibility is shot at this point. I hope that’s not the case though because I saw them live at a fair last year and she’s definitely still got it. Hopefully going back to her roots pays off !
Saw them in concert a few times and they are amazing, so sad to see them disappear the way they did
Loved their first two albums and always wondered what the heck happened... I have a feeling Kimberly's solo career could be very successful.
When I think of “eerie”, “creepy”, or “crazy” music I definitely think of middle-brow, safe, pop-country tripe like TBP.
You say “Lady of Shalott”, all I see is Anne Shirley pretending to be the Lady of Shalott. I’ve always loved “If I Die Young”.
Same! As long as your talking about the original movie with Megan Follows and not the Netflix show😂
Definitely the Megan Follows one!
Excellent overview of the rise and fall of the Band Perry. I loved them as country but as they turned to rock and rebranding themselves my interest waned. I think Kimberly will be successful with her new album and albums to follow as long as she stays true to her country roots and doesn't try continuously rebranding as something she's not.
“When You Sell Out But Nobody’s Buying: The Band Perry Story”
As someone who has met them before and they’re parents they are the kindest people ever! I got to speak to them for about an hour between all three of them and their music is the soundtrack of my middle school years. I’ll forever love them! ❤
Honestly wish her the best of luck! I didn't even know about their weird crossover pop failure! Just glad that she's back to playing country
To me, the problem with The Band Perry going pop and then electro-pop is that they didn't really ease into it. I've seen a few country musicians try easing themselves into more pop-leaning stuff. Taylor Swift is one of the biggest examples. But when she did albums like RED and 1989, she slowly eased into more pop-leaning material. She eventually leaned too far into it with Reputation and LOVER, but she later course-corrected at the right time with Folklore and Evermore. Those were albums that showed she could go back to basics and retain what helped her work in the first place, but keep the brighter parts of her that worked before.
The Band Perry, on the other hand, after making two folk/country-leaning albums (although that Better Dig Two song straight-up sounds like Undo It by Carrie Underwood), them outright abandoning their original sound and going into straight-up pop was an out-of-nowhere left turn. I could see how their fanbase was left stunned by that change. It was about as bizarre as Jewel going from a folky singer/songwriter type into a Britney Spears knockoff with Intuition and the 0304 album. And then all these different eras of trying all these new pop sounds out felt more and more desperate attempts to stay relevant than something creative or passionate from them.
T swift is a washed up has been singer. She is trying to revive her career by going woke.
It is a well known fact that when a singer uses politics to stay relevant in music, they are no longer viable as musicians.
this is the deep dive we needed
When artists go a different direction in music, most fans are typically interested in seeing the boundaries of their sound be furthered, you touched on a wonderful point of how quickly they tried this maneuver and how other successful people, like Taylor, have done this process slowly. When you “rebrand” and delete everything you were previously, it leaves your fans feeling some whiplash. Most people don’t view their favorite artists rebranding the same way you’d view a company rebranding and it made everything feel rehearsed and transactional to me. On top of that, I feel like a lot of their lyrics within these separate rebrands were exceptionally complicated and hard to follow. Pop music you hear charting typically is a bit more simple. It won’t stick in your head if it’s overly complicated. I really enjoyed the sound of Coordinates (her voice with the electronic sound actually goes well together in my opinion) but it didn’t feel revolutionary nor catchy enough to make it into any of my core playlists.
A few years ago, I went to my local karaoke bar in Los Angeles, Ca. I walked in and a female voice sounded very familiar as the singer was singing, "If I die young." After this girl sang, I approacher her and said to her, "You sound an awful lot like Kimberly Perry!" Her brother Neil was sitting at he table ( along with their other friends ) and said, "IT'S HER!" I couldn't believe it! I was not planing on playing my saxophone that night, as I usually do, but after seeing Kimberly, I BOOKED IT HOME, got my saxophone and came back! I serenaded Kimberly that night, and also brought my photo opp. with me as I had met her at the Country Music awards about three years prior and asked her to sign it. The video of me playing for Kimberly is on my channel.
As someone who is a huge fan of If I Die Young, Anne of Green Gables aesthetics, and Better Dig Two, as well as Taylor Swift, this was a very interesting analysis.
Live Forever is my favorite song by TBP.
Talented group, hope to hear more of them, I am most familiar with their country side.
