Ahead of the release of her anticipated new album Magic Mirror on Friday, rising US artist Pearl Charles has today released her cosmic new single, ‘Only For Tonight’, accompanied by a psychedelically-retro inspired video directed by Bobbi Rich. The track is the third taste of music from the forthcoming album.
“‘Only for Tonight’ tells the story of a currently bygone era of wild nights out on the town – the highs and lows of one night stands and the crashes of the morning after.” Pearl muses, “The music video, directed by Bobbi Rich, leans into those excesses, paying a sparkly homage to the late-night musical television shows of the 70’s, from Soul Train to The Midnight Special, as well as the gauzy, Vaseline’d lens of ABBA’s music videos. With an added sprinkling of VHS special effects, you’re likely to feel like you’re watching a home-taped recording of a lost episode of Top of the Pops.”
Magic Mirror is a looking glass of sorts. Like a modern day Alice in Wonderland. It follows the cartography of a girl, growing into a woman, as she moves through life from single-dom, to the expansive space of self-reflection, and the newly appreciated perspective of coming back together again and finding yourself, this time with someone new.
Pearl has been playing music since she was five years old. At 18, she formed country duo The Driftwood Singers with Christian Lee Hutson, singing and playing guitar and autoharp. At 22, she joined garage rock band The Blank Tapes as a drummer. After a few fun-filled years immersed in the rock and roll lifestyle, she decided it was time to pursue her own songwriting, and began developing the songs that formed 2015’s eponymous debut EP and additional debut LP that came out in 2017 on Kanine Records. She has headlined national and international dates as well as shared the stage with contemporaries Best Coast, Sunflower Bean, Mac Demarco, Conor Oberst, etc, as well as festival plays like ACL, Huichica and Desert Daze.
Her music career has been a chronological progression from old-time music to 60’s garage and psychedelia, and now more 70’s country and soft rock. Drawn to catchy, poppy hooks and choruses, Pearl draws on what she loves about each era while developing her unique style and voice as a musician, singer, and songwriter.