Reid Perry

CANDOR COMES EASILY FROM HARDIN’S YOUNG FOLK-ROCKER

At 19, Reid Perry is very much an old soul expressing himself in a timeless format — with a guitar riff and a hungry voice.

He’s not trying to be a rock star, but rather the pied piper of folk rock. He’s playing several Billings shows over the next few weeks, starting with a show Saturday night with his trio, Montana Avenue Band, at Manny’s. The trio includes Shan Denning and Daniel Gillespie, former members of the indie band Flowers From Her.

Almost from the time Perry got his first guitar at the age of 12 and his father taught him to play it, Perry began inventing music.

By 15, he was ready to perform for people outside of family.

“I wasn’t good enough to play anybody else’s stuff,” he joked.

Perry, who lives in Hardin and writes for the Big Horn County News, is sincere and that comes through in his music. His strengths — and there are many — are his beautiful melodies and his down-home lyrics.

Perry wrote one of his newest songs, “Alexandra,” in late November, fueled by his desire to use the phrase, “jiminy Christmas.”

It’s the opening line in the ballad that has a young man chasing down a woman for a kiss in the rain. The song is sentimental and feels familiar from the first time you hear it.

Another line opens with “holy smokes,” and later he expresses the beauty of the night as a “phosphorous glow in the silvery night.”

“I love to write lyrics. You can have five-minute stories and everything works out,” Perry said.

Perry’s songwriting and guitar picking would be nothing without his distinct vocals. He is always searching for the right key to match with his instrumental riffs.

“I compare it with playing the trombone. It’s a slider and there aren’t keys to play the notes, you have to hear them,” he said.

Perry has never played the trombone, but when he attended Custer High School, he did play the trumpet. He just thinks about things. He sugarcoats nothing, including his trip to Denver last year where he played for three people in a pizza place. Or the bartender at the Haufbrau in Bozeman who once yelled at him: “Play something faster, you’re putting us to sleep.”

Ironically, the Haufbrau is among his favorite venues and the one place where he was treated like a rock star.

“From a source, I hear that my name is scrawled on the wall in the girls’ bathroom,” Perry said.

Also at the Haufbrau, possibly the same girl who wrote in his name on the wall, jumped up onstage during his set last October and kissed him on the mouth.

“The only bad thing was that my dad was doing sound and my mother was there. She was worried about germs,” Perry said.

Beyond the germs, Perry’s biggest threat is the other Reid Perry, the bass player in The Band Perry. Sharing a name with a big act, one that Perry believes has longevity, is a problem. Already, people mix the two up on Facebook and someone recently posted to the Montana Perry about seeing his show in Albuquerque.

Someday soon, Perry said he would like to strike out for Nashville, perhaps collaborating with old buddies Guthrie Brown or A.J. Ostlund.

“The goal is to have one song that everybody knows. I know that’s kind of pie in the sky, but I’d like to write a song like ‘Auld Lang Syne’ that everybody knows the words to.” - Billings Gazette

Singer-songwriter Reid Perry pulled out all the stops for his show Saturday night to celebrate the release of his second CD, "Juarez."

Normally a solo act, Perry recruited three members of Flowers From Her (who opened the show) to form the Montana Avenue Band for a one-off performance.

Perry, who grew up in Hardin, showed an earnest appreciation for the family, friends and fans who came out for the show, and if he was nervous, it didn't show once he started playing.

He started his set alone on stage for a few songs, including "Coeur d' Alene," from his 2009 self-released album "Until the End."

Perry then brought up FFH guitarist Daniel Gillispie on organ for "Shivers" before the whole band hit the stage.

With AJ Ostlund on bass and Shan Denning on drums, the group rocked the Railyard with songs like "Nights Like These" and the Dylan-esque title track from "Juarez."

The band added a punk/rock sound to Perry's coffee shop vibe, and everyone seemed to be having a good time with the collaboration, although they made it clear it was a one-time deal.