The amount of hair between them is crazy, wonderful, fascinating and even a little odd.
Wish them them best in all they choose to do.
Thanks Grady, great episode.
I remember hearing ‘If l die young’ on the radio and being mesmerized by how different and sweet and country it sounded and thought I hope this band makes it but I’ll probably never hear anything from them again. I was delighted to buy their 1st two albums but put off by their third. I knew the brothers had other musical interests and it seemed that Kimberly pulled them into country success and wondered how long they could stay together.
Could you do a what happened to a trick pony video too?
Every time i hear if i die young i tear up i played this at my friend's funeral she died on her 30th birthday it will always hold a special place in my heart
I’m not a country fan and I just clicked on this video out of curiosity. Holy cow this band has had the most bizarre history! I knew who they were and that they sang “If I Die Young” but that was it. With each new era things got weirder and weirder. Like, EDM rebrand?! You couldn’t even write this stuff though I could see Danny McBride doing a movie spoof of this band’s history lol. This video was so fascinating and I loved it.
I feel like they showed up authentically at first and it worked well, so they had the courage to pivot. When the pivot was not as well received as they expected, they panicked and tried to do what they thought would succeed rather than being authentic. This is where that "dashing from here to there" thing comes from: a symptom of desperately trying to find the success they initially kind of stumbled on. I do feel they wanted to go pop genuinely, but when it wasn't received well, that's when it went off course. The truth is that sometimes making your genuine music will not be a hit with the public. That doesn't make it not good or not genuine.
I loved them when they were Country, When they switched genres, they lost me. I adored Kimberly, especially, and her brothers. Now I only wish the best for them in their separate pursuits. Maybe they'll find their way back to the origins.
I remember when “Live Forever” was playing on country radio all the time and wondering what the heck happened. The mid-2010’s was just such a weird era for country music in general (not in the least part due to Sam Hunt’s reign of terror).
For mainstream country music. Us fans of real country music remained blissfully ignorant of all that mess.
I discovered TBP while surfing UA-cam videos a few years ago, and finding the Letterman show with them doing Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls". I really liked it and watched it again several times. Recently I was adding to my Amazon digital music library, trying to add music I did not already own on other formats (vinyl, CD's, DVD's). After adding Highway 101. The Blasters, Average White Band, etc., I was out of gas. Then I remembered TBP and added "Pioneer". Great stuff. My wife heard it and asked "Who is that?" She said it sounded like "After Jack" a female trio we saw a while back on the small college circuit. They also did a kick ass version of "Fat Bottom Girls" (not the TBP song my wife heard). So ... thank you David Letterman for an alltime fave group discovery.
An excellent analysis. I’m not hugely familiar with the band, but they clearly erred by hopping all over the place, brand to brand.
I just checked out Kimberly's new E.P. And I think it's very good. The Band Perry "magic" is still there. I hope she finds an audience.
Interesting video that kept me on for almost 20 minutes longer than all of the Perry band music I’ve ever heard.
Solid storytelling.
Holy cow so many eras and I somehow missed almost every single one as they were happening
I have not thought about this band in years! When they were touring their first country album I went to a small radio studio concert of theirs. They talked about how their parents were rock music lovers so that’s what they grew up knowing best and one of the songs they played was a rock song cover (can’t remember which one) to nod to their rock roots. They also talked about trying the rock music scene first and didn’t find much success… so they switched to country and were happy to be doing well with it. It’s fascinating to hear that they kept genre hopping, sad that it didn’t work out well.
The Band Perry of the Country Version has always been my favorite. I still like Chainsaw, Better Dig Two, and bunch of their other tunes, I have like 12 favorited on my Spotify. I am not sure how to take Kimberly as a solo artist especially releasing If I Die Young Part 2 that seems lost without her brothers (I will listen though). It just surprised me with the restarts too of their career, they did so well in the beginning then fell away to nothing, I didn't even know they were pop until a few months back but I didn't listen to the songs. I will admit once they weren't heard on Country Radio anymore I quit listening.
Unpopular Option, I loved all of the singles they dropped before the end... even Live Forever.
I really loved the Band Perry though, and happy to see her making more music!
You are over thinking the lyrics. "If I Die Young" is capturing of the melancholy aspects of life that we all feel from time to time. Yet, the power of the song can be found in the family dynamic between the three siblings. They support each other in an authentic way. I think Kimberly Perry needs to join back with her brothers because that is where her music can be best voiced. They just are dynamic as a musical family. They need to be in that country pop lane.
