The Pernice Brothers have shared “The Purple Rain” from their upcoming album Who Will You Believe. The title may sound like a Prince reference, but the song is actually about three people very close to Joe Pernice who died within months of each other, including David Berman of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains.
“In March of 2019, my cousin Joe Harvard (founder of Fort Apache Studios in Boston), died of cancer,” Joe explains. “He was like a brother to me. His death was hard for me to believe and process. By September of that year, two friends, Gary Stewart (former head of A&R at Rhino Records) and David Berman (Silver Jews/Purple Mountains), had taken their own lives. It was a heavy time, to say the least. It was a while before I’d feel like trying to write any songs. But when the time came, I was still feeling mournful. It’s no surprise they would have found their way into some songs. I wrote and recorded ‘The Purple Rain’ pretty fast. The song’s anthemic quality seemed right to me as it’s an elegy to some remarkable people. I’ve performed the song live a handful of times since recording it. It feels good to do so. But I’m honestly not sure why, and I don’t care to find out.”
If you’ve see The Pernice Brothers or Joe Pernice live since fall 2019 you might have heard “The Purple Rain” already, but the studio version, with strings surrounding Joe’s breathy voice and acoustic guitars, is quite affecting. Listen to that below.
Who Do You Believe is out April 5 via New West; Joe has a few shows lined up in support, and he’s added a few more, including a free in-store performance and signing at NYC’s Rough Trade on April 4. That’s right after his show at Le Poisson Rouge on April 3. He also has a couple house shows in Boston and all dates are listed below.
Joe Pernice – 2024 Tour Dates:
April 3 – New York City – Le Poisson Rouge
April 4 – New York City – Rough Trade Records
April 5 – Boston – House concert
April 6 – Boston – House concert