February 23, 2026 • 17 mins
In this can’t‑miss episode, Wayne D sits down with The Band Perry for a powerful, revealing conversation about their brand‑new music and the bold new direction of their career. After stepping back from the spotlight and navigating major transitions, the sibling trio opens up about what they’re calling “Chapter Two”—a fresh creative era filled with renewed energy, artistic freedom, and a sound unlike anything they’ve released before. Wayne D dives into the stories behind the new songs, the inspiration driving their evolution, and how the band has grown both personally and professionally. From honest reflections to exciting hints of what’s ahead, this episode gives fans an intimate look at The Band Perry’s rebirth. If you’ve been waiting to hear what’s next for one of country‑pop’s most dynamic groups, this episode delivers.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Excited to have these guys in the studio because last
time we were in studio, we only got half of
the greatness that.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Is the Van Perry.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
No disrespect, but glad to have both of y'all here
this time.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you good to be here? Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Listen, I want to ask, we're hanging out with Kimberly
and Johnny. You put out an epic song a long
time ago, and If I Die Young, Yes, we're talking
about new music now, but I want to ask the
weight of a massive song like that, does it become
a gift in a curse? Because it's like, oh, we
(00:35):
had this massive song abroad US success, awards, disatulation, but
it's also hard to break, like what are you gonna
die young?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Follow it up? But yeah, it's almost like what do
they call that type casting or something? I feel like
the most scary If I Die Young was when it
was time to write our second album. You know, it
was on our first project, so it's like, how are
we going to like make sure that the future feels
as big as the present, And then we just started
to write here in Nashville, you know, and then also
(01:05):
listen to songs because we love our songwriter friends in town,
and somebody sent us better Dig too, And then it
was like, oh, that's how you do that, you know,
you just keep finding great songs that feel like they
are coming from the same narrator, the same authentic voice.
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Well, and when it comes to that, you guys have
different versions career wise now. And obviously we were CMA
Fest two years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes, was that when I was like very pregnant with
our son.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
The fact that you were out in June was crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
He was, You're right, You're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
It was crazy, but like, were you here with her
that I was because she it was just downstairs here. Yeah,
and you, I don't know, It's like, no, you didn't
give less, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, you know, our son is two years old now
and he can finally wrap his head around a little
bit what we do like for our job. And I
always tell him. I show him pictures of that CMA
Fest and I was like, you were playing with Mama
on stage, you know, I was so crazy while he
was in you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So when it comes to this new version of the band, Perry,
what brought you? Yes, I'll start with Kimberly. What brought
you back to like, yep, hey, the solo thing was cool,
but like, yes.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We're calling this season two. I was so ready for
season two. At the Van Perry, I think I'm a
bandgirl at heart. I love to collaborate, you know, The
Van Perry, Johnny, my baby daddy and husband's and the
band now my brothers in the OG season. It's always
been a family band. And for me, as I always say,
as like the narrator, as the front woman of that band,
I'm a very different artist and my brain is flipped
(02:47):
in a different direction as the lead singer the Van
Perry versus Kimberly Perry Music. I'm so grateful I got
to make solo work and and you know, tour on
that for a second. But every night I was on stage,
I was like, I just missed my band, you know.
And I think the band Perry it's a Southern Gothic
eat those we have a lot of like poetry in
those lyrics. We love a good punchline as well, you know,
(03:10):
there's some quippiness about it. And I just love who
I am in this band. I couldn't wait to get
back to it.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
What does this and Johnny will go to you. What
does this version of the band Perry witnessing the first rendition,
witnessing your wife's solo ventures. Now now knowing that this
is like a part two, what are you seeing from
your vision that's different from the first the first go round?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I think the energy, I think, I mean, I think
TVP's always been known for that, like electric on stage.
