Thirteen years ago today, on Oct. 12, 2010, the Band Perry released their eponymous freshman album, on Republic Nashville.
The debut single from The Band Perry, “Hip to My Heart,” peaked at No. 20 on the charts, but the follow-up single from the sibling trio, “If I Die Young,” shot straight to the top. It has sold more than 5 million copies to date.
The Band Perry debut album cover
“”If I Die Young” is actually the first song that we had penned for the album,” Kimberly Perry tells The Boot of the tune. “It defines an early chapter of our music career. We penned it on a cloudy day in East Tennessee, which is where we live and do all of our best thinking. We wanted to write a song about making the most of whatever time you’re given — whether it’s two years, 20 years or 200.”
She adds, “That song works on so many levels and means different things to different people. It was just one of those songs that you felt like was meant to be on planet Earth. We were just real humble to have the pen and paper in hand when it was ready to come, and, for us, it is a statement of contentment … For us, it was a statement of, you know what, if it all ends at this moment, for whatever reason, even at our young ages, we’ve gotten to live and love so well and so completely. And that’s what it means to us.”
The Band Perry, which also includes Kimberly Perry’s brothers, Neil and Reid Perry, released three additional singles from their self-titled debut disc: ”You Lie,” which landed at No. 2; “Postcard From Paris,” which hit No. 6; and “All Your Life,” which became the siblings’ second chart-topping hit.
Their debut album helped the Band Perry earn two ACM Awards, for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year and New Artist of the Year, along with two CMA Awards: one for New Artist of the Year, and one Single of the Year, for “If I Die Young.”
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