The energy of the full band suited the rock n' roll venue, and the arrangements suited the alt-country sound that Perry has on the album.

Perry closed out the set alone on stage with a couple of encores, including "Gospel Choir," and a cover of Lucero's "The War."

The bookended solo sets were the best showcase for Perry's songwriting and a voice that belies his 18 years. - Billings Gazette

Juarez
by Reid Perry

“I don’t like this situation / It’s scaring me to death / You make me feel like a book with a bad ending / A plot that really has no point at all”

Download Juarez by Reid Perry, and you’re definitely in for a good time. Reid is offbeat, eclectic, and tons of fun. He’s been playing guitar since age seven, released an album two years ago, and now he’s continuing his musical journey with his foot-tapping new project.

It’s hard to describe Reid’s style. It’s primarily lyrical folk, but listen closely and you’ll find hints of rock and country that turn this album into a quirky kind of genius. “Sea Side” is the perfect midsummer day song with its pleasant guitar-pickin’ and soothing vocals. In no time it’ll have you wanting to take a blanket - Tate Publishing

By ANNA PAIGE - For The Outpost
“See you, man. Good luck,” says a coffee house patron, picking up Reid Perry’s album “Until the End” and leaving a wad of cash on the 17-year-old’s speaker. Two patrons in the back — possibly his parents, though they don’t applaud — look on. Another visitor steps into the coffee shop, looking for wifi.

Though Perry is playing to a quiet house, it doesn’t seem to matter as music comfortably ebbs from his guitar. Rich in timbre with dark undertones, his tunes move the feet to tapping while he mixes a ’60s Beatnik thread with a teenager’s modern twist and a wavering vocal style that hints at an enduring vulnerability.

Sandwiched in the corner of Hastings’ coffee house, Perry performed in front of an unlighted fireplace in early December. Coffee beans and Christmas garland covered the mantel. His thin-rimmed glasses framed his youthful face, dishwater blonde hair curling over his ears and brushed across his forehead.

“So, I hope you all are having a good time,” Perry said with a smile as though the house were full. He announced he would cover a John Prine song. “Or, at least if I can remember it, it’s going to be.” He launched into “Long Monday,” the subject matter seeming beyond his years, but it didn’t seem odd at all. His voice contains a wavering maturity that is aptly suited for such material.

From Hardin, population 1,000-something, Perry said it’s hard to form a band. He’s lived there since he was 5 and describes Hardin as “humorously depressive.” “I don’t get depressed, but other people do,” he said.

The Perry family moved to Hardin from Bozeman when Reid was 5. His father purchased Reid’s first guitar from a box store when he was 7, a guitar his sister subsequently broke, “so I didn’t play for a while,” he said. At age 11 he found a reason to pick up the guitar again. “I played a lot of metal but I found out that was really hard to do without a band.”

Perry has musical influences on both sides of his family. His father played guitar and his grandmother on his mother’s side was a piano teacher and jazz player. Though his father was “kind of pushy at first,” Perry describes his parents as “very supportive, which is really great.”

In 2009 Perry released his first album, produced by the then Billings-based musician Jerod Birchell (who subsequently moved onto Nashville). The album, titled “Until the End,” features the talents of local musicians Dennis Nettiksimmons on guitar, Mark McGiboney on drums, bassists John Keebler and Bob Brown, and Perry on guitar and vocals.

Perry said he is trying to let “Until the End” die. “At the time I loved it,” but the album doesn’t quite sum up the singer-songwriter. An impressive solo player, Perry surrounded himself with musicianship on the album to blossom his songs, yet the overall album seems to lack Perry’s burgeoning intensity. He is working on a new album with Tate Music Group, out of Oklahoma, and predicts a late winter release.