Here we go. Every side of the stage is going
to get covered. Everyone's going to put in seven miles
on a stage here. Why everyone put on your fitbit.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's literal by the way we used to.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Get on stage. And I just think right now the band,
there's a lot of guys you know, know in Texas
and Dallas, Austin that we've kind of pulled into Nashville
and are just really like putting on that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's been a really cool thing for Johnny to bring
to the band. So he grew up down in Texas.
He's our Texas Boy. Our tours called Psycho Rodeo Tour.
He is the rodeo of Psycho Rodeo, which of course
lets me be the Psycho.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I was gonna say so true.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I'm you know, I'm proud of it. I'm a card
carrying member of the Psyco Girls Club. But Johnny, we
met all these cool musicians around him and all his
friend group down in Texas when I fell in love
with him, and so it was like, hey, do you
think they would ever play in our bands when we
tour lives. That's been a cool thing that you've brought in. Yeah,
come to Tennessee please, they've most of them have moved
to town.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Now. Yeah, that's what you do, is you come, you
move somewhere and then just try and bring your child uproot.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Everybody. Yeah, that's the home for me.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We have this amazing speaking of our toddler, this amazing
babysitter here in Nashville. We live in East Tennessee over
in the mountains, and I keep going like, just move,
just move you and your whole family to where our
family is and we can all be one big family together.
It is yes, you know Charles Manson vibes, I get it.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But we just don't have kool aid.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, different, not at all at all. It's at least cherry.
It's not great. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
When you think of the music you were making by
yourself a couple of years ago. Yeah, how do you
keep that separate from the band Pairy because the band
Parry is you. Yeah, but then you're you? So how
do you make sure those two things got to live
live there?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yes, I think I'm just not a mental multitasker. I'm
definitely not a creative multitasker. I'm always all in and
what's right in front of me. And I always say,
you know, I'm like an environmentalist. Wherever I'm in in
my environment and my ethos is where my brain and
my heart are engaged. And I think the moment that
it came time to flip that vand Perry switch back,
(05:49):
which came last January, played our first show back from Hiatus.
Our little small town in East Tennessee had been hit
by Hurricane Helene and they were trying to raise money
for all of our displaced families, and so Johnny and I,
who of course live in Greenville, we called it Read.
Neil was working on a solo project, so timing went
right for him. On Joshuad Tree, I was like, Read,
get on a plane, like we've got to go support
(06:09):
our hometown. And from that moment on it was just
such a blast of a show. I had missed it
so much and from that moment it was like, oh,
this in my heart and in my head it's like
Van Perry, let's go to the future.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You know, when you look at the success you had early,
and that's what a lot of and I'd like to
bring up because a lot of country music fans don't
get success.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Is great, but it is so hard to be Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Same, So when you see that early success, right, the
better big, the better dig two if I die young.
But then knowing like not every song is a massive yes,
and you think it's hard to get a first big song,
a second, a third, a fourth, So how do you stay?
I'd imagine that can be like a kick in the teeth,
(06:56):
right to have to So how do you stay? How
did you stay motivated during that time enough to be
like right the.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, I feel like, as you said, with success,
two things happen, it's like this amazing thing. And then
I was just also terrified at the same time that
it would just all fall apart at any minute and
all of a sudden, your entire you know, world, everybody
has an opinion on how we're going to maintain that success,
and that became a little complex for me. I felt
like some of the songs maybe that brought us to
the dance in the first place. We were diverting a little.
(07:25):
And you have to understand, this is a season when
broke country was coming in like a tidal wave, right,
and so the instinct is like, how do you Yeah,
I wrote how do you like? Compete with bro Country?
And I think there was a moment where it's like,
we don't. We don't have to compete. We do what
we do and that's working. I think now looking back
with hindsight of all of the years of my career
and all the songs they've got to put out. First
(07:47):
of all, I've touched the top of that mountain. I
know what that feels like. I've also been at the
very bottom of the pool. You know, we're right where
the drain is. Of gotten to touch that part of
this career as well, and it is about the journey
of both halves of that and not losing your mind
in the middle of it. You know, music is volatile.
