Music of the Day: Hand Grenade - Be Your Own Pet

Be Your Own Pet – singer Jemina Pearl, guitarist Jonas Stein, bassist Nathan Vasquez, and drummers Jamin Orral / John Eatherly – had a profound influence on bands of their day and beyond. Pearl’s shadow looms especially large, with her ferocious vocal delivery and wild onstage antics. Be Your Own Pet’s popularity was immediate and intense – the band nearly broke the “hype machine.” They were quickly signing deals with tastemaker labels like XL & Ecstatic Peace, gracing the cover of major magazines, giving late-night TV performances, jet-setting to festivals around the world, and opening for everyone from the Arctic Monkeys to Sonic Youth... all while being too young to drink. Their two studio albums – 2006’s self-titled debut and its 2008 follow-up Get Awkward – garnered significant critical praise, but also left little time for dealing with the pressures that came along with their newfound fame. the band split up in 2008 amidst label pressure and internal conflict. In March 2022, they announced they would be reuniting to do a series of shows opening for Jack White.