Sarah White and the Pearls were the opening act for the band The Birdlips.  They played at "The Southern" in Charlottesville last month on the 12th.  Sarah White is probably the most successful artist I have met through working with this magazine.  She has numerous albums out on indie labels, has a professional website up, and has gotten some very good press, but I hadn't heard of her before getting a call from photographer Chris Pecoraro about coming to Charlottesville to cover their show.  Chris and I met with Sarah and "the Pearls" before the show and held a brief interview.  The cast of characters: Me (33), Chris (33 Chris), Sarah White (SW), Ted Pitney (TP), Michael Bishop (MB), Jason "Swiss" Butler (S), and Stuart Gunter (SG). 

 

33:  So, this is the Pearls?

SW:  These are the Pearls, I'm Sarah White.

 

33:  And how long have you guys been together?

SW:  In this formation, lets say about . . . four or five months.  

S:  But in this one, like a week. 

SW:  This formation, just one week. 

MB:  Its pretty much brand-new. 

 

33:  That's pretty cool; get a whole set together in one week. 

SW:  Yea, well we'd all learned different sets at different times and different what-evers, but this set is one week long. 

 

33:  So do you have a bunch of "pearls" in like a big box and you just pick each one out for . . .

SW:  I always imagined the pearls to be whoever I was playing with at that moment.  And even when I was playing solo, or with one person, it would be Sarah White and the Pearl for instance.  People didn't get it, but that's what I meant. 

33:  So, now, Sarah White and the Pearls, how many albums do they have out?  Or is it just under the title "Sarah White"?

SW:  Yea, I have four.  "Sarah White" has four.  One with a band, one with Ted Pitney, two that were solo, So I guess I've always been the like, key, but there's been rotating people.  But, you know, I like this band.  So, you know, you can look for a "Pearls" record in the future. 

 

33:  Good to know.  You're based in Charlottesville, right? 

SW:  Yep. 

 

33:  So, did you guys all meet in Charlottesville? 

SW:  Yep. 

 

33:  Where did "Sarah White and the Pearls," where did this project come about?  

SW:  This one?  Well it gets complicated; I'm trying to keep it simple.  I mean, I've always been playing with different people.  You know there was this guy, and then this guy, and then this guy, and then, now its this guy.  And I don't even know, two or three years ago we played with a different bass player and then Ted and I did some stuff and I don't know where [Swiss] came from.  He just showed up one day when Ted was out of town . . .

MB:  You know, she had her stuff . . . and then her and Ted started playing and they did some stuff as a duo and recorded a record as a duo.  And then, you know, I started talking to Sarah when she played a show with . . . Stuart and I were the rhythm section for Tom Poloso's band, he's one of the instrumentalists in Modest Mouse.  He has a solo thing that he does.  W

ell she played a show with us and we were talking like "hey, let's do this, let's play music together."  And so that's kinda how it started.  And then Ted started playing with us again and then we got Swiss on guitar. 

33:  Well, how about the writing.  Are these all your songs?

SW:  Yea, they are.  Sometimes the band adds some things. 

 . . . This band right now has been rehearsing sort of some older songs, so this little unit has not yet "written" a whole new song yet.  Cause we just got together last week.  So you know, maybe next week.  But uh, there's always a little give and take.  I try to get something close.  Sometimes little turn-arounds and little changes happen, tighten it up, or someone has an idea . . . But its not like they have an idea like "oh lets change the chorus to being about a rainy day instead of a sunny day." No, its about a sunny day. 

 

33:  So have you always called Virginia home? 

SW:  I have.  And I always will, even when I move away.  I was born here, raised here.  I moved to San Francisco for about five years, a while back.  And now I've been back here for like thirty years or something, its like I never left. 

33:  Do you guys, well I guess not this group particularly, but do you go on tour often? 

SW:  Every couple years we seem to get it together. 

MB:  Its just starting to cycle . . .

SW:  . . . We're trying to get up to Boston and down this summer. 

 

33:  Can I get all yall's name's? 

SW:  So I'm Sarah White

S:  My real name is Jason.  Most people call me "Swiss."   Last name Butler.  I play guitar.  I play mainly rack & roll stuff, until now. 

33 (Chris):  So how did you get the nickname "Swiss?" 

S:  Well you know, there's no real good story there.  I had some dumb friends that just made up nicknames for everyone and I don't know why or how but that became my nickname. 

TP:  Like the cheese. 

