Drawing inspiration from '70s pop acts such as Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan and adding the dreamy gloss of the Beach Boys, Pearl Harbor's 2009 debut EP, Something About the Chaparrals (released through Mexican Summer), featured the mesmerizing Luv Goons. Summing up the band's early sound perfectly, Luv Goons bounced along with a sun-soaked guitar line and laid-back vocals, although the sense of longing that lingered behind the coolness of Piper's delivery added weight to the sound of Pearl Harbor's fledgling recordings.
Having spent the majority of 2009 playing shows in and around Los Angeles, Pearl Harbor -- joined by ex-Mika Miko bassist Jessie Clavin and drummer Matt Correia live -- became associated with the burgeoning female-fronted lo-fi indie scene, which included the likes of Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, Nite Jewel, and Vivian Girls. In March 2010, the sisters Kaplan and company headed to Texas to play South by Southwest, before releasing the atmospheric Slivers of You 7" in early April on Big Love. In June, they changed their name to Puro Instinct and set off on tour with Ariel Pink. ~ Daniel Clancy, Rovi