I WILL always remember my interview with The Band Perry. It wasn’t only for the fact that they are a fast-talking and cheerful trio, but also that the telephone interview took place in my car – parked on the side of the road, in heavy traffic.

You see, on the morning of the interview, I didn’t have enough time to drive myself to the office and conduct the interview in a more comfortable surrounding.

Traffic was particularly bad that day due to several road closures in the Klang Valley and I was stuck (literally) having to conduct the interview by the roadside.

The Band Perry

Nevertheless, the Perry siblings – Kimberly, Reid and Neil – made the interview much easier with their silly banter and the noisy traffic outside was soon just a sound in the background.

“We are in Canada right now, touring with Keith Urban,” said Kimberly enthusiasticly. The eldest of the three was obviously excited to be working with Keith, whom they say is one of their idols.

“It’s only been two days into the tour but we’re having so much fun. We got to write a bit with Keith before on his farm in Nashville (Tennessee),” she added.
While it may seem that the band had just propelled into stardom recently – thanks to their runaway hit If I Die Young – the fact is that they have been in the music scene for ages.

“People may have only heard four of our songs so far, but we have been working together for a long, long time. We have been working and touring together for about 13 years,” said Neil, the baby of the family.

An updated (and country) version of sibling performing troupes such as Hanson, The Moffatts, Jackson 5 and The Osmonds, The Band Perry, too, started out small.

As a teenager, Kimberly had her own band for which her brothers “worked” as roadies, and the boys later graduated to become the opening act for their sister’s band. Eventually, the three siblings decided to form their own band – calling it The Band Perry.

“We have been working together for almost all our lives. Even when we were in two separate bands, we still worked together. Only later on did Neil and I joined Kim to form this band,” said Reid.

“Yes, when they got tall enough to work with me,” teased Kimberly.
Their absolute ease in each other’s presence was apparent, even though it was just through the telephone. The boys often ragged their sister but Kimberly proved that she could stand her own ground and wouldn’t let her brothers push her around.

* Kimberly *

“Reid is the middle child and likes to push our buttons,” complained Kimberly.

“Kimberly likes to think that she’s the boss,” Reid retaliated.

“And I try to reset the buttons,” said Neil in a calm voice.

Nevertheless, it was obvious that they spend more time having fun recording songs and performing live than bickering with each other.

“The best thing about working with your siblings is that it’s the worst thing, and the worst thing about working with your siblings is that it’s the best thing,” said Kimberly with a laugh.

“We all know the best thing and worst thing about each other and being siblings, we help each other out. There’s no need for us to air the dirty laundry in public,” added Neil.

This year has been a big one for The Band Perry so far, as they have been nominated for several major awards and even won a few of them.

The band took home the Top New Vocal Duo or Group and Top New Artist awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards and won two trophies at the CMT Music Awards.

“All the hard work that we put into making our music was definitely worth it, just to get to this place we’re at now,” said Reid.

Currently, the band is almost always on the move and have less time to spend with their family and friends back home in Tennessee. It gets difficult, but they always have each other to lean on when they miss home.

“Our grandma always cuts outs articles about us from the magazine and tells us things that she reads about us. We don’t know when we’ll get home, but we’re just waiting for someone to hand us the flight tickets,” said Neil.

But when they don’t have their actual family to hang out with, the band is happy to be with their other family – their fans.

“For us, playing live is one of the best things that we can do. We’re just doing what we love and it’s great to see our fans out there,” added Reid.

It’s no surprise that the band’s fan base grew tenfold in the recent months and the Perrys feel nothing but blessed. Kimberly was quick to add that most of the attention they get from fans are not directed at her, but at her brothers instead.

“Obviously the guys get a lot of attention from the girls. If anything, I am their unofficial photographer. When we meet female fans, they either tell me to step aside or to help take their pictures,” she said.

The brothers countered that Kimberly too gets her fair share of attention from the opposite sex but Reid added that none of the guys they’ve met so far is good enough for their sister.

“But of course, we can be bribed,” said Neil.

The Band Perry is distributed by Universal Music Malaysia.