After releasing two albums under the name JPNSGRLS, the Vancouver indie/alt-rockers changed their name to Hotel Mira and dropped a self-titled EP in 2018. The band released their debut full-length, Perfectionism, on Valentine’s Day.
Vocalist Charlie Kerr says that the idea of perfectionism lives in him; when it came time to think about the new album, he looked at how perfectionism is “weirdly glorified” in our society. In his personal life, Kerr says, perfectionism is insidious, and it creates an imbalance in his self-image.
“For some reason, my identity is this good person who always gets it right, or the worst person on the planet,” says Kerr. “There’s no room for a middle ground, and that’s what I’m striving for… or else I’ll lose my mind.”
Through his evolution as an artist and in collaboration with his bandmates, Kerr believes that his playing and his technical ability to write beautiful melodies can provide a foundation strong enough to support the dark lyrical complexities of Perfectionism.
“Somewhere along the line as a songwriter, I started to identify as wanting to top what I’ve done before,” says Kerr. “In songwriting and in storytelling, a lot of that is just digging deeper and finding more stories in yourself that ask uncomfortable questions, and hopefully there’s something universal about those things.”
Kerr says that sharing such intimate and personal stories still terrifies him. Perfectionism dives into Kerr’s personal vulnerabilities and his experiences of love and heartbreak.
“I think that I was able to take that risk and be that vulnerable because I was in this loving relationship at the time,” he says. “It feels like you’re in one way or another invincible because you know no matter what you’re up to in this pretty mercurial realm, when you get home there’s somebody who accepts you and loves you no matter what. A lot of the reason why I was able to dig deeper on this record for a lot of the material is being inspired by unconditional love.”
Kerr says that one of his favourite aspects of being a musician is sharing these personal songs with his audiences. The intimate stories told through his music transform and grow in their meaning as the listener applies individual narratives and interpretations. Kerr lives for the moment when his audience and band inspire a connection beyond the intricacies of his personal thoughts.
“I want to leave people feeling a broad connection and a feeling of unity. Our fans come from all walks of life, and we try to welcome that and we’re proud of that,” says Kerr. “I think it’s gorgeous that we can play a show with everybody in the same room and some people are there because they like the aggressive aspect and they’re there to have that energy flow through them, and some people are there because they like the poppy elements. Everybody is there for a different subtext of a reason, but then they are all collected together through this concert and feel something.”
Kerr wants to provide a haven for people who feel outcast in one form or another. He says that this world is full of divisiveness, and he wants to provide a time and space to focus on love and resistance, urging his audience to take a step back and really look at the people around them.
“Somewhere along the line I’ve realized that that’s what this music did for people and that’s what music did for me as a kid,” he says. “To pay that forward is such a cool element of the whole thing; it’s what makes it worth it.”
Hotel Mira
7 pm Thursday, February 27
$14.50, Lucky Bar
luckybar.ca