Download "Intend To Do" by The Perfect Children for free all week HERE!
Give us some background on The Perfect Children…
The Perfect Children started as a duo with Kristen Kreft (me--J Dorsey Blues Revival, Pearlene, Abiyah) on guitar/electric piano/vocals/songwriter and Adam Shelton (RX2, Kallip) on drums. Adam and I had worked together before and always had a great dynamic. He really understands my voice and writing style and my love for the less is more approach to songwriting. The content is simple, but the soul of it is complex, which is only achieved by an honest performance. Adam is intricate, but not delicate...just like me. The additions to the band had to have this same mission and drive musically. That is when Beth Harris (The Hiders, Pearlene) came into play. Beth's instrument is her voice. She writes most of the backing vocals which take our songs to the very next level. It is her impeccable taste, soul, and understanding of the lyric that brings the background just behind the lead vocal. The next addition to the band was Nicole Potter Bornegrebe. Her powerful voice and insurmountable energy adds to the vocal arsenal that is our three part harmony. This summer we connected with the perfect bass player to FINALLY complete our rhythm section. Victor Strunk (Magnolia Mountain/ Me Or The Moon/Salty Candy) underlines the whole band with his melodic lines further punctuating the songs.
When asked to describe the genre or type of music The Perfect Children play, I am always at a loss for words...sort of...But this is what I have come up with: The King Records Library. That's it! I write out of necessity and raw emotion, and have a myriad of influences ranging from Garage Rock, Delta Blues, Jazz, Soul, R&B, Pop,Country and Rockabilly. The artists and songs that haunt the King Library are full of all of these genres. This is what I have grown up on, and what my heart feels when I sit down to write. I don't pigeon hole myself to a genre, because then it is not honest.
Any significance of the name of the band?
I am not so good with this. But Adam is! We were talking about it one day and he pulled out a notebook filled with writings...lines scrawled here and there, brainstorms, paragraphs and groupings. One of them being, "...you'll know the summons when the perfect children play the Viking beat and the impetuous hate is smothered in reverence." He started reading some of them out loud and as soon as he said "The Perfect Children" I knew that was it!
I am a single mom of a lovely (and practically perfect ;)) little girl, as well as teach music to children...not to mention we have a playfulness to our performance that really lends to the name in a tongue in cheek kind of way. People ask if we really are perfect, and I just invite them to a play date...but they better be ready to get dirty!
What inspired the song "Intend to do"?
Intend to Do is something that I strive never to do. A long time ago I told a friend I would "try" to do something...I don't remember what it was that I said I would try to do, but he said back "don't try, just do". Ok. That has stuck with me ever since. As well as using this as a daily reminder, the song is also a warning. You can take it like medicine; use it for what is ailing you today. Of course when it was written there was a very personal love scorned tone to it, but each time I play it or listen to it, it takes on new meaning. As my father always says "Life is not a dress rehearsal".
What is next for The Perfect Children?
We are wrapping up a long awaited album recorded by Grammy Award Winner Brian Olive. Everything we do is super real and vintagey, so it was necessary to record Analogue. It takes longer, and we won't be auto-tuning or using computery devices, but the best things come to those who wait.
Once releasing the album, we will be more free to perform outside of our welcoming and familiar home...Mini tours, introducing our music to a wider audience, as well as educating people on this Cincinnati sound that we are proud to be a part of.
