Pearl Future 'Cream Music' album

One might wonder how someone who cites Dr. Dre, Bjork and Chopin as their musical influences sounds. Taking a listen to hot, new recording artist Pearl Future might be a good place to start figuring it out. Lyrics wrapped in sugar and sass, beats and bass lines that stick in your head on an infinite loop and the depth to back it all up are what separate her from the pack.

A Las Vegas, Nevada native, Pearl Future (born Pearl Whalen) cut her teeth in the music industry at an early age. While other girls were in school suffering teenage angst, trying to get a date with the football captain and studying for their calculus test she played hooky, opting to spend her days hanging out with musicians in the studio and honing her craft. “They knew I should have been in school but I guess [they] figured it was better that I was trying to learn to record music than be out getting into trouble somewhere!”

By the age of 14 she was recording her own songs and by 16 she could engineer her own sessions. “I became a sound engineer after I started working in recording studios. There wasn’t any other way for me to be in the studio all day. I wanted to live and breathe music.” As an award-winning songwriter Pearl does just that. “I will listen to a beat or music track and feel out what it is saying. Sometimes there are big, complex concepts and stories behind just one simple line of lyric. There are definitely characters in all of the songs. Eventually the song comes alive and has a personality, a mind of its own. They are people.”

A virtual anomaly, Pearl Future is a grounded dreamer who loves the color ultraviolet, is obsessed with glamour, champagne and fashion, “I have a fascination with couture. I wish I could wear it everyday without people freaking out. I wish I lived in a nice little bubble where I could do this and be insulated from the backlash” but at the same time is a strict vegetarian that usually prefers time in the studio to time in the VIP.

It is this complexity and frivolity that has kept her afloat in murky industry waters and seen her through life’s torrents. Losing her father (a single parent) to an illness at the age of 17, Pearl left school early in order to support herself financially. As an expression of the new path that lay ahead and a change in her life philosophy, Pearl added “Future” to her moniker. “It’s all about moving forward. Reminiscing makes you stagnant… I believe it’s best to always stay in the now, because what you do now creates your future.”

This belief along with her resilience and tenacity, have served her well in mentoring underprivileged youth, building schools and supporting environmental charities and will undoubtedly play a key role in her success as a recording artist. “Being an artist is a real commitment that has nothing to do with commercial success in your chosen artistic field. I let that sink in. There was no turning back.” Pearl Future makes it clear that there is no Plan B. With a breakthrough album set to release on Cream Records in Spring 2009 and an undeniable buzz among the who’s who of the industry, chances are there won’t be much need for one.

Pearl Future biography
"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth!" And that is exactly what Pearl Future will tell you about anything you happen to be into. For her, that thing is music, but she loves dreams in general (especially big ones!) and so will be a cheerleader for anything that is backed by soul... or love. She is a big sucker for love. Big sucker for fun. Big sucker for studio gear and shoes. All in all, she is a very cool girl. The only warning: just don't tell her what to do.

Part ingenue and part boss-lady, Pearl Future takes control of her musical dreams with the above motto as her guide. There isn't a time in her life she remembers that music wasn't calling to her and she started singing and songwriting very early. By 14 she was recording her own songs in studios, and by 16 she could engineer her own sessions. The unfortunate loss of her father (a single parent) at age 17 required her to figure out how to live on her own sooner than expected, and with no money for college she decided to pursue her dream of making music. From a suburb in Sacramento, she made a move to San Francisco.

Using her music editing (and cleaning) skills, Pearl started to intern at mostly hip-hop recording studios in order to gain more experience in music production. Within a year she had caught the attention of a Bay Area producer who had started a label with rap superstar Richie Rich, and in 2003 they signed her to a single album deal. The rhythmic pop project was released, but suffered from company mismanagement and was not promoted.

Luckily, the experience increased her understanding of the highly volatile world of the music business, and for the next couple years Pearl continued developing her songwriting, singing and production skills in Los Angeles while continuing to work as an engineer and editor on music and film sound sessions. While in LA she was also further developed by A&R Worldwide, an independent music artist development company (and producer of the MUSEXPO music conference) who helped her define her sound and stage performance skills.

Now, fresh from her experiences there, Pearl Future is back in the SF Bay Area and working with producer Super Dave of the Nkredables on an album of exceptionally crafted rhythmic mainstream pop songs, which she is set to release independently in Spring 2009. At 24, she has learned to navigate some interesting waters and has honed formidable bravery skills to go with her other attributes. Herstory continues...

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Pearl Future - Cream Music