The 4th album from Scott Perry & the EastVangelicals was long-planned, even before the band was formed, as a tribute to Perry’s parents who passed in 2015/16. A highly personal album that nonetheless comes from a universal place: the experience and processing of grief. And losing parents, specifically, is something most of us eventually go through.
The album charts a path from early celebration (with a birthday song written for each parent while they were alive) through appreciation (including several songs composed from father Gordon’s lyrics) to the inevitable end that awaits us all; songs written in the first flush of pain and grief after each parent’s death round out the album. Closer “Never Gone” is a heartfelt cry of love for a departed mother and an unabashed offer of comfort to others who have lost theirs. “Let it All Go” also offers some hope, working through the grieving process in a general way, while “Picture of a Life” takes the personal approach, filled with details from professional photographer papa Perry’s life.
But it is the upbeat “Don’t Wait” that kicks off the album with a driving plea to all procrastinators to stop putting it off. Inspired by two words Perry’s father said while relaying his mother’s final advice to their children, the message could not be clearer: Time is precious, and going fast. Whatever it is you want to do, jump in and get it going it now. Waiting for the perfect time to start is a trap that gets you nowhere.
“Don’t Wait” was also the only song recorded by Matt di Pomponio at Echoplant studio (as were all three previous records), with the bedtrack being laid down at the end of the Suite: Dreams session. The rest of the beds for Folks Songs were recorded live off the floor in early 2022 at Vancouver’s Flash Recording with Jackson Gardner at the console, with most of the guitars then overdubbed at his Freedom Liberty studio. Everything else was done in house, at Adrian’s aptly named ‘Chez Miaou,’ and Derek’s even more apt ‘The Funhaus.’ Adrian also mixed – as he did the previous albums – and for the first time, mastered the tracks as well.
Folks Songs is available wherever you get your music, all the streaming, iTunes, amazon, bandcamp etc. And of course, right here, on digital and CD! Vinyl coming (we’d like to say “soon” but let’s settle on “eventually”).