Everybody has an opinion about it. They're going to be
great songs, they are going to be mediocre songs. Your
legacy is what you do with each creative moment and
(08:08):
how they work together and in the band Perry. Some
of those were meant to be what I'm calling like
band Perry Underground, Like we did this Coordinates project, you know,
and I had black hair and like you know, bangs
at the time.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I don't college.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, we got a college and I'm proud of it.
You know. Oh gosh, I know nobody even Garth, even Garth. Yeah,
but you have all those seasons and you embrace them.
I'm just so happy to be back home. I'm happy
to be back in this family band and bring these
songs on stage that I've always loved.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You know, so and correct me if I'm wrong. But
that first version of the band Parry, did you feel
like you were chasing things more? And listen, everybody learns
at some point chasing things, yeah, does not fulfill you
when you catch them. Now, So has that has that
changed your view of what will measure success? Of chapter two?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think the measure of success for me has always
been and is now being relevant. I think how we
get to those points. Maybe I would challenge some of
my ideas over the years. Although all you can do
is sort of put one foot in front of the
other and keep walking. In that direction. But I think
it's been very important for me in this season too
to really honor the nostalgia of you know, the Fida
(09:24):
Young's a Better Dig two the first two projects. This
is PS the third album we've ever worked on in full, right,
so like what you guys heard in our first LP
and Pioneer, those are the only full projects that we've
ever put out as the band Parry. So for me,
it's about honoring where we've come from and then being
perfectly seated in twenty twenty six, perfectly authentic to the
(09:45):
culture that we live in, the human beings that we are,
and how we like to come unhinged on stage.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And I want to talk because the single that is
coming out and will be out by the time this airs,
so good speak right, I want to I want to
touch real quick on this new version of the band
Perry once again, Johnny. Obviously you you are newer to
(10:12):
the journey, right for sure? How do you how do
you and your spot like respect where where it's been
and where it's going, but also like still fulfilled like
what you need to as a musician.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I think the cool part about the band Perry is
it is a Southern gothic country rock band. I think
there's some of like Kimberly Read and Neil living in Mobile, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi.
Some of that Southern rock is kind of like webbed
into some of the instrumentation East Tennessee Banjos Mando's like,
we have all the instrumentation represented, but we have the
low end on the base thumping along to give you
(10:48):
some of that feeling of southern rock. I think with
my rock background, it's been really sweet to just see
it feel pretty organic. Yeah, the catalog has just been
I mean, playing Mandlin on Better Dick two, it's just
so fun, chainsaw rips, and then I'm like, here we go,
let's push. Like it's just it's such a fun catalog
to play. I'm just here for the energy. I'm like,
let's go.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Uh So the new single is out Friday, funny enough
Valentine's Day and it works that way.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
You love how we did that.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I mean it's I would ask, but I try not
to ask dumb questions. It's so good and not that
and I say that like I don't want to sound
like what did you think it would be? What? But like, wow,
what a what a great reintroduction for who you guys
(11:36):
are and where you're at.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Thank you, and we felt like Psychological was that perfect
song for that. I think it. I always feel like
it's like the kid's sister to Better Dig Too, Better
Dick Do was like a very serious, you know, passionate,
delusional love song. And I do feel like we have
some evolution and psychological in the fact that we're not like,
we're not out here killing a guy, We're not even
threatening to in this one. You know, we're just like,
(11:58):
I am so obsessed with you, Please be obsessed with
me too, and then if not right, and then if
not crazy?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
By the way, had this song come out early Red Flag.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Parasol? What do we keep saying? Red Flags? Does it's
like confetti?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah? Holy god, that's good. You You guys are working
with producer Dan Huff, Yes. I don't think guys like
Dan get mentioned a lot in like mainstream conversation, especially
for country fans or people that come to shows. Uh,
this dude is.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So good at what he does. He's the beast.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
He has built houses, He's built neighborhoods off of great ideas. Right,
Why was it important to work with him to get
this new version of you guys out.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Dan just never misses.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I think the job of the producer is to really
be the liaison between the songwriter and the artist and
the audience, Like how are we going to perfectly translate
this and the way that we intend to and help
it just be like butter in somebody's ears, Maybe not
butter in your ears. That was like a kind of
a weird thing to say, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I did put but you did. Oh my god, for
another time.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
But Dan is just so amazing at bad translation, and
you know, he works with everybody like our label mate
Riley Green. He did the Band Perry's Pioneer album, so
he did our sophomore record, and we just would not
trust this music in any other hands. He's the best.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
It's and it's funny because when you listen to this song,
it sounds like a band Perry song, but it doesn't
sound like And that's got to be the hardest thing
for an artist, like, hey, this is our sound, right,
but I but like, let's make sure it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Sound like stuff, right. Yeah. It is that fine line
between nostalgia, like how do you make them feel what
we've all felt together before, but we are evolved, Like
we're in twenty twenty six. There's a lot going on
in country music that's so exciting as well, and it's like,
how do we just perfectly set this song in that season?
