Nate Perry & Ragged Company explore life on ‘The Otherside of Everything’
Boston alt Americana band releases debut EP on compact disc
at Notch Brewing in Brighton on Tuesday, August 27
MEDIA PREVIEW: Listen to ‘The Otherside of Everything’ on Soundcloud
Performing live at Thrive Music Festival and Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus in September
BOSTON, Mass. [August 27, 2024] – A casual stroll down Lower Broadway in Nashville can be dizzying. But beyond the bachelorette parties, mobile bars on wheels, and the sea of drunken revelers having the time of their lives, just off the strip and deep into the honky tonks and dive bars, lies the heartbeat of Music City: The live stage. When Nate Perry was stationed in the Army just over the Tennessee line in Kentucky, he and his soldier buddies would travel down to Nashville for a good time. But where the others would have a few drinks and try to meet girls, Perry was transfixed on the stage, watching musicians hold court and showcase their songs.
When Perry left the Army and relocated back to his native New England, forming a band became his focus. Fast forward a few years to the present day, and that goal has been realized: Nate Perry & Ragged Company arrived on the Boston scene earlier this spring with the streaming release of debut EP The Otherside of Everything, and now the record gets the physical product treatment, issued on compact disc on Tuesday, August 27, before the rising alt Americana band plays Notch Brewing in Brighton later that night.
The CD release of The Otherside of Everything, produced by Brian Charles at Rare Signals in Cambridge, surfaces ahead of two choice festival gigs fast on the horizon: An appearance at Thrive Music Festival on September 20 with GA-20, Crooked Coast, and others; and a gig at Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus alongside KT Tunstall, The 502s, and more on September 21.
From Notch to the festivals, each live show allows Nate Perry & Ragged Company to showcase their unique brand of alternative rock and Americana, a propulsive sound that takes the campfire storytelling ethos of alt-country and shifts it into rock and roll overdrive.
The five tracks on the EP act like mini-chapters of an overarching storyline of finding your way through life and the people you meet along the way: The urgent enchantment and upbeat thrust of lead track “Maria”; the twang-driven gallop of “All I Need”; a raw country glow in “Another Day”; the radio-ready pop-leaning euphoria of “Evergreens”; and a soulful spin around Southern blues in “Preacher.” The EP’s title, The Otherside of Everything, reflects Perry’s life after the Army, and the crazy years that have followed. And as the band’s vocalist and guitarist, he’s ready to present these stories to the listener.
“It’s about the end of one thing bringing life to another,” Perry admits. “A new beginning and an acceptance of the past. Regrets that you come to live with and acceptance that the past cannot be changed. Frustration at the current state you're in and hesitantly holding out hope for a better future. Lyrically, the ‘happy ending’ arrives with ‘All I Need’, which reflects back on how tough it was and how seemingly everything gets better.”
Perry brought a bit of Nashville back with him to Boston, and while Nate Perry & Ragged Company are a bit of an outlier in this rock and roll town, the lyrical themes and glowing warmth of the record are universal in their ability to connect with the listener.
“Every song I write is a true story of mine, in one way or another,” admits Perry. “Entirely self-reflective and a bit confessional. Each song is about my life and specifically the last five years or so after the Army. These aren't songs about partying or anything, and I'm also not claiming to be a genius writer, but I hope they hear the stories and find some common ground with us.”
Common ground is what led to the complete version of Nate Perry & Ragged Company. Perry first linked up with lead guitarist Mike Chandler through Craigslist just before the demise of the latter’s most recent band, and the pair rebranded their collaboration into Nate Perry & Ragged Company. They quickly recruited drummer Sam Demello and bassist Connor Milligan, and keyboardist Ollie Nash cemented the quintet shortly as recording began.
“Lyrically I think there’s a bit of everything that a wide audience can relate to,” says Milligan. “I think, too, that our melodies juxtapose nicely with some of our lyrical themes, especially when thinking about ‘Evergreens’. Lyrically, the song is on the darker, more brooding side, yet melodically it still has a driving more major key vibe which to me tells our listeners that even in dark times, you can still find some light.”
