Q&A: Pearly Gates Reflects on His Relationship with the Internet in “META”
WRITTEN BY FAITH LUEVANOS
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Over the last two years, Newcastle-based artist Tom Hunt, AKA Pearly Gates, has been devoting his time to writing and perfecting his on-stage performances since his last release in 2024. Now, listeners get to hear what Hunt has been working on with the release of his new single, “META.” Hunt shared, “Rather than forcing releases, I took the time to find a direction that felt more genuine and emotionally honest, and I’m really happy I gave myself that time.” Born through the complexities of Hunt’s relationship with the internet, “META” serves as both a wake-up call and reflection on the way we spend our time online.
Sitting at the intersection of artists like The 1975, Harry Styles, and Kelly Lee Owens, Hunt’s sound takes inspiration from them while simultaneously paving a lane of his own. “META” takes post-modern lyricism and combines it with hypnotic beats that captivate audiences, making them come back for more each time. The track is immersive yet introspective, digital yet larger than life.
Life on Jupiter sat down with Pearly Gates to catch up on the last two years, the release of “META,” the Newcastle music scene and more. Read the full interview below.
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LIFE ON JUPITER: Thanks for sitting down with Life on Jupiter! For our readers who may not be familiar with your music, how would you describe it?
HUNT: Hey! Thanks for having me. I’m Tom AKA Pearly Gates, and I make electronic music that sits somewhere between immersive soundscapes and live performance. Think The 1975 at their most experimental, Harry Styles at his most electronic, and Kelly Lee Owens at her most transcendent moments. It’s music that’s emotionally, socially, and politically driven, designed to carry the same energy on the record as it does live.
Congrats on the release of "META." What was the pivotal moment that inspired the track?
HUNT: Thank you! “META” began with the idea of writing from the perspectives of people my age (early 20s) and our relationship with the internet. I wanted to capture that feeling of constantly analyzing everything we see and say on social media, over-intellectualizing every emotion, and filtering every experience through the online world. It actually started out as a bit of a joke, but the further I got into writing it, the more I realized I wasn’t creating a character at all; I was just describing my own relationship with the internet, a constant push and pull between feeling completely fatigued by it, yet endlessly drawn back in. Somewhere around the bridge, the irony falls away and the song becomes completely honest. I think that is what “META” is really about: using the internet to understand our emotions better, but somehow ending up more disconnected from them, which is pretty bleak, but true.
Your last release, "Disclosure," came out in 2024. What made you return to music with "META"?
HUNT: I’ve had a busy couple of years performing live and writing constantly, but during this time, I struggled to create something that felt like it was fully expressing what I wanted to say. A lot of the music captured parts of the feeling, but never quite connected emotionally. I think I became so surrounded by constant content, opinions, aesthetics, and online noise that it was hard to hear my own perspective clearly. Everything started to feel oversaturated, and that feeling naturally found its way into my writing. Rather than forcing releases, I took the time to find a direction that felt more genuine and emotionally honest, and I’m really happy I gave myself that time because it helped me find a much clearer lyrical voice and a better understanding of what I actually wanted to say going forward.
In the meantime, you've been performing in Newcastle and Stockton. Have these live performances helped you develop your upcoming shows?
HUNT: Absolutely. I’ve been doing both full band sets and solo shows, and it’s been a great way to test run the new batch of songs I’ve been working on. Hearing how people respond to the new material in a live setting has been really valuable, and it’s always amazing when audience members connect with songs that haven’t even been released yet. It’s helped shape how I want to approach the upcoming shows and given me a clearer idea of how I want the live experience to feel.
How do you battle being online 24/7 as an artist when it comes to promoting music and organic followers?
HUNT: I think it’s about finding a balance. The internet is obviously an essential tool for sharing music, promoting releases, and connecting with people, and I definitely spend a lot of time using it for that. But it’s easy to get caught up in constantly performing online, and I try not to let that take over my creative process. The most rewarding thing for me is when people discover the music and genuinely connect with it, rather than feeling like everything has to be forced through algorithms.
As an artist, what are some nonnegotiables for you in terms of creation?
HUNT: Instant coffee, close collaborators, and Ableton. It’s my holy trinity when it comes to creating.
Is there a line in the song that stands out the most to you?
HUNT: ‘My friends try to text me and I don’t reply, socially inept, chronically online, if I’m falling apart, it’s aesthetic, no? Tell me something I already know.’
I like this line because it immediately introduces the tone of the track. It’s a joke, but also a pretty honest reflection of how we mediate our feelings through the internet.
For those of us who are unfamiliar, what is the Newcastle music scene like? Is there another city or region you'd love to perform in one day?
HUNT: It’s a really exciting time to be from the North East. There’s such a supportive community of artists, promoters, and venues, and I genuinely think we’ve got one of the best music scenes in the UK (although I’m definitely a bit biased)! There’s so much incredible talent coming through at the moment, and everyone seems to be pushing each other in the best way. As for somewhere I’d love to play, Berlin would be the dream. The city has such a vibrant electronic scene, and I think the project would feel really at home there.
Any final messages for your fans and our readers?
HUNT: Just a massive thank you for reading and for all the support. If “META” sounds like your kind of thing, I'd really appreciate it if you could pre-save it through the link in my bio and give it a listen when it drops on August 20. Make sure to follow my socials too, as there's a lot of exciting news on the way very, very soon.