Jon Mael
The Band Perry is nominated for best new artist at this year's Grammy Awards
Every once and a while a country act becomes so massive that the relatively limited space in country radio simply can’t hold them. We’ve seen this twice over the past decade, first with Carrie Underwood and more recently with Taylor Swift. The Band Perry is on the verge of making that sort of rise, and within a year we should be mentioning them in the same breath as the two megastars that preceded them.
Only one song from TBP has spilt onto hit radio. “If I Die Young” reached #14 on the billboard top 100 in 2011, and it still gets occasional top 40 plays on stations like Kiss 108. I’m surprised that they haven’t had another one of their tracks break into the top 40. “You Lie” and “All Your Life” both have solid pop elements, and with Kimberly’s fantastic vocals they seem like they’d be just as huge. Don’t count the latter out, as it is still a very new single and can still make a climb up the billboard charts to pop supremacy.
But radio success is only half of the equation. What really can move a country act into the mainstream is a great live show. TBP has been conservative live so far. They have supported Tim Mcgraw and will be supporting Brad Paisley this year on his “Virtual Reality” tour. Once they have a second album out, it will be time for Kimberly, Neil, and Reid to go out on their own and make a name for themselves in arenas around the country.
What sets the band apart from most other acts in country music is Kimberly’s songwriting. Writing your own lyrics in general is rare enough, but to be able to write such urgent and powerful tracks is a skill that sets them apart talent wise from the field, and their being three siblings sets them apart on the all important marketing front. Look for nothing but more fame for the trio, who have a chance to really break out at the Grammy’s next month, where they are nominated for best new artist.
