(Courtesy Photo)
Aryn Sanderson
asanderson@mustangdaily.net
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The Band Perry broke into the country music major leagues with a few home runs, but they’re walking among the Hall of Famers now.
The band’s chart-topping single “If I Die Young” went quadruple platinum, and its newest album, 2013’s “Pioneer,” topped the country charts at No. 1.
Although most country fans with a radio know every word to The Band Perry’s single “Better Dig Two,” there are some things even the most loyal fans wouldn’t know without chit-chatting with the trio.
In advance of The Band Perry’s upcoming California Mid-State Fair performance on July 23, Mustang Daily spoke with the band.
Here are five things you didn’t know about The Band Perry — until now:
1) They’re not afraid to ruffle each other’s feathers.
The Band Perry is like the country version of the Partridge Family. Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry are the songwriting siblings behind the trio, but even superstardom can’t change their family dynamics. They don’t hesitate to make fun of each other — or themselves.
Kimberly, the quintessential oldest child, steers the conversation.
“Neil is a photographer,” Kimberly said. “He loves to snap pictures everywhere we go. We have to be careful and watch which he puts up on Twitter or Instagram, or else there’d be one of me sleeping with my mouth hanging open.”
“Something fans probably don’t know about Reid is that he is a very persistent character,” she said. “He’s probably the most argumentative and hard-headed.”
It’s a fact Reid doesn’t protest.
“And I can touch my nose with my tongue,” he adds.
And when it’s Reid’s turn to reveal Kimberly’s secrets, he’s not afraid to dish it back at his big sister.
“If Kimberly wasn’t in music, she’d be a baker by day and a private investigator by night,” he said. “She’s a total Facebook stalker.”
Who does she stalk?
“I’ll never tell.”
2. They love the San Luis Obispo area.
The Band Perry opened for Brad Paisley this past year at the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, so they’re familiar with the scene.
“I remember how beautiful the countryside was,” Kimberly said.
Although their time on the Central Coast is limited, they want to make some time to explore.
“I’m sure we’ll venture out and enjoy the territory,” Kimberly said.
They’re even thinking of returning under the radar.
“I find it inspiring, and I think it’d be a fun place to have a writing retreat,” she said.
3. They’re not bored performing their hits yet – and they don’t think they ever will be.
They love being onstage, Neil said.
“I don’t think we’ll ever get tired of hearing people singing our songs that we wrote in a basement,” he said. “During one part of the show, we stop the music and just the fans sing along, and it’s always a pinch-me moment.”
4. They defy genres.
The Band Perry has rock ‘n’ roll hair but Mississippi roots. The band is country music, but it’s been accepted by the mainstream. So, is its music country, rock or pop?
“Our music is what it is,” Reid said.
“We have a lot of music on both ends of the spectrum,” he said, referring to country and rock. “You’ll get a lot of the storytelling of country music, but packaged in a very rock ‘n’ roll way.”
Because of its genre-defying sound and lyrics, The Band Perry connects with many types of listeners, Kimberly said.
“If you look at our crowd, you’ll see a variety of faces,” she said. “My favorite thing is when we do a meet-and-greet and meet a 10-year-old, her mother and her grandmother, all three generations.”
5. They have some special stuff in store for the Mid-State Fair.
Each show is unique, Kimberly said.
“We bring whatever we’re feeling with us to the stage each night,” she said. “The inspiration might be different, but we’re very primitive performers.”
And although the inspiration might vary, Mid-State Fair concertgoers can expect a lot of music off “Pioneer,” and all of the band’s singles, she said.
“We’ll even be playing a couple of covers,” she added. “(Queen’s) ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ has become a staple, and it’s always a great time.”
The Band Perry is opening for Rascal Flatts at the California Mid-State Fair on July 23, and tickets are on sale now.