JB:  Yea that's what someone said last week at our show.   Cause I was so cheesy.  The whole room laughed they thought it was great. 

TP:  I'm Ted Pitney.  Guitar as well. 

MB:  I'm Michael Bishop.  I play bass guitar. 

SG:  I'm Stuart Gunter and I play drums. 

TP:  Sarah's got a full pallet behind her.  If you think about like, Stuart playing with the "Wrinkle Neck Mules," Michael Bishop was in "Gwar" for a few years, I'm from like a blue grass background, Jason is like southern-rock. 

SW:  You have any last desperate interesting questions?

 

33:  Well, if someone was so intrigued by this interview and desperately wanted to get an album by you or your group, where could they find that?  

SW:  They could go to my website which is sarah-white.com.  Most of my records are on ITunes and either buying from the label or buying on-line.  Locally, Side Tracks, Plan 9.  Yea I would start with my website and click the links or MySpace. 

 

33:  Well thanks guys a ton. 

---------------------

After the interview, Chris and I got another beer and enjoyed the show. 

As all good music should be, Sarah's sound is hard to describe.  I could say she is Country senza twang and slide guitar, but that wouldn't be quite right.  Southern Rock, maybe Southern Indie Rock?  Like Ted Pitney mentioned in the interview, Miss White has quite a large range of influences backing her up.  Every song I heard changed my impression of her.  The bitterness of too many broken hearts can be heard in her voice.  I would almost compare her to a female version of Bob Dylan, but again, that's not quite right.  Some of the songs sounded like they might be better suited for a soloist sitting alone in a next-to-empty cafe.  They had that lonely, longing sound to them.  On the other hand, some were perfect for the dark club and large crowd.  Sarah White certainly has a sound all her own.  Whatever "Sarah White and the Pearls" are, the crowd loved it.  I can't remember the last time I've seen a venue so packed.  Between the fans of Sarah White and the fans of "The Birdlips," there was hardly room to move. 

The first time I heard Radiohead's album "In Rainbows" I hated it.  It was my first introduction to the band and I'd gotten it because a friend of mine gave it such a good review.  At first listen, to me, it sounded like a bunch of random words with strange chord progressions and weird effects.  I kept listening to it though because I wanted to see what my friend was so excited over.  It took me a few weeks of serious listening before I got it:  all the different, subtle parts that are hidden in the texture, the ambience the music creates . . . It is now one of my favorite albums and way up there on my ITunes play count.  Now, in no way am I comparing Radiohead's sound with that of Sarah White's, but I feel like I missed a lot when I heard her music the first time around.  It is true, I did not fall head-over-heels in love with her music, but that is not to say that it won't happen.  There is certainly much more to her music than what meets the ear.  I need to give Sarah's music some concentrated listening, and the loud club didn't give me a chance to do that.  I look forward to hearing Sarah White again sometime soon, and hopefully I'll "get it" the second time around. 

Not to steal any thunder from Sarah White and the Pearls, but I would be remiss if I neglected mentioning "The Birdlips," seeing as it was their farewell show.  "The Birdlips" are two skinny, young looking kids who took me completely by surprise.  When they got on stage, they took me to a different time and place.  A mod party on a beach with bonfires, flying into a sunset, taking a nap on a thunderhead, then smoking a bowl in a hot tub in a snow storm . . . I've never heard any music like it.  I hate to admit it, but it is probably a good thing they are moving to California.  Their sound belongs on the West Coast.  I don't think Virginia can really dig it properly.  I only wish I could have found out about them earlier.  Birdlips, you will be missed.  Best of luck on your journey.  Come back and visit soon. 

 

You can find Sarah White @

www.sarah-white.com

www.myspace.com/sarahwhitepearls

 

You can find The Birdlips @

www.birdlipsmusic.com

www.myspace.com/birdlipsmusic

 

You can see what's going on at The Southern @

www.thesoutherncville.com

 

By Author: Adam Price

Born into a musical family in middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania, Adam began to actively pursue a career in music after he heard a high school pep band in fourth grade.   He began studying classical clarinet, but quickly discovered his passion for jazz, and adopted the saxophone as his love.  He has been blessed to pursue his art in the cultural hubs of New York City and Florence, Italy.  Currently residing in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Adam continues to play jazz and classical gigs as a freelance musician as well as break out the keyboard for the occasional rock or indie project.  When he is not playing music, Adam enjoys hanging with friends and family, traveling, and exploring good food, drink, and the culinary arts. 

 

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