The Darcy Perry Band - Heavy Rain
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:55 pm

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Heavy Rain
Darcy Perry Blues Band
New Album in June
New Label Roots Music Aotearoa

Darcy Perry Blues Band are releasing their third album on 5 June on their new label RMA (Roots Music Aotearoa). Entitled Heavy Rain it consists of twelve new original tracks, highlighting their ardent appreciation of electric blues, for which they are renowned from their live concerts, establishing themselves in the underground blues scene as a force to be reckoned with.

The band recorded Heavy Rain during a long weekend in October last year at Revolver Studio in Waiuku. Neil Baldock (who did the mastering at Sonic Rat) engineered with Jason Shoushkoff assisting. The studio set-up was simple, being as close to a live performance as the group could obtain with very few effects.

Darcy Perry (vocals, guitar) has composed ten of the new tracks, with Craig Bracken (harmonica) and Paul Merriot (bass) composing one each. However, Darcy does not believe in taking the full credit with his compositions. Firstly he takes them to the band so they can work together on the best arrangement and then gives the other members composing credits to ensure a fair share of the royalties.

The title track Heavy Rain revolves around the things you could have talked to your father about on his death bed that were left unsaid. Regan (one of Darcy's brothers and guitarist for Cornerstone Roots) makes a guest appearance on guitar. Other songs include Pushing Me Round, Save The World (with a groove which never fails to fill the dance floor), It's All Downhill From Here (raw, guitar driven energy and a compelling harmonica solo, I Miss You Brother, Here Comes Winter (touching on the New Zealand child custody court system), Reaper Man (Craig recorded the harmonica in the bathroom), Peddler's Blues, Jade's Song (an ode to the birth of Darcy's first child), Ten Thousand Miles From Norway (dedicated to Simen, the band's Norwegian pianist), Before I Let You Down (part New Orleans boogie, part rumba featuring Darcy and Craig on trumpet and saxophone) and King Hit.

The members of Darcy Perry Blues Band are Darcy Perry (guitar, vocals, trumpet), Craig Bracken (harmonica, backing vocals, saxophone), Paul Merriott (bass, backing vocals), Simen "Bluekeys" Taylor (piano, backing vocals) and Justin Roys (drums, backing vocals). Darcy was part of the original line-up for Bullfrog Rata and the Jakes in the early nineties, and has worked with pioneers Shayn Wills and Midge Marsden.

He formed Darcy Perry Blues Band in 2002 and since they have performed in pubs, bars and venues around the country, building up a loyal fan base. The following year saw them at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Tauranga where they returned during the next two years to much success. In 2005 Darcy Perry Blues Band made their first appearances at the Mission Bay Streetfest, Pasifika and the Auckland Food & Wine Festival. A debut show at Sky City resulted in them being immediately booked again. Recently, they were a headline act at the Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival.

The group's previous albums are Blues 4 Dad and Don't Hold Back.

The label, Roots Music Aotearoa has been launched by Darcy and Craig to help promote New Zealand blues and roots music. Perry explained they had been thinking about a label for some time. They hope that Roots Music Aotearoa would provide opportunities for New Zealand blues and roots musicians as a stepping stone. Bracken, whose great grandfather Thomas Bracken wrote the words for the national anthem, said they wanted to get New Zealand blues and roots music more widely promoted, particularly overseas.

Album: Heavy Rain
Artist: Darcy Perry Blues Band
Label: RMA Cat. No. DPCD004
Release Date: 5 June 2006