Elvis Perkins

ELVIS PERKINS songs are transportive. He takes the listener to another time, another place, toward the end where all worthwhile art must aim: a vision of the singular experience of the artist-in this case, one marked as much by tragedy as by good fortune. In the tradition of Young, Cohen, Dylan, Simon, and Lennon, Perkins issues out songs that are at once personal and universal, combining poetry and melody in a sound unmistakably his own.

Born in Manhattan to actor Anthony Perkins and photographer Berry Berenson, Elvis Perkins descends from a line of artists who led extraordinary lives. Among them was his great-grandmother, Elsa Schiaparelli, the Parisian fashion mogul who revolutionized clothing and jewelry design with surrealist elements, the first use of synthetic fabrics, and the color SHOCKING PINK

Having lost both his father and mother to two of the greatest tragedies of our time, the AIDS epidemic and the September 11th attacks respectively, Elvis is standing at the front of the family line with his songwriting and performance. The sorrows and joys of his experience are eloquently and indelibly stitched into his evergrowing body of work.

With many home recordings circulating underground, Elvis Perkins fans are being born each day. His songs are played regularly on Los Angeles?ª KXLU where he has also performed on-air. The eagerly anticipated debut full-length, ASH WEDNESDAY, presents chronically sequenced songs written before and after the death of his mother. In the vein of Van Morrison ASTRAL WEEKS, the record is built on live performances with mostly acoustic instrumentation. It features Elvis band, including his brother Oz, as well as MOONDANCE drummer Gary Mallaber to evoke the intended spirit.

Before moving east, Elvis performed regularly with and without his band in Los Angeles (Spaceland, Tangiers, the Knitting Factory, the Derby) and has recently appeared in Manhattan (Mercury Lounge) and other east coast cities. He is currently living outside Providence with his band, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, preparing for tour, writing, and recording new material.