Presented by TuneIn and Hip Hop Beat present

Pell

Mar 16, 2017

9:55pm – 10:15pm CT

Easy Tiger

2014 was a banner year for Jared Pellerin. With the independent release of Floating While Dreaming, Pell established himself as a premier force in the music world. The first major statement of a serious artist, Floating While Dreaming garnered ecstatic press across the board, including FADER, Billboard, Complex, and more. The album allowed Pell to flex his musical muscle while forging his own identity.

Though he hails from N’awlins, Pell’s sonics are more of an eclectic barrage of ethereal grooves than the raw bounce hallmark of the region. He seamlessly and tactfully flips from affectionate wordsmith to hook- smashing crooner on exceptional cuts like “The Never” and “Eleven:11.” Another album highlight “Runaway” captures Pell’s sense of striving, of rap as survival and profession, not purely a game of easy spoils, as he spits verses full of personal reflection.

Pell knows the importance of dreams. Hurricane Katrina forced Pell’s family to move to Jackson, Mississippi, when Pell was only fourteen. “All I was able to take with me from New Orleans was the musical culture I grew up in, not my possessions, only memories and life lessons,” he says, “creating a new life from scratch teaches you resilience.”

In 2015, Pell continued to forge his own path through the release of LIMBO. The album, produced by TV on The Radio’s Dave Sitek, found Pell navigating a musical arena dubbed as ‘experimental soul.” This genre combined dark synths and live instrumentation, brought together by Sitek’s specialty of removing artists from their comfort zone. On the heels of a nationwide tour supporting Kehlani, Pell launched his first headlining run spanning 28 cities to open 2016 before stops at Hangout, Firefly, and Pemberton music festivals.

He didn’t stop there. Pell satiated fans by peppering in singles like “Show Out”, “Basic Beach”, and “All In A Day’s Work” throughout his jam-packed summer. To date, these songs have amassed over 1 million streams on Spotify. Amidst all the craziness of summer ‘16, Pell still found time for friends both old and new. Recording sessions with Louis The Child brought about the single “Turn Me Down,” and a collaborative EP in “Pellican Child” which is slated for 2017. “Turn Me Down,” has garnered 1M+ streams across streaming platforms, and led to performances alongside his Chicago-collaborators at sold out shows in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Pell closed 2016 with a few new notches on his belt which ranged from collaborations with Big Gigantic, Boys Noize, and AlunaGeorge, to a myriad of shows with Tory Lanez, Sweater Beats and more. Glancing into 2017, Pell is prepping for his brand new album, and a hectic touring schedule which includes performances at festivals such as Bottlerock, Forecastle, JMBLYA and more. Pell’s musical catalog has gained over 50M streams on Spotify alone, and represents the humble beginnings of his career, the time between dreaming and doing, and the moments spent waiting for the journey to start. As a writer, rapper, singer, and producer, Pell’s talent is formidable, and his skills are still growing. With the start of what is proving to be a busy new year, Pell is poised to surpass even his wildest dreams in the year to come.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.

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About
From:
New Orleans, LA
Subgenre:
R & B