Last month, the Pernice Brothers announced Who Will You Believe, their first new album in five years. As the album’s April 5 release date gets closer, they are giving fans another sample from the collection. Today, they released the anthemic album highlight “The Purple Rain.” The song memorializes three of songwriter Joe Pernice’s close friends who passed away in quick succession in 2019.
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Early reviews of Who Will You Believe are overwhelmingly positive with some calling it one of the Pernice Brothers’ best outings to date. “The Purple Rain” is already being hailed as one of Pernice’s finest songs. That’s a high bar for the prolific and talented songwriter. Listen to the track below.
The Pernice Brothers’ Joe Pernice on the Origins of “The Purple Rain”
Pernice discussed the origins of “The Purple Rain” in a press release. “In March of 2019, my cousin Joe Harvard (founder of Fort Apache Studios in Boston) died of cancer. He was like a brother to me,” Pernice shared. “His death was hard for me to believe and process. By September of that year, two more 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,” he added.
“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,” Pernice explained. “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,” he concluded.
Who Will You Believe Tracklist and Release Info
The album will drop on April 5 via New West Records. It will be available on compact disc, vinyl, cassette, and on streaming platforms.
A limited Clear Vinyl edition and compact disc edition both autographed by Pernice will be available at Independent Retailers and is available for pre-order now via New West Records. Additionally, a limited cassette edition of the album will be available exclusively via Bandcamp. A limited Turquoise Color Vinyl Edition autographed by Pernice and including a blue flexi disc featuring an exclusive bonus track will also be available via Rough Trade.
Tracklist
- “Who Will You Believe”
- “Look Alive”
- “Not This Pig”
- “What We Had”
- “December in Her Eyes”
- “A Song for Sir Robert Helpmann”
- “Hey, Guitar”
- “A Man of Means”
- “I Don’t Need That Anymore” feat Neko Case
- “Ordinary Goldmine”
- “How Will We Sleep”
- “The Purple Rain”
Featured Image by Colleen Nicholson
