October is a month full of premieres at Indieterria and it’s a really great thing. Today, we host our first alternative pop/country/folk artist that really deserves an audience base rivaling that of Taylor Swift. Or at least that of Aerosmith, Phish, Boston and Pixies all combined together. You may wonder why we are mentioning all those New England artists? Well, Peri Rae is a rare example of someone, who being raised in one place (the UK in her case), is somehow effortlessly able to produce music from a completely distant part of the world, without trying or even without realizing it. Peri sounds like a native New Englander with her eclectic mix of genres, soft, husky vocals and very observant lyrics capturing moments of normal, small town lives.
Single cover by Mollie McKay
Official bio: Unapologetic rock singer/songwriter, Peri Rae, is the byproduct of her favourite artists; Phoebe Bridgers, Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines DC. Fusing eloquently observant, and rawly candid lyrics with emotional, rock-out guitars. She’s had a huge summer of festivals with her band, playing her first main stage shows at festivals like Great Estate, Rock Oyster, selling out her local 200-cap venue in Cornwall twice this summer and being selected by BBC Introducing to play at Boardmasters. Peri Rae was named BBC’ Introducing “One to watch” and Rolling Stone’s “Artist you have to meet”. Her newest single, “Sober Hope”, was released on the 4th of October 2024.
WHO? The name is Peri Rae. You better remember it.
WHERE? She is Cornwall UK native, London (also UK) based but seriously her music sounds like she comes from Cornwall,Connecticut (New England) and this is a massive compliment in our books!
WHAT? The newest single is called “Sober Hope”, it stands at 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Genre wise, it’s somewhere alongside the borders of neo-country, contemporary folk, alternative pop, rock and New England Americana.
WHEN? The song was released independently on the 4th of October 2024
HOW? Believe it or not, she sent us an email, introduced herself and asked if we were interested in reviewing her music. We initially thought she is a signed artist with her long list of accomplishments, but she is a fully independent artist. So we said yes!
Peri Rae by Mollie McKay
WHY? Well, this question requires a longer answer. “Sober Hope” is a very powerful composition in my opinion. Powerful, despite lack of heavy guitars, towering riffs or deafening vocals. Everything here is quiet, melodic, subdued and calm. Yet there is a real heartbreak in Peri’s words, in her vocals, in the way she delivers line after line. Not every musician is able to write songs like this, telling stories about ordinary people, everyday joys, quarrels, disappointments or endings of relationships. Our normal lives are very everyday, mundane, often repetitive, but they are also filled with many feelings, one just needs to look harder to notice them. It takes a special skill to take those hidden sentiments and turn them into a song that will leave your eyes moist. “Sober Hope” is beautiful in its simplicity, with slow guitars, repeated verses, balancing on the edge of rock, pop and folk.
I will argue with other reviewers that “Sober Hope” does meet many criteria of country music genre, not the Nashville type of country music that somehow became synonymous with the entire genre, but with the New England breed of country that is sometimes mistaken for Americana. New England, as a region, is known for its breathtaking coastline and maybe this is the common denominator between Cornwall and the US I sense in Peri’s sound. There is this openness, sweetened in her songs, sense of freedom but also determination and rock and roll attitude that draws the listeners’ attention towards her. Look up her live videos, she sounds more rock than country, her live sound louder and bit more aggressive, but as trilling as in the studio.
RATING: 5 out of 5, this is probably our song of the month! I don’t think anybody can come anywhere close to this perfect tune in the next 30 days!
Peri online:
https://perirae.com/
https://www.facebook.com/periraemusic
https://www.instagram.com/periraeee
https://www.tiktok.com/@periraeee
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvL5zvhLarFRNZjtiynL-Q
https://soundcloud.com/perirae
https://x.com/periraeee
https://www.threads.net/@periraee
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ejkP4aBFxPoAoa6U1MKLK
Further read:
https://iamur.one/peri-rae/
https://guitargirlmag.com/news/music-news/out-today-peri-rae-releases-heartbreak-ballad-sober-hope/
https://youthmusic.org.uk/nextgen-ones-watch-24-2024
https://www.lockmag.co.uk/ep-review-peri-rae-shines-on-her-captivating-new-ep-i-moved-to-the-beach/
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 