The Pierces are a spellbinding musical duo composed of sisters Catherine and Allison Pierce. Their enchanting harmonies are unparalleled in the contemporary soundscape, and have captivated audiences around the world. After their 2014 album, Creation, the sisters decided to pursue solo projects, but vowed to reunite again. Now, in the midst of a cataclysmic year, The Pierces have reemerged. The newly released The Pierces: Acoustic Sessions is a virtual concert that demonstrates their bewitching musical prowess through stripped down renditions of fan favorites, beautiful covers, and a special debut of their single, Everything (out September 09, 2020).
Words: Tracey Flores
Image: The Pierces / Photography: Alicia Chandler
We’re living in quite a hectic time, to help contextualize this conversation, how are you feeling about reemerging as The Pierces in 2020?
Catherine: These are definitely hectic times. Structures and systems are falling apart and that's scary, but it’s also inspiring because it's a time of re-imagining. I think a lot of people are recognizing what's genuinely important and making shifts towards a different kind of life. Personally, it feels good to be singing with Allison again and hopefully offering some comfort and happiness to people that like our music.
The Pierces: Acoustic Sessions is the first time you’ve played a concert together in five years. Do you feel like any of your songs have taken on a new meaning as you’ve revisited them during this time?
Allison: The song Monsters has definitely taken on new meaning for us. It has always been about overcoming fear, but I think the magnitude of what's been happening in the world, and having to face all of these frightening unknowns, has made us feel child-like in a way. It's been a time of really trusting that there is a greater plan at play and believing that the suffering we go through has purpose and can take us to new, beautiful places.
You’ve been recording new music that you plan on releasing soon, how has the chaotic nature of 2020 impacted your creative process?
Catherine: Well, the pandemic has forced everyone to go inward physically and emotionally, and there's a lot of fertile ground for creativity and expression there. We had to put recording on hold but it's been a great time for developing song ideas. We are going to resume recording in a couple of weeks so that's exciting.
Speaking of new music, during your Acoustic Sessions, you debuted your new song, Everything. Can you let us know a little bit more about the inspiration behind this soon to be released track?
Catherine: Everything is about desire and the impossibility of satisfaction. Longing and wanting never really end...as soon as one wish comes true, we want something else. It's human nature and it's what drives us and keeps us passionate and alive.
Allison: We thought it was interesting to just casually say that all we want is EVERYTHING. It's impossible, but it's basically what everyone wants. We're insatiable beings.
"The pandemic has forced everyone to go inward physically and emotionally and there's a lot of fertile ground for creativity and expression there."
Image: The Pierces / Photography: Alicia Chandler
Do you feel like Everything is setting the tone for the new music you’ll be releasing?
Allison: We are just seeing how things unfold and allowing each song to be its own creation. We are still early in the process, so we'll see what emerges.
Catherine: This will be the first Pierces album where we have total creative control. We are making it independently so there will be no influence from label people which so far is super refreshing.
How do you feel your new material relates to your existing bodies of work?
Catherine: Since we had a break, we can come back to this album and really draw from old styles that still resonate with us and explore new ground. It was important to find ourselves a bit as individual artists then come back together and offer each other, and our audience, something fresh (and also something familiar).
What personal value have you drawn from creating, sharing, and consuming art in times of chaos? And what do you hope fans get from your new music during such turbulent times?
Allison: I hope our music offers healing for our fans. I think that is the purpose of music. Sound and expression together create an energy that is very powerful.
Catherine: I feel that expression is everything right now. The state of the world feels so bleak and the only way out of it is to create something better.