On Thursday, October 24, 2024, I had the pleasure to speak with Matt Sitro (Vocalities) and Jesse Davidson (Guitarist) from the Central New Jersey band Pern.
We started a Zoom call, and not even a couple of minutes later, the Pern guys and I instantly clicked and talked heavily about music and life, just like lifelong friends would, and it just feels natural. That’s for sure the big factor I enjoyed about Pern during my first impression: these guys are down-to-earth, humble people who didn’t hesitate to share their amazing stories and, of course, how their journey has been as a band with me, so it really made the experience of the video call very chill and enjoyable.
In the session of our video chat, I conducted a Q&A with Matt and Jesse to learn a little bit more about Pern and, of course, their story.
Q – What first got you into music and how did Pern first get established as a band?
A – The whole process started from a Craigslist ad involving vocalist Matt Sitro that Jesse saw posted online, and he decided to check out Matt’s work with vocals. When Jesse witnessed the potential and performance that Matt Sitro could deliver, he knew there was something special about him and decided to pursue projects together.
Q – Who was the inspiration for you to make music?
A – Matt stated that he had numerous inspirations, ranging from bands like The Devil Wears Prada and August Burns Red, but his main influence on his style was the band Underoath. Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain surely plays a big role for Sitro, and even when you listen to Pern’s live performances, you can really hear the influence Spencer has on Matt on stage.
Q – How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A – We for sure make a lot of melodic metalcore music, and it consists of dark lyrics in the tracks. With a new bassist, we are experimenting with other methods in our new music, so it’ll be interesting to look out for.
Q – What makes you excited about performing shows?
A – The main thing that excites us is being able to perform our best for fans, even if we play for 10 people we always give our everything to our performance like we are playing for a sold out venue.
Q – What makes you stand out compared to other metalcore bands in the Central New Jersey area?
A – The one major thing that stands out for Pern, according to Jesse and Matt, is that their work process is being genuine and natural with their sound and performances and to, of course, not rely on backing tracks to make the music sound more authentic and approachable.
Q – How was the transition to your new bassist joining Pern?
A – It was difficult with Suraj having to step down, but we are of course excited to experience this new journey with our new bassist and to keep making new music.
Q – What is your creative process like when creating the “Barely Breathing” EP?
A – The one big creative process for Jesse was being able to experiment with various sounds of music and, of course, learning how to organically sound produce tracks on his own for Pern’s EP “Barely Breathing”. This is definitely a big help, of course, for future projects for the band.
Q – What’s next for Pern’s musical journey?
A – The main goal is to continue making new music and to play as many shows as possible so that there can be opportunities to try and go out on tour and even look for opener spots in the future.
I would, of course, like to thank again Matt Sitro, Jesse Davidson, and their band manager Heather for the opportunity to learn more about Pern and their story. If you’re from the Central New Jersey area or even the East Coast, I highly recommend checking these guys out because I know they’ll make the experience great and will continue to strive to be the best growing band in New Jersey.
Make sure to check out Pern’s EP “Barely Breathing“, including their big tracks “Wretched Divine”, and “Gasping for Air”.
Their next upcoming show dates:
11/01 – Area 140 NYC
11/09 – Wild Air Beer, Asbury Park
11/23 – Gametime Sports Bar, Westville
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