The Pearlies

What first got you into music?

JM (Jade Moran):
We all grew up in families of music lovers and were introduced to The Beatles at a young age. For me, it was hearing their music that sparked my love for the band. My Grandfather is the biggest influence on me though; he’s always encouraged me to keep going with music, and that’s what really keeps me going.

AP (Ayden Porter):
For me, it was definitely The Beatles. They were the first band that made me want to write songs in their style. Then I got into other 60s bands like The Who and The Kinks. Later on, I started listening to bands like Oasis and The Jam, who drew from that same era.

NZ (Norah Ziino):
I was initially inspired by my uncle, who played piano. But once I picked up the drums, bands like The Who, Led Zeppelin, and, of course, The Beatles became my main influences. As I got older, I gravitated toward punk bands like Bad Brains and X-ray Spex, but my love for 60s music has always stayed with me.

Tell us a bit about The Pearlies—how did the band come together?

JM:
The Pearlies started in Ballarat, where I formed a duo with a high school friend. We were both massive fans of The Carpenters, and when we moved to Melbourne, I met Norah at work. We started jamming together as a trio, but then our other founding member left the band, so Norah reached out to her uni classmate Ayden to join as our lead guitarist. The rest is history!

What’s the evolution of your sound been like over the years?

AP:
Our sound has changed a lot, especially as we've grown as a band. It started with more ballads and 70s love songs, but when Norah joined, things started to feel bigger. It wasn’t just keys and vocals anymore—now we had drums, and that added so much more depth. With Ayden's addition, we've had two main songwriters bringing their own unique styles. It’s been a journey toward embracing the upbeat 60s mod genre, which has really become our focus.

What’s your creative process like?

JM:
Ayden and I usually write songs individually and then bring them to the band. From there, we all work together to flesh out the full arrangement, experimenting and trying new things until it feels right.

What was your best gig, and what’s been the worst?

NZ:
Our best gig was definitely our recent headliner at The Old Bar. It was such a great turnout, and even though the lineup had different styles, we ended up complementing each other really well. As for the worst? There was one gig where I dropped my drumstick halfway through a new song. I managed to keep going with one hand, though, and we still nailed it. Definitely a memorable moment!

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

JM:
We’d love to have The Lemon Twigs produce us. We all really admire their sound, and we think they’d be the perfect fit to bring out the best in our music.

If you could open for any artist, who would it be?

AP:
We’d love to open for Paul McCartney—he’s an icon. But realistically, The Lemon Twigs are a band we all love, so they’d be our dream band to support.

What is one message you would give to your fans?

JM:
Don’t be afraid to do what you want, even if it’s not trendy or popular. People’s tastes change, and one day, what you’re doing will be cool again. Just keep at it!

How has the internet impacted the music business?

NZ:
For the most part, the internet has been a huge positive. It brings people together and allows smaller artists to reach a wider audience. Of course, it’s made the industry more competitive, but it’s also easier now to find your niche. Everyone’s kind of figured it out now, so it’s not as scary as it used to be.

What’s your favourite song to perform live?

JM:
"Letter To Love" is our favourite to perform. It’s an energetic song that really gets the crowd moving, and we always close our sets with it. It’s perfect for wrapping up a big night!

Is there a moment during your performance when you channel an artist you admire?

JM:
When I perform ballads, I channel Karen Carpenter’s stage presence. But someone I’d really like to emulate more is Stevie Wright—he was known for moving a lot on stage, and I’m still working on getting more confident with that!

AP:
I take a lot of inspiration from John Lennon—his stage presence and his banter with the crowd are things I try to bring into my own performances. Ash Naylor from Even is another big influence, especially with his 60s-inspired sound.

NZ:
Honestly, I just try to look as cool as possible and not trip over myself! I leave the artist imitations to these two.

What’s next for The Pearlies?

AP:
We’ve got some exciting gigs coming up, including a headliner for International Women’s Day at The Workers Club. There’s also a lot of recording happening behind the scenes, and we might be adding some new members to the band soon. We’re just looking forward to continuing to make a name for ourselves in both the live music and social media scenes!