The Pearly Everlasting is a hardy prairie flower, with a high tolerance for drought and frost.
Dream Version describe themselves as an indie pop Trojan Horse, testing out how many weird choices they can make without sacrificing an accessible, melodic exterior. Since forming in Chicago in 2012, the band’s twin mantras have remained: “Don’t waste time” and “Don’t condescend.”
The band in 2023: Alec Harryhausen (vocals, bass), Eric Brummitt (guitar, keys), and Michael Kunik (drums)
The band met as Chicago Public Schools teachers. In their decade-long existence, they’ve released three full-lengths and a brand new EP. 2015’s Beginners was a coming of age record about navigating adulthood, imposter syndrome, and changing relationships. 2017’s Fight Fair was a more tightly conceptual record, a scream of political anger for introverts who don’t like confrontation. Rolling Stone made Fight Fair an Editor’s Pick, calling it "sharp-cornered, highly erudite rock that brings to mind horn-rimmed glasses and sticker-covered college radio studios.” In 2021, the band released their self-titled third album, a looser record that simultaneously explored more poppy, mathy, and haunting directions.
Chic-a-Go-Go, 2015
2017
2021
In 2023, Dream Version released its most confident work yet, an E.P. composed of five new tracks. The songs on Common Pearly Everlasting tend to be about time and permanence. Most of its songs revolve around keeping relationships vibrant as they age (N.R.E., The Healing Power of Touch), including the connections between the band members themselves (What If We Gave Up). As the E.P. progresses, the topics of the songs themselves seem to grow up (Real Estate) before flaming out in the climate apocalypse (Painful High Five).
The band were really pleased to work with composer and multi-instrumentalist Erik Hall as their engineer at his home studio in Western Michigan. And equally excited to have the record mixed by Polyvinyl artist and Michigan music scene staple Fred Thomas. Both of their fingerprints are unmistakable on this set of songs.
The Pearly Everlasting is a hardy prairie flower, with a high tolerance for drought and frost. More importantly, it’s an herbal remedy for diarrhea.