Introduction and Background
Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your musical journey and background?
Hi! I’m Ariel Hartley and I have a band called Pearl Earl that I formed with some friends in Denton, Texas several years ago based off of some of my first demos I made in GarageBand in early college. I started playing guitar my second year in university after writing poems from a young age. When I started learning my first instrument I became obsessed and started writing songs. I wanted to absorb as much as I could as a musician because I felt like I got a late start and soon bought a bass and synthesizer where I started composing demos on my laptop. Flash forward and my band has toured the U.S. several times and just finished a European tour as well as playing with some of our idols.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
I have always loved Black Sabbath, I am a huge fan of great guitar riffs and fuzzy mammoth guitar tones and a lot of my song writing starts from the discovery of a riff. I fell deep in love with the French band Air the first time I did mushrooms , and the influence has expanded onto this day with inspiration from their spacey and sonic ethereal landscapes. When I first started playing guitar I was diving into The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Beach House and I still find that sense of nostalgia inspiring me to write songs.
Can you share a specific artist or album that has had a significant impact on your music?
There has been so many and I feel like I get repetitive with my answers but the one coming to mind right now is MGMT’s Congratulations! I wasn’t even playing music yet when that album came out but I became obsessed with it the year before I started playing and that record was one of the first that made me hope that I could make something as cool as that one day. Siberian Breaks slaps.
What’s your creative process like when you’re composing or writing a new song?
It’s varies from song to song! most of the time it starts with me either discovering a riff or progression on keys, guitar or bass and then I’ll hear other musical parts in my head to accompany it. It’s really hard for me to just write on one instrument at a time, I can almost always hear another layer in my head. Once I have a solid chunk of a composition locked in, I’m able to tell what’s going to be a chorus or a verse because I’ll come up with a main vocal hook and feel out where the melody belongs. It’s always like a big puzzle though and some songs have taken several years to figure out how their layout or story is told even though I have the main parts. I will also sometimes map out in a voice memo the skeleton of the song structure to see if I like how long it is or if a bridge needs to be inserted here or there before I record a solid demo on my laptop.
Among all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite? If so, what makes it special to you?
I would maybe say “The Dimension Isn’t Right” because it was the first song I started writing on the synth when I bought a MicroKorg shortly after picking up the guitar.
Can you share the story or inspiration behind that particular song? I had found the chord progression not really knowing how to play many chords at all, but I really loved the way they sounded especially on the organ patch. I actually played with those chords for several years before figuring out what they really belonged to. At one point they belonged to a song called Spiral City. I was even gonna name the song ‘Alien Organ’ at one time because there was a Rhodes at my brothers house I was living at where I would write and it gave me those vibes. The lyrics came last for the song, but it’s ultimately about finding multi-dimensional love and faith with the impossible, or an extra-terrestrial.
Let’s talk about your latest song. What’s the title, and what’s the story or message behind it?
The latest one that was released is final track of the new album called Miss Milky Way’s Mental Breakdown. It’s the prog rock saga of the record and while it is a fun journey it’s also a melancholy one. It’s kind of like The Never-ending Story in terms of emotion. The character Miss Milky Way, is a pageant queen discovering her own mental illnesses in a universe of the constructs she thought she knew. The message is to share the struggle of feeling the weight of the world and empathetic distress.
Share a memorable or unique experience from one of your live performances.
At SXSW this last year we played 5 or 6 shows in 3 days. We were so tired and had just played a show across town and were stressing out trying to get to the final one downtown. We were so late navigating through Austin traffic chaos that we had to load on directly stage to play. We had no time to breathe and were feeling super crazy. We didn’t think it was going to be a good show but it ended up being so fun and the floor was literally bouncing from all of us being on this small stage it felt like a trampoline! What really gave us life though is that from the minute we began these two girls were screaming so loud during the entire set. Their energy and screaming gave us so much life and helped make that show worth it. They reminded me of those viral tik tok goats screaming it was so hilarious!
Beyond music, do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? How do they influence your music?
I love being in nature whether it’s swimming, hiking, camping, walking or what have you. Nature gives me a magic reset that restores my inner peace and calm and it’s important when it comes to music for emotional cleansing, along with inspiring beautiful and lysergic energy and imagery. I have also discovered I love to bead and cross stitch, it’s nice to be able to do another artistic and meditative activity while soaking in other people’s music and getting re-inspired.
Is there a dream collaboration you’d like to pursue in the future?
So many.. it would be super amazing to work with say Damon Albarn of Gorillaz or Kevin Parker. Doja Cat! Or even Cake!
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the music industry?
Keep your head up and really try to hone in on what makes you, you! Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself!
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or new music you have in the works? What can your fans and listeners look forward to from you in the near future?
Right now there isn’t anything in the works as we just had a huge release but I am happy to say I’ll finally have time to write again in the next months 🙂