You know? So I'm glad you love it?
Speaker 1 (14:13):
How many? How many? So? How many songs do you
have like completed? Right now?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
We have three and we're headed back in in the
middle of March to grab three more.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
So what so psychological? What made that? Out of these
ones you have done? What made this? How did it
raise its hand the highest for you guys and whoever
else was in the process.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I feel like the energy of it felt like the
right thing.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
And you know the lyric, I think the playoff of like,
oh that's the banter, that's the wittingness of TVP and
then match with the payoff, and then the chorus is
just how Dan cut it produced.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It is just for all you music nerds. It's in
six eight, which is like a walk cut a six
eight song. It's a different kind of beat, so we've
never cut a six eight song. There are these crazy
chords on the courus am in it, which is it
just felt like all the right elements.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
You know, I have a ten year old, so I'm
dying to say six seven.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
But I'm not going to do no. I know, I
know our nieces and nephews educated us on that over
the holiday.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know what, it's best not to go to the
age we're like, if I don't know, I'm not going to.
The last thing I want to ask is and it's
going to be a semi sentimental question. So I'm setting
you all up somebody who digs for tears. Now I'm
going to ask uh, Johnny. First, knowing the band Perry
existed before you and it's still obviously your lovely wife
(15:36):
is a large part of why its success is maintained,
what do you feel that you bring to the band
that makes it better? And then I'm going to ask
you the same question, what does he bring to the
band it didn't have before? But Johnny, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I think it's just like we're currently in the Olympics.
I think it's that thing of like I'm carrying the baton.
I think it's yes, it's better, but it's like I'm
also just doing the work to move it forward, and
I'm doing it in my style, like I'm bringing the
rock element to our perform moments. I think I'm just
continuing the brand development in the way that it was
it should be, and I think that we all see
it going. I think we're all excited about the band Perry.
(16:10):
We're excited to see the band Perry play live. I
think I'm just helped pushing it forward.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
For me with him and having been in his band
since I was a kid. You know, a band is
only as good as the partnership in it and the
camaraderie in it. And I was so blessed with Season
one of this band with my brothers, My whole family
was so involved. They picked up so many pieces around
me that really allowed me to be Kimberly and do
what I need to do in the band Perry, And
(16:37):
I feel like you've picked up so many of those
responsibilities in one human and our partnership is just it
really is. Every's like, how is it going. I'm like,
it's it's pretty flawless. Like God has definitely designed us
to do this together.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Yeah, we go to therapy twice a week now instead
of once. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
The partnership is fun to share with him, it really is.