Wow, great breakdown and hilarious narrative one-liners on your part! I was OBSESSED with this band’s first album when I was 14. They kinda lost me with Pioneer and I totally missed all their rebrands. Still love their original sound though. Also you’re right, that was a shocking amount of hair
Swift was able to do it because she kept the heart and substance in her music
I loved The Band Perry' first two albums and really wanted to love and support what they put out next. But like so many found it kind of confusing, as I don't think they even knew what kind of music they wnated to put out. Love that Kimberly is trying some solo stuff now... she still has an incredible voice.
"Pioneer" made such an impact on me, to the point where that's my username of choice on the interwebs lol. Thank you for the video, it was so fun to relive their older music. I used to love them so much, but I listened to "Live Forever" briefly, and kinda tuned them out after that. They'll always be special to me, but the sound I loved was obviously long gone. Thanks again for the update! It will be interesting to see what Kimberly's new music is like.
Great music, "Better Dig Two" will always be one of my favorites. Thanks for your report.
I miss them, I saw them in concert a couple of times and they were absolutely fantastic
I saw them at a rodeo in San Antonio in 2016 or 2017 and Kimberly Perry was wearing black leather pants, had died her hair black, and they were singing pop rock music… SO weird. It was the WRONG crowd. I remember looking around at everyone in the crowd wearing boots, flannel, and cowboy hats being like “they MISSED the mark here.”
Excited to see her in concert, late March. People evolve.
I forgot how much I liked The Band Perry (their country stuff- didn’t even know about the other stuff), thanks for the reminder! Very nostalgic
I've been following since the beginning, Grady, but I never really comment. Thank you for this! I've watched you actually become a forerunner in this avenue, congrats dude
I saw them at the KY state fair back in 2010 when they were still in country era and at their country peak and I LOVED the show. Of course, they hadn’t got to their techno/pop era yet 😂 they were def on country radio a lot back then, great video!
I went thru a very tough break up when “If I
die Young” First came out……I’ll never forget that time or that song because it was a bitter sweet song.
I can’t believe what happened to the band that had a song that defined a moment in my life
The Band Perry really hit it for me with "Better Dig Two" and then "Done" right after.
"Done" and "Comeback Kid" are probably my two favorites.
Thanks for the recap. I had no idea about the changes. I loved When I Die Young.
I loved The Band Perry and saw them three times in concert. I remember listening to the edm era and just being extremely upset. Their music meant so much to me and it always was so upsetting that they stopped writing. I am hoping Kimberly has amazing success, because golly her country music is so freaking good. Amazing Amazing video
I saw them live last year, they were fantastic
Part 2 was genius. Exactly what she needed and we needed to hear.
I grew up with the Beatles as a massive influence in my life. A couple of years ago Paul McCartney had a big documentary cross promotion with his book(s) about 64 years of writing music. I got to see some of Ringo Starr's pieces as a print maker in the visual art scene. These dudes are old AF and they have had a long documented history of their creative endeavors. Of course they are gracious enough to honor their early work, but even if you looked at just the Beatles years, there is massive evolution. I'd argue that the post Beatles stuff is more interesting, as the collaborate with each other and others occasionally, but go off in their own directions. It will be sad when they are no longer creating...except for remastered tracks 👀, but it will come.
Artists change their style and even their medium.
Honestly I feel bout their foray into pop, the same way I felt about Kacey Musgraves latest album. It isn't that they went pop, I would have been cool with that, it was that the music just wasn't that great. Pop has always had so much competition, why only produce mediocre music?
I love them and I'll listen to them no matter what they do.
Well done, sir. Erudite and insightful commentary.
One of your best episodes. I knew almost nothing about The Band Perry. Well done.
as someone who listens to a lot of death metal I like the Band Perry, maybe it is their darker lyrics is why
my older brother's friend died when we were all in high school in a drunk driving accident. she was only 16 years old and it really affected everyone at our school. before she went out that night she was messaging with a friend and talking about how she was listening to the new song, if i die young. anytime i hear it, shes the first person that comes to mind.
Oh yeah, pop is rebellious. That’s laughable.
Pop pretends that it is.
I totally forgot about this band and all their songs 😱 what a great reminder !! Awesome video!