Brothers Tom and Rick Pernikoff have been playing music together since they were children—a fascination that grew from driving in the car with their mother, who cranked up Motown on the radio, to learning different instruments in high school, like bass and guitar.
“I wanted to be in a rock band like Led Zeppelin,” Rick recalls.
Fast forward and the two brothers are in their own band: the Pernikoff Brothers, which consists of Tom and Rick, the singers and guitarists of the group, along with Kevin Bowers, the group’s drummer.
Now, the Midwestern folk-rock trio is set to release a new album that they recorded just last year at Abbey Road Studios in London.
“It was kind of a special thing, and we weren’t even planning on doing it,” says Tom.
In 2024, the Pernikoff Brothers spent several weeks in France performing at open mics and working remotely for their music-tech company, Tunespeak. The group planned a stop in London to visit a high school friend, as well, which opened the door to a once in a lifetime opportunity: the chance to record at Abbey Road in studio 2—a particularly famous spot where the Beatles recorded their early hits.
The Beatles have been an inspiration to all three of the Pernikoff Brothers’ band members—especially Tom and Rick. In 2005, the brothers started playing Beatles songs while working in Silicon Valley.
“That’s kind of how we got started singing together and later writing our own songs,” says Tom.
Tom and Rick initially performed as a duo in California before later moving back to Missouri and adding an additional musician to the group.
But the Beatles weren’t the only thing that inspired their creativity; their love of music has also been indirectly influenced by their faith.
Rick remembers the first time he performed in public, singing portions of the Torah at Traditional Congregation in Creve Coeur.
“I was extremely shy and had a fear of speaking in public,” says Rick. “I’ve had to get over that over the years, which I actually remember happening during my bar mitzvah.”
Tom also frequently sings harmonic minor in the shower and occasionally incorporates the up-tempo into the group’s music.
“Sometimes when we’re playing live, I’ll improvise some minor chords, and I might just naturally go to that harmonic minor because I’ve been around it so much,” Tom says. “I don’t really write music like that, but it’s funny to me that it sometimes happens.”
The Pernikoff Brothers music combines an eclectic mix of genres, including rock, folk rock, indie rock and Americana along with elements of blues, soul and R&B. Their music has been compared to that of Simon & Garfunkel, The Police and Dave Matthews Band, among others.
Since the release of their debut album in 2011, titled “On My Way,” the group has played with numerous artists, including Willie Nelson and Tim Reynolds of the Dave Matthews Band, to name a few.
Now, the Pernikoff Brothers are gearing up for their new album release show on April 26 at 7 p.m. at the Strauss Black Box Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. The event is sold out, but fans can catch a live stream of the performance at home.
Their new album consists of 10 songs—two of which are already available online, including “Tired” and a cover of the Beatles’ song “Eleanor Rigby.”
Fortunately, there will also be additional opportunities to see the Pernikoff Brothers perform locally, including Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. at Sasha’s Wine Bar on De Mun Avenue, as well as Friday, May 30 at 6 p.m. at Wild Crush. Both events are free. Then in June, the group will go on tour with actor Kevin Bacon’s band, The Bacon Brothers.
Wherever the group goes, their goal of writing and making music remains the same: “… to build a fan base that loves our music, so we have people to create art for,” says Tom.
