Pearly Drops is an entirely self-produced duo from Helsinki, Finland. The pair, Sandra Tervonen and Juuso Malin are known for their unique, grungy musical language that presents a dream-like auditory landscape. On-the-nose vulnerability is an inherent part of their lyrical framework, all backgrounded by light-touch mystery, drawing listenership into their world. It’s these and many other features of their unique sound that has gained them a dedicated global audience.
They are currently rounding off their spring tour which ends on April 30th at Kollektivet Livet in Stockholm, Sweden. Though, it isn’t long before they’re back on tour again for a summer festival circuit. Teed up to play a number of iconic events and venues, Pearly Drops will take the stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago Illinois, and The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, California, to name a few.
Despite the fact that they’ve been busy touring, they’ve also recently revealed a new collaborative single on April 17th with Night Tapes, entitled Fade To Black. When it comes to releases, their latest full album is entitled The Voices Are Coming Back and dropped in August 2025.Â
On March 6th, 2026, the duo performed at newly renovated XOYO, which has been outfitted with an upgraded sound system set amongst its reimagined basement stage. Arriving in Shoreditch, London most of the crowd was already inside as I passed through security to grab my photo pass. Before Pearly Drops took the stage, Harmony Tividad opened the heaving (sold out) venue.
Along the ceiling, cubes affixed with digital screens across each surface read: “Pearly Drops.” Meanwhile, lights flickered and pulsated like electrified arteries, as the crowd eagerly awaited the duo to take the stage. The same energies imbued throughout their tracks were present on stage, albeit more punchy and immersive. Juuso and Sandra breathed new life into each track as they performed live. They leaned outward toward the crowd, wavering, jumping, and dancing as they were embraced by fans singing along to each word.
We chatted with Pearly Drops to discuss the origin of the project, why it’s important to pursue your passions before you have proof that they will succeed, veggie burgers after the show, and curating a performance that allows the audience to feel a sense of belonging.
The Cold Magazine (CM): Tell us about the origin of “Pearly Drops,” where did your stage name come from?
Juuso Malin (JM): At that time, we sought something simple, an expression that felt as fresh as the morning dew and as refined as a strand of luminous pearls. Or a name that sounds like tears.
CM: What do you think of the phrase: “If present you wants it so bad, that’s because future you already has it”?
Sandra Tervonen (ST): Absolutely! I don’t think our linear way of experiencing time is the ultimate truth anyway.
CM: Your music takes its listeners through an electronic, phantasmal universe, introspective lyricism guiding the way…Tell us about your unique sound and how you’ve come to refine it over the years?
ST: We guess it all ends up being a reflection of your personality and interests. Pearly Drops kind of started as a “guilty pleasure” project. We wanted a clean slate and to make something purely for ourselves.
JM: Thank you very much. It’s just a melting pot of everything we’ve learned over the years. With experience comes the confidence to draw naturally from that knowledge, without needing to focus on what happens to be hot at any given moment. I guess.
CM: Why do you think it’s important for musicians and artists to experiment – to see what happens – to try new things?
ST: We feel like art dies without experimentation, or without a certain sense of play. Sometimes you hear music that sounds like it was just another day at the studio, wrapped up conveniently before lunch.
CM: What’s your biggest tour guilty pleasure?
ST: Right now: a nice veggie burger after the show.
JM: Jameson Irish whiskey.
CM: Dream venue to play?
ST: A place where everyone feels like they belong, both us and our lovely listeners.
CM: If you had to choose a fashion label/ designer that was most aligned with your sound, what would it be?
JM: Lately we’ve been wearing a lot of the Finnish label Vain and Estonian Racer Worldwide®.
CM: Late night in the studio, go-to caffeine fix?
ST: If it’s serious: an Americano. If it’s not: an espresso martini.
CM: The most noteworthy “holy shit, here we are” moment while performing on stage?
ST: Right off the bat, probably our recent LA show at The Echo. It felt very fitting to sing about being delusional on Sunset Blvd while actually being on Sunset Boulevard.
JM: Usually bigger festival stages feel like “Uh oh, here we go again”.
CM: When you aren’t performing, or recording new music — how do you recharge your creative energy?
ST: Honestly, boredom is the key. You need to give yourself space to be bored every now and then, that’s where your mind starts to wander, and where real inspiration tends to come from.
CM: Advice to fans wanting to start making music?
ST: Start from a place of joy. And also, there’s so much accessible information out there now. A lot of producers share how they make beats and tracks, which is a really inspiring way to learn.
JM: Just begin. I personally started with a very basic free program at a time when YouTube or tutorials were not yet available. It doesn’t need to be sophisticated from the outset.