Chandler agrees, adding that the stories Perry brings to the table are made whole by the cohesive unit the band has become. Though they’ve been together as a band for a relatively short time, the chemistry that flows through the songs – both recorded and when performed live – is infectious. Nate Perry & Ragged Company come off like a band that’s been shaping their sound for decades, with camaraderie and brotherhood binding it all together. It starts with Perry’s guitar and notepad, and is completed by five musicians who operate as a unit.
“Nate writes the songs but we really approach them collectively and mold them,” Chander says. “We each bring them to life by adding signature stuff like rhythms, harmony, a signature guitar part, new or bigger choruses, etc., so when you listen to our music you really hear each and every one of us and our creativity added in. As far as right now versus where we are going, I’d say it represents a solid footing and jumping off point for what we are doing sonically and where the music is headed.”
With an exciting future ahead of them, Nate Perry & Ragged Company want to make a connection with the listener, first through the recorded material presented on The Otherside of Everything, and then by experiencing these songs in a live setting.
“I think people are surprised to hear a band play stuff that isn't experimental and out there,” Perry notes. “We're making honest songs and playing the shit out of them live – and people really respond well to it.”
And with a trio of highlighted gigs on the calendar, from the CD release party in Brighton to the two September festival gigs, now is the best chance to catch Nate Perry & Ragged Company showcasing this little bit of alternative Americana magic they’ve created.
“We generally don’t like to do anything on a record that we can’t replicate live,” Chandler says. “So what you hear on a record is what you’ll hear in concert, but with the energy of the room and the adrenaline pumping between us and the crowd. The living, breathing thing that is a live set comes with all its own nuances, and we tend to let those breathe in the songs and setlist. Fans can expect us to have fun on stage with each other – plus all the dynamics, energy, glory, mistakes, bad jokes, and everything in between.”
And when they play, there might be a person out in that crowd, ignoring his or her friends and the party scene that surrounds them all, just looking to start a band just like this.
Nate Perry & Ragged Company is:
Nate Perry – Lead vocals and guitar
Sam DeMello – Drums
Connor Milligan – Bass and vocals
Ollie Nash – Keys and vocals
Mike Chandler – Lead guitar
Nate Perry & Ragged Company short bio:
After leaving the Army in 2018, frontman Nate Perry returned to the Boston area with a new mission: To start a band. Stationed near Nashville, Perry had initially focused on a military career, but his time in Kentucky and Tennessee reignited his long-held passion for music. During his time off, he immersed himself in Nashville's live music scene, captivated by the musicians on stage who were living the dream he longed to pursue.
Back in Boston, Nate soon connected with guitarist Mike Chandler, a seasoned player whose previous band had recently disbanded. Together, they began shaping a new musical direction. To complete the lineup, they brought in drummer Sam Demello, bassist Connor Milligan, and keyboardist Ollie Nash. This collaboration birthed Nate Perry & Ragged Company, a dynamic new force in the Americana-rock scene.
Since forming, Nate Perry & Ragged Company have been lighting up the Boston music scene and beyond, playing shows that highlight their infectious songwriting and electric guitar-driven sound. In 2024, they released their debut EP, The Otherside of Everything, which rapidly garnered over 10,000 streams, a testament to their growing popularity.
Nate Perry's journey from the Army to concert stages is a testament to the power of finding and following one's passion, turning the muse of Nashville into the sounds of a rising Boston band.
‘The Otherside of Everything’ production credits:
All songs written by Nate Perry & Ragged Company
Produced by Brian Charles at Rare Signals in Cambridge, MA
EP artwork by Wes Allen
‘The Otherside of Everything’ EP artwork:
Media praise for Nate Perry & Ragged Company:
“A Boston-based group that finds its inspiration from the rootsier end of the American music spectrum. Lining their work with acoustic guitars and bluesy riffs, their work can also feel pretty anthemic and ready for a big crowd.” _Graeme Bentley, Boston’s 92.5FM The River
Upcoming Nate Perry & Ragged Company live appearances:
