by Jelena Glavic
Bonnie Raitt, Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin….these are just a few of the greatest female voices in the world of Rock n’ Roll. Add to that list Pearl Aday. If you haven’t had the privilege of hearing this woman’s voice, you ought to go look her up and listen, now. Pearl Aday (named after Janis Joplin’s nickname) is the daughter of legendary singer Meatloaf and the wife of Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. It comes as no surprise that Pearl has become quite the singer/songwriter that she is today, as music was constantly a part of her life growing up. Pearl says, “When I grew up, there was music everywhere, whether it was at a party in the house or in some place where my dad was performing in front of thousands of people. I really kind of grew up in recording studios. They’re relaxing to me. Even to this day, they can be blasting music and I can fall asleep on the couch because it feels like home.”
Her music is evidently influenced by classic rock, hard rock, southern rock, soul, and R&B. Pearl expresses her love for and knowledge of music, with songs that range from gentle and vulnerable to raspy and tough as nails. You can feel the raw emotion through her voice, seemingly with little effort; she can belt ‘em out like the best of them.
Pearl toured with her father for several years, then in 2000 toured with Motley Crue as one of their back-up singers and dancers. After the tour, she sang on “Man of Steel,” which was co-written by Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and James Michael. While the track eventually ended up on her father’s album Couldn't Have Said It Better, it sparked what became the beginning of her career as a solo artist.
Her debut album, Little Immaculate White Fox comes packed with intense guitar riffs, inspiring lyrics, sweet ballads, appearances from Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, the infamous Ted Nugent, and a fantastical story behind the album’s title.
I sat down with the lovely Miss Pearl at the Megaforce Records office to chat about her Rock’n’Roll upbringing, some words of wisdom from that famous father of hers, possible ‘rock children’ in her future, touring with Motley, and all things in between. As much of a rocker chick as Pearl truly is, she is just as much a soft-spoken, sweetheart with a very clear sense of self.
JELENA GLAVIC: It's a pleasure to meet you!
PEARL ADAY: Thank you, pleasure to meet you too!
JG: So lets talk about your debut album, Little Immaculate White Fox. What an interesting title...
PA: It's actually a cool story. When my mom was pregnant with me she was convinced that I was a boy. I actually have the diary she kept while she was pregnant. She would write down when he kicked, etc. It was late in her pregnancy when her best friend called her up and said, "Leslie I just had a dream about your baby, it's a little girl, she has blonde hair and blue eyes. And in my dream she was at the foot of a tree wrapped in white fur. In the dream there was a name that came, her name was little immaculate white fox." My mom goes, "That's beautiful, but I'm having a boy." So then, like two or three hours later, she went into labor with me and I was a blonde haired, blue eyed girl.
JG: That's a beautiful, fairy-tale like story!
PA: Yeah, totally. It's very hippy - 1975. So that's kind of my unofficial name: Little Immaculate White Fox.
JG: So did your mom's friend get to be your godmother?
PA: No, actually. [both laughing] But she kind of is though! She's the only person I'll let give me massages.
JG: Oh yeah? Because she had that vision?
PA: No, because she's just that good! [laughing]
JG: Some of the songs on this album are really unique. In "Broken White" you took inspiration from a Marlene Dumas painting.
PA: Yeah, to me art is just an inspiration in general. I definitely get inspired by art. It brings emotion and all that kind of stuff. I think that song (“Broken White”) is the only one on the album that came about that way. All the other stuff is just, you know, like everyone says, "me working on my shit man". It's true though, all the lyrics read like a diary. The lyrics in "Broken White" aren't necessarily about me, but there are parts of my story (from me) in it. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to write about it, you write about what you know. It always reads better when you know what you're talking about.
JG: ....and if you don't know what you're writing about, just leave it open to interpretation.
PA: Which is what you should do, which is what everybody should do, which is why music is so passionate and personal, you take from it what you relate to and what you understand and it becomes something that means something to you, that maybe other people don't understand. They might hear the same song, and to them it means something in particular to them.
JG: So growing up having Meatloaf as your father and practically growing up in a studio, constantly surrounded by musicians, it's no surprise you became a singer/songwriter. If not for that, what career path would you have pursued?
PA: If I couldn't do this I think I would be an author. Definitely, I love writing.
JG: Ever consider writing a biography?
PA: Yeah. I think I'll let my life go a little bit longer, see what else happens, ya know? [laughing] It would be a really great story. A lot of crazy shit...but I don't feel like it's time right now. Maybe it will come later. I've got some great stories.
JG: You have a ton of great stories to tell, I'm sure. That's something to look forward to. I mean, Miley Cyrus has a book out and she's like, 12. What does she really have to talk about?
PA: It's kind of like just making a product for people to buy, ya know?
JG: So any great words of wisdom from the old man on the music business?
PA: I sang back up for him for nine years. I really learned a lot from him. One of the things he would say to me is that performing is a privilege, it's not a right. You have to give a shit when you have an audience, people are paying to come see you, they want to see you and you owe them 1000% every single time. It doesn't even matter if it's five people or 500,000. You always give 200 - 300,000 percent...because that's what it's about. You don't deserve to be on stage. No one wants to watch assholes who keep their audiences waiting for two hours, you know, don't do that.
JG: That's a great piece of advice.
PA: Yeah. You know, sometimes you have to humble yourself. You have to balance that with taking control. The audience wants to see you but in that time period (during a show) they want for you to take hold of them and go, "Hey you're all coming along for the ride!" "Thank you so much!" So, that's what I learned from my dad, especially while being on the road with him.
JG: Speaking of the road, you've toured with Motley Crue, Sixx AM, Velvet Revolver... Care to share any crazy tour stories?
PA: I've got a ton of crazy tour stories, but I don't know if I could repeat them. [laughing] Motley were pretty tame when I was on tour with them. We were on tour in 2000. The hair metal debauchery happened before I got there. I listened to Motley when I was a teenager, so being able to tour with them was the best thing ever. I auditioned for them and I got the job. It was literally every night that we were on stage I was standing in costume, and I would think, "There's Nikki Sixx. There's Mick Mars..." and I'm going "Oh my God, I'm sharing a stage with them, it's the coolest thing ever!" And it was great because we went right into rehearsal and I didn't even have to learn anything. I would just have to be there. The tour with Motley was short. It was from June to September and then in November we were in Japan for a month. It was a whirlwind; it was a total blast.
JG: So what are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry?
PA: I think maybe if it weren't for smaller labels like this one that I'm on, Megaforce, who really give a shit about the "baby bands" and actually give a shit about music in general and the survival of music… When my album came out last Tuesday, we were going through the counts of what sold so far, and it's like, for as many people that actual bought it, whether it's in the store or on iTunes, as opposed to how many people actually stole it…
JG: One of my friends from a band in Pennsylvania believes that at some point in the future CDs will become obsolete. Everyone's going to drop their labels and there will be no point in making records anymore since everyone will be stealing them.
PA: Yeah, it's sad. I love buying an album, holding the artwork or just going to the store and buying an album because you like the cover and discovering it that way. That doesn't happen anymore. Bringing it home and listening to it from the first song to the last song, it's sort of like a story, a little journey that you could go on. It's all singles now.
JG: I still get excited when I buy a CD, after taking forever to unwrap it, listen to it top to bottom while reading the lyrics and flipping through the artwork.
PA: Yes! That's part of the whole experience! I have to have lyrics because I love getting an album and reading the words, I love words. [laughing]
JG: Okay: Dead or alive, dream collaboration...
PA: I would love to sing with Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Pat Benatar. I would like to think that I would be able to sing with Ann Wilson, but she's untouchable. She's just amazing. Stevie Nicks as well. I think Pink is awesome, too!
JG: She actually sang while doing that Cirque du Soleil number at the Grammy's.
PA: I know right!? Isn't that a crazy concept, to actually SING live!? [both laughing]
JG: So any plans to tour the album?
PA: Yup! For sure. It's all in the works right now. Last year we (the band) toured the UK with Velvet Revolver, which was one of the coolest things because, hello, Slash! So yeah our own tour will happen. It's all pending, but yeah, definitely.
JG: What's it like sharing a stage with your husband, Scott Ian?
PA: It's awesome! It's great because while touring we save on a hotel room! But no, it's really cool. When we're on stage and I look over at him rocking out and we catch eyes every once in a while and it's like, "Oh, hey babe!" We just work really well together, professionally and we work really well together at home. It's important to have a good balance.
JG: So any rock star kids in the future for you two? Would you bring ‘em on tour with you?
PA: Probably! Not now. Yeah I would like that, but definitely not now. It wouldn't be the right time to do that, but in the future for sure.
JG: Would you let them sleep in your guitar case?
PA: Yeah! Haha, I'd get them a little guitar shaped bed to take naps in. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere.
JG: Well thank you for taking the time to sit down and chat. Congrats on the album, it totally rocks! So nice meeting you!
PA: It was a pleasure meeting you! Thank you!