All the hard work local singer-songwriter Sherri Parry put in during the last six months of 2019 is about to bear bountiful fruit in 2020.
Parry released her current single ‘Greed’ on December 28, a taster of what to expect from her forthcoming album, out next month. She says it is actually the oldest song on the record, penned when she was just 15.
“It was written during a time in my adolescence where I realised that particular people who persistently spoke to me and sought my attention only did so for their own gain and benefit, often being a romantic one,” she says. “I quickly learned that I wasn’t fond of that at all.”
‘Greed’ has been a staple in Perry’s setlist for the past six years. “It’s one I let loose on each show and throw all my anger and frustrations at the world into it, and I like to think others do, too,” she says. But she adds that her fans have “never heard it like this”. “With a full band backing, incredible production and a hell of a lot of work, it’s the first tiny sliver of the delectable cake that is this new album,” she enthuses.
Perry says the new album has been “years in the making”; she spent six months working on it last year, clocking up more than 200 hours of studio time. It will be launched at The Old Church On The Hill – Perry’s self-proclaimed “favourite venue on earth” – on Saturday, February 8, with her band comprising Jaspar Austin-Gray (bass), Thomas Hadlow (electric guitar), Patrick Barton Grace (keyboards), and Kane Watts (drums).
“The vibe is so welcoming and warm, and every performance there is always incredible,” she says. “The people are there for the music – not to chat, just to listen.”
Perry says the songs on the album – which follows on from her 2016 EP EQUAL and 2017 Ukulele Sessions singles – reflect her personal and musical growth. “I’ve evolved so, so much, experienced more of life and the joys and travesties that come with it, and learned more about my sound, and music in general,” she says. “And you can hear all of that and more in these songs.”
Perry’s new single ‘Rot’, which she describes as “an absolute heart-wrencher” and her favourite new song, will be released as a precursor to the album. It’s the most devastating and powerful song I think I’ve ever written,” she says. “It’s also the biggest, with 79 tracks layered on it.”
Prior to her own album launch, Perry is supporting The Havea Brothers at The Old Church On The Hill on Saturday, January 18. From 8pm; tickets $15 (via Sticky Tickets).
Another event not to miss is Sons Of The Blues (with Jerry Spieser), with Alawishus Jones and the Outright Lies, who bring their foot stompin’, rump shakin’ blues to the Shiraz Republic, Cornella, on Sunday, January 26. From 2pm; free entry.
Written by Lynette Walker
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