Biography
Pearly* are a guitar-driven alt-rock band from Ōtepoti/Dunedin, formed in 2023. The band takes its name from a Radiohead B-side — guitarist and vocalist Joel Field describes himself as “unapologetically the biggest Radiohead fan.” Field had previously played in Porpoise and Dale Kerrigan, and recruited drummer Josh Nicholls (Space Bats Attack, Koizilla, Asta Rangu, Bathysphere, Fazed on a Pony, Dale Kerrigan) after spotting bassist and vocalist Phaedra Love, whose short-lived band Fairuza had opened for Mermaidens and Soft Plastics. Guitarist Ryan Hill, the only member without prior Dunedin band history, completed the lineup.
The band recorded their debut Pearly* EP almost immediately after forming, releasing it in 2024 through trace/untrace. The four-track vinyl was picked up by US indie label MPLS Ltd (catalogue number 073) for a limited pressing, gaining the band an international following. The EP’s eleven minutes span “Say Whatever”, “I Don’t Make Mistakes”, “Post Key BCP E”, and “Hit The Ground Beside You” — establishing a sound that critics would compare to Pavement, R.E.M., Cat Power, and the classic Dunedin Sound: jangle and fuzz-crunch dynamics, space giving way to explosive payoffs, and contrasting vocals from Field and Love.
Their debut album Not So Sweet followed in August 2025, recorded by Nick Roughan (The Skeptics, Bailterspace) at South Link Studios in Dunedin — a connection forged through Dale Kerrigan, with Roughan championing the band to figures including David Kilgour. The album was released jointly through Leather Jacket Records, Pinacolada Records, and Flying Nun Records, on glow-in-the-dark and exclusive Flying Nun Black vinyl. It entered New Zealand’s top 40 and was listed among Rolling Stone Australia’s 50 Best New Zealand Albums of 2025.
Members
- Joel Field (guitar / vocals, Pearly*, Dale Kerrigan, Porpoise)
- Phaedra Love (bass / vocals, Pearly*, Fairuza)
- Ryan Hill (guitar, Pearly*)
- Josh Nicholls (drums, Pearly*, Space Bats Attack, Koizilla, Asta Rangu, Bathysphere, Fazed on a Pony, Dale Kerrigan)
Discography
- Pearly* EP (2024, trace/untrace / MPLS Ltd, 073)
- Not So Sweet (2025, Leather Jacket Records / Pinacolada Records / Flying Nun Records)