Down to his last few bucks, Perry connected with the group after cold-calling labels and sending demos across the Internet. “I was getting pretty desperate to get some financing,” he said. Representatives from the Tate Music Group called Perry in August, and soon after he began recording a second album, which he titled “Juarez,” with Billings-based musicians Chuck Holland and Sam Contreraz. Of the album name, Perry said it was influenced by his love of the Southwest and Johnny Cash’s references to Juarez, Mexico, in his music.

Perry describes the relationship with the label as a partnership. “You’ll get paid when you start to sell,” he said. Initially hesitant, Perry said he received the advice that the label will “be good to you if you’re willing to work hard.”

The label doesn’t help with touring, so Perry is booking a tour through Western Montana, Idaho and Washington by himself. In five years, Perry said, he sees himself hopefully on tour.

“The goal is to be constantly on tour. That is the main thing, and everything will fall into place.”

In the mean time, Perry took matters into his own hands and booked a grand celebration for his 18th birthday. On Saturday, Perry has arranged a performance with Flowers From Her frontman Addam John Ostlund, who will play solo. Billings band The Forestry will headline the performance.

“I started writing a lot more after I met Flowers From Her,” Perry said. He was inspired by the group’s tempo changes and Ostlund’s lyrics. “I had no idea how to make 4/4 time go into a waltz until I listened to (Flowers),” he said.

Ostlund has invited Perry to open a few of his band’s concerts. “He seemed to like my music,” Perry said. Ostlund is one of many Montana musicians that have taken notice of Perry’s talents. Perry’s first gig was in Custer, opening for Casey Ruff in a saloon.

“I was scared to death,” he said. In Billings, Perry’s first concert was opening for Chuck Holland, his guitar teacher and producer of his new album.

Back at the coffee shop, Perry has just a guitar and a final song. “This is the last one for the night. It’s called ‘Coeur d’Alene.’”

“All those words we said / we meant them all / and just like that we would never last / We were like the Fourth of July / burnt up too fast / and all those nice words / never said them enough / but you never loved me anyway / That was just a game that we used to play / and I’d always wished I’d known that that day.”

Wrapping the song, he exclaimed, “Thank you! It’s been real,” flashing a smile.

Catch Reid Perry Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Railyard Ale House, with support from Addam John Ostlund of Flowers From Her and Billings-based band The Forestry. The show, costing $5, is open to all ages. Doors open at 6 p.m.

- The Billings Outpost

“Until The End is a considerably beautiful debut plate of an artist who could persuade us in advance that we can expect more nice singer-songwriter work of him in the next years.” - (RootsTime Webzine)

Reid Perry are young, starting singer-songwriter originating from Hardin in the American state Montana. In its still early musical career we see some parallellen with the way which other one singer-songwriters as Ryan Adams and has taken off Josh for the.
On its MySpace-website are the textual information contributions very short and restrict to what rebelliously cold communications the actions planned concerning the release of its cd and concerning. Also in its physical looks including the savage and sluikse haren the comparisons with Ryan Adams obvious is and with regard to musical orientations Reid Perry apparently also its own guy is.
But beautiful songs compose is certainly one of its positive talents. With its three fixed link members Dennis Nettiksimmons on jet ear, mark of McGiboney on drums and John Keebler or bobsleigh Brown on bass delivers he on this debut album a musical full sounding plate.
Our selection favoriete songs from the offer of eleven sounds as follows: begintune Miss Virginia, the titeltrack Until The End, the playful and folky Gospel Choir, it to David Gray reminding How lung, two typical Ryan Adams-songs: Wish You Well and Coeur D'Alene and the uptempo rock number Freeways.
As Reid Perry the tempo what from the songs obtains sounds he to our sentiment vocal on its very best. That marks we especially in the songs Tired Town, Saturday Afternoon and Lay Down which we want thus gladly bombard to the best in the interview located tracks from this album.
Until The End is a considerably beautiful debut plate of an artist who could us persuade in advance that we can singer-songwriterwerk of him expect in the next years still more nicely. We look at already to.
(valsam)


- RootsTime (BE)