Exclusive Interview with Lee White of Pearl Bottom Radio

Exclusive Grease Inc. interview with Lee White

Photos by Brian "Big Boy" Whitcomb

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greaseinc.com | SEPTEMBER 2018

Tell us a little on how Pearl Bottom Radio was formed About 10 years ago, I was sitting in a small town bar and a guy I went to high school with that I hadn’t seen I years who just so happened to play guitar, walked in and sat down beside me. We made small talk for a while and eventually he asked “What kind of music did I listen to?” We had pretty much all the same music taste so next thing he said was “Want to start a band?” He knew a drummer, I knew a bass player, he had played guitar since he was little, and I had books and books full of words ( I always wrote poetry, songs or whatever came in my head), so I said sure, let’s start a band. But, the band never jelled or stayed together until recently, with the lineup we’ve had for 4-5 years now.

What’s the inspiration of PBR? My inspiration would be just to write good words, to tell a story or create a feeling through them. The band’s inspiration is to make good music by being ourselves and just making the music we want to make.

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What role does PBR lend to the Atlanta music scene? An all original band with good songs, some good ol’ rock and roll with some southern thrown in. We’re from the outskirts of ATL, so I do believe we all just want to kick your ass! (Musically speaking)

What is your current favorite song of PBR? Why? My favorite, at the moment, is one that’s in the works of being finished called “’ain’t friends with the devil.” It’s cool, and I just dig it.

One that we actually play live would be either “It is what it is” because more and more people are singing it with us now or “pretty lights” because well... it’s just different than others.

The question was “What are your 3 favorite songs now?” Right?

What has been so far your most memorable moment with PBR? That’s hard to say, there have been a lot. From PCB Thunder Beach, Angel City, Smoke on the Water, to a big huge older biker gentleman telling me if I didn’t get my ass on stage now he was going to hurt me bad! We ended up being friends and he shared his moonshine with me later that night.

Where do you believe the creativity comes from within PBR? It’s the band as a collective to me. Something just happens when you put us all together. We all have different taste in music and what we like and we all kinda put that together when we make music.

Who have been your influences over the year? My influences all came from my dad and mom. My dad loved and always listened to music from Willie, Waylon, Conway, to Percy Sledge, and Otis Redding. My mom gave me Elvis.

As I got older, it jumped from punk rock to hair metal to southern rock and Americana. I dig anything with good words. Definitely influences now would be great songwriters.

Where is PBR heading next? We’re heading to Florida a few times, then (I’m the wrong person to ask this question!) hopefully back to South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee. I know we’re playing Hell on Wheels at Angel City in Oct!..How about that? We’re coming to your town, be on the lookout!

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greaseinc.com | SEPTEMBER 2018