PEARL AND THE BEARD [INTERVIEW]

Check out this exclusive interview I did with Pearl and the Beard’s Jocelyn Mackenzie. This multi-talented band from New York is a fucking riot, and really knows how to put on a great show. Enjoy!

the WILD honey pie: Where the best place you’ve had the chance to perform? What was the audience like? Do you prefer a loud crowd or one that simply sits and observes?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: I prefer a crowd that’s really enjoying themselves and expressing their emotions at a show, no matter how that manifests itself. So if people are screaming and dancing or swaying slowly or making out… as long as they can feel connected to the music, I’m happy.

the WILD honey pie: I see you’ve covered Will Smith’s Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Well done! Any other songs you’d love to cover? Since my site is names after The Beatles, any of their songs?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: We do, what I think, is a killer cover of Violent Femmes’ Blister in the Sun that’s just totally ridiculous. Actually, seeing them live was one of the things that ignited my interest in the drums… their drummer always just looks so happy when he plays. It’s like he’s so thrilled to be doing what he’s doing at that very minute. And even with just three people, they’re so energetic and charismatic and powerful. If I could form a freakish Violent Femmes cover band I would do that any day. And we may not ever cover any Beatles songs, but we could potentially do some Traveling Willburys.

the WILD honey pie: If you were the President of the United States for one day, what would you do? (Preferably include at least one funny thing to keep it light haha)
Jocelyn Mackenzie: I would invite Oprah over because she would like totally come, and we would have a private concert given to us by Tom Waits in the White House. Cause that would be freaky sick. And I’d order sandwiches for the O and myself at all weird hours of the night, because they have a chef on staff whose job it is to stay up all night in case the President wants something. Really though, I would focus on education reform. The system we have in place just isn’t working, especially concerning private universities… it just should not be legal for a college to charge $40,000 a semester for tuition and not even be able to guarantee graduates a job upon matriculation. It’s not about educating a populace anymore, it’s about greed, and that’s not productive.

the WILD honey pie: What would you do if you were forced to shave the beard? Change the name of the band?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: The band name has nothing to do with Jeremy’s beard. He just happens to have one. I would grow one too if I could.

the WILD honey pie: If you could collaborate with one rapper right now, who would it be? Why?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: For some reason I’ve always been fond of Coolio. It’s not clear why.

the WILD honey pie: The music industry is in crisis mode right now, yet indie music is more popular than ever. Happy about this? What makes your music better than Brittany Spears’?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: I don’t think our music is better than Britney Spears’ because we’re doing totally different things. It’s like comparing apples and convection ovens. But Britney Spears is a great performer. Even though I’m not a huge fan of her material, there’s certainly something to be said about being able to sing and dance on a stage in heels for two and half hours… I can’t do that. Even though she doesn’t write her own songs, she fills a niche in the music industry that involves skills that a lot of people don’t want to harness, but they want to expereince. I think the crisis in the music industry has actually made great waves for opening up doors to individual musicians… through the internet, the average person now has more access to more diverse music than ever before, you just have to be willing to look for it. And now with every new computer coming with built-in recording equipment, you have people who never would have dreamed of putting their music into the world experimenting with what they can do. That’s beautiful.

the WILD honey pie: I feel the compulsive need to dance when I listen to your music. What sort of dance would you suggest (i.e. the robot, funky chicken, sprinkler, etc.)?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: Whatever the spirit moves you.

the WILD honey pie: I realized recently that I eat the same thing for breakfast every day. What’s your favorite breakfast food? Any favorite cereal? Favorite cereal slogan?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: I only eat human flesh. Slogan: “Mmmm, it’s fleshtastic!”

the WILD honey pie: Someone hands you a stack of hundred dollar bills. What do you do with the money?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: Burn it. WHO NEEDS IT? Really, though, really? I would pay my fucking bills. I have no delusions of grandeur here.

the WILD honey pie: What’s your favorite movie quote of all time? What movie is it from?
Jocelyn Mackenzie: “Smell this. Is good, no?” -Michael Richards as Fejos in Transylvania 6-5000.