Text and Interview: Alec Coiro
Photo: Christian Something
As Dazeases, London Perry spins sparse, intimate electro-pop, at turns beautiful, at turns menacing. On her new EP, Local Slut, each track offers the listener a soft rug, only to yank it away. “Lakeview” begins with simple keyboards beneath Perry’s ranging vocal, and yet, soon enough, something sounding like an electric razor begins buzzing. An atonal shriek of sound hits, followed by Perry muttering “oh fuck it’s 3 am.” A similar strategy works on new track “Laurel,” where a stately, percussion-free minute is soon undercut by stuttering war beats, crackling snare-like noises, and warped backing vocals. Akin to Xiu Xiu’s earliest work, there’s structure – but it’s her structure.
Perry cites James Blakes and OoOOo, and that makes sense, given her lo-fi, impressionistic use of electronic sound. But because she also sounds like she’s singing to herself (her voice is gorgeous, by the way; check out “Rue De La Chenaie”) accompanied by sounds that seem to be baning around inside her head, the same lyrical intimacy of Jenny Hval’s work may also come to mind.
Are there new approaches you’ve tried to take on this EP that might set it apart from the EP Lame Parties or the l/p CRUMBS?
Local Slut is a cohesive piece where each track is in conversation with the others. Each song stands alone in who/what they are about but are also relevant to a larger, repeating narrative of my time in Richmond. My previous releases were collages of songs written in isolation from the others.
To what extent are your lyrics drawn from your life experiences?
Aside from “Sad College Kids,” all of my songs are drawn directly from my life. I take a person or an exchange and analyze it both in mundane and poetic terms. For example, in “Shadow Bastard,” I wanted to consider the implications of a stranger, who I slept with, asking to cum in me who later kicked me out of his house. He did not consider my body in my terms, the long term consequences of such a request. I am the child of a single mother, I am that living consequence. Thus I refer to myself in literal terms as a bastard and the metaphorical terms of being a Magdalene daughter, which considers not only myself but my mother in an intergenerational pattern of relationships.
You have a uniquely bare musical aesthetic. Are there artists you take inspiration from for this stripped down sound?
I’m very inspired by the composition in James Blake’s work, which I hear as stark but deliberate in the textures he uses in his melodies. I also enjoy the dark, simple melodies showcased by witch house artists such as OoOOo.
Unless I’m mistaken, you produce all your own music. Is it also just you on stage when you perform?
That’s correct. I write everything myself. On stage it is just me, my iPhone, and an aux cord. I didn’t want to feel hidden or hindered by analog instruments. When I have a show I want the focus to be on me, my movements, and my words. In order to sell that and create that intimate of an experience, I like to have a stage completely to myself.
Speaking of your live show, do you have tour plans once the album drops?
I want to start playing more cities outside of Richmond after the release, especially on the east coast for the next few months. I won’t have a conventional tour but will definitely be getting out there to connect with new audiences and artists.
http://www.egghuntrecords.org/products/581318-hatched-i-subscription-series-i
3/11 EP release show @ Strange Matter, Richmond, VA:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1441793215861708/
