Joe Pernice

by Michael Sutton
Singer/songwriter Joe Pernice is usually tossed in with alternative country-rock artists because of the melancholy twang of his groups the Scud Mountain Boys and the Pernice Brothers. However, his sweet, crystal-clear, and sometimes mopey voice and poetic, introspective lyrics are much closer to the spirit of Mark Eitzel than that of Nashville. Born from a family of Italian migrants in Boston, MA, Pernice's roots aren't in country but in late-'70s and early-'80s punk and new wave: the Jam, the Clash, Elvis Costello, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Pernice's work has been compared to the Eagles, but his taste in covers -- the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way," the Chameleons' "Up the Down Escalator," Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon," New Order's "Leave Me Alone" -- reveal his Anglophiliac passions. Pernice, then playing bass, formed the Pernice Brothers in 1985 with his sibling Bob Pernice. They recorded some demos, but the brothers eventually joined Joe Harvard in the Country Cousins. Pernice then moved to Northampton, MA, to attend college and started the Scuds, named after missiles used in the Gulf War, in the early '90s. After evolving with a more country-like flavor and undergoing lineup changes, the band switched its name to the Scud Mountain Boys, releasing Pine Box on the Swedish label Chunk in 1995. A year later, the group recorded the critically acclaimed Massachusetts for Sub Pop. Wanting more freedom from the Scud Mountain Boys' roots rock sound, Pernice broke up the band and revived the Pernice Brothers. In 1998, the Pernice Brothers released Overcome by Happiness, reflecting Pernice's love for classic pop. Following the recording of another Pernice Brothers album, Pernice released his solo debut, The Big Tobacco, featuring songs intended for the Scud Mountain Boys. He also created his own label, Ashmont Records, and wrote a book of poetry