Joseph Perry is the guitar/vocalist of Dear Blackwolf, an Ottawa-based blues rock duo which he runs together with Arturo Portocarrero, the drummer. In this interview he talks about their music philosophy, the projects they’ve started, and upcoming shows.
Find our how Dear Blackwolf started:
Music is your passion. How did it all start?
When I was 25, I bought a guitar and taught myself to play. Didn’t think much of it, just something to pass the time. After a while I started to write my own guitar riffs, then full songs. Music has given me a creative outlet to express my ideas, style and personality.
Where does the inspiration for your music come from?
It’s a “feeling” really. I’ve never been conscious of what I’m trying to do while I’m doing it.
I approach music with a child like naivety; this keeps me from making judgments about what I should do and instead lets me discover things I didn’t know were there.
Who are the other members of the Dear Blackwolf? How long have you been together?
It’s just myself at guitar/vocal and Arturo Portocarrero on the drums. We started playing together when I moved to Ottawa at the end of 2014. I went to record some songs at his home studio one afternoon. We had never met prior to the session, but had a mutual friend who introduced us. We hit it off immediately, and ended up recording a five song EP (which Arturo played drums on) in 14 hours. After the session, I started getting show offers and approached him to join Dear Blackwolf.
What does the name of your band stand for?
To be perfectly honest, it doesn’t really stand for anything. When I was living in Toronto, I tried to start a band with some friends. We would go to a bar called The Red Room after our jam and play scrabble trying to come up with a name. After a few weeks with no luck I just decided to take the most common words used in band names, and put them together. Things didn’t end up developing, but I held on to the name.
How would you describe your music philosophy and style?
My philosophy when it comes to music is, keep it simple.
Everything I do is centred around rhythm, melody and tone. I don’t care about melting faces with 20 minutes guitar solos (not that I could if I tried), but rather I want you humming the song to yourself after it’s over.
As for style… There’s elements of Garage, Blues, Folk and old Rock’n’Roll in our music. We like to call that sound “Rumble”.
You’ve just started a new project called “Live at Skylark Park.” Tell us more details.
We wanted to have some good audio/video of our live performance, which is invaluable for a new band trying to book good shows. We took it upon ourselves to set up a live session at Skylark Park Studio in Pembroke, ON with Jordon Zadorozny behind the board and Christopher Eades (Captivate Them) capturing the visuals. The series is being released in three parts, with the third and final video due out next month.
Who influenced you the most in your music career?
Bono, definitely Bono.
Do you have any planned appearances or gigs for the near future?
Our next show is for RAW Natural Born Artists in Ottawa at Ritual Nightclub on Thursday May 26th. Really excited to be part of this showcase and to be playing at Ritual.
Tickets are on sale now on RawArtists!
With the advent of so many ways to promote and sell your product, do you think it’s possible for Indy musicians to make a name of themselves even if they don’t have a big record company behind them?
Absolutely. If you’re product is good, people will want it. It’s up to you to go out and find those people. You have to hustle!
What are some of the promotional tools a musician can use to find listeners?
Play shows. If you’re songs are good, and you put on a killer live show, then you’re going to build a strong and loyal fan base.
Follow Dear Blackwolf on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Listen to them play on BandCamp.