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well listen if the rest of the music you got
can be half of what Psychological is.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Y'all about to have a big ass year.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Thank you, We're ready for it.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Thanks for stopping boy it guys.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Thanks. That was so
Excited to have these guys in the studio because last
time we were in studio, we only got half of
the greatness that.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Is the Van Perry.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
No disrespect, but glad to have both of y'all here
this time.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you good to be here? Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Listen, I want to ask, we're hanging out with Kimberly
and Johnny. You put out an epic song a long
time ago, and If I Die Young, Yes, we're talking
about new music now, but I want to ask the
weight of a massive song like that, does it become
a gift in a curse? Because it's like, oh, we
(00:35):
had this massive song abroad US success, awards, disatulation, but
it's also hard to break, like what are you gonna
die young?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Follow it up? But yeah, it's almost like what do
they call that type casting or something? I feel like
the most scary If I Die Young was when it
was time to write our second album. You know, it
was on our first project, so it's like, how are
we going to like make sure that the future feels
as big as the present, And then we just started
to write here in Nashville, you know, and then also
(01:05):
listen to songs because we love our songwriter friends in town,
and somebody sent us better Dig too, And then it
was like, oh, that's how you do that, you know,
you just keep finding great songs that feel like they
are coming from the same narrator, the same authentic voice.
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Well, and when it comes to that, you guys have
different versions career wise now. And obviously we were CMA
Fest two years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yes, was that when I was like very pregnant with
our son.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
The fact that you were out in June was crazy.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
He was, You're right, You're not wrong.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
It was crazy, but like, were you here with her
that I was because she it was just downstairs here. Yeah,
and you, I don't know, It's like, no, you didn't
give less, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Well, you know, our son is two years old now
and he can finally wrap his head around a little
bit what we do like for our job. And I
always tell him. I show him pictures of that CMA
Fest and I was like, you were playing with Mama
on stage, you know, I was so crazy while he
was in you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So when it comes to this new version of the band, Perry,
what brought you? Yes, I'll start with Kimberly. What brought
you back to like, yep, hey, the solo thing was cool,
but like, yes.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
We're calling this season two. I was so ready for
season two. At the Van Perry, I think I'm a
bandgirl at heart. I love to collaborate, you know, The
Van Perry, Johnny, my baby daddy and husband's and the
band now my brothers in the OG season. It's always
been a family band. And for me, as I always say,
as like the narrator, as the front woman of that band,
I'm a very different artist and my brain is flipped
(02:47):
in a different direction as the lead singer the Van
Perry versus Kimberly Perry Music. I'm so grateful I got
to make solo work and and you know, tour on
that for a second. But every night I was on stage,
I was like, I just missed my band, you know.
And I think the band Perry it's a Southern Gothic
eat those we have a lot of like poetry in
those lyrics. We love a good punchline as well, you know,
(03:10):
there's some quippiness about it. And I just love who
I am in this band. I couldn't wait to get
back to it.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
What does this and Johnny will go to you. What
does this version of the band Perry witnessing the first rendition,
witnessing your wife's solo ventures. Now now knowing that this
is like a part two, what are you seeing from
your vision that's different from the first the first go round?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I think the energy, I think, I mean, I think
TVP's always been known for that, like electric on stage.
Here we go. Every side of the stage is going
to get covered. Everyone's going to put in seven miles
on a stage here. Why everyone put on your fitbit.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
That's literal by the way we used to.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Get on stage. And I just think right now the band,
there's a lot of guys you know, know in Texas
and Dallas, Austin that we've kind of pulled into Nashville
and are just really like putting on that.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
That's been a really cool thing for Johnny to bring
to the band. So he grew up down in Texas.
He's our Texas Boy. Our tours called Psycho Rodeo Tour.
He is the rodeo of Psycho Rodeo, which of course
lets me be the Psycho.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I was gonna say so true.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I'm you know, I'm proud of it. I'm a card
carrying member of the Psyco Girls Club. But Johnny, we
met all these cool musicians around him and all his
friend group down in Texas when I fell in love
with him, and so it was like, hey, do you
think they would ever play in our bands when we
tour lives. That's been a cool thing that you've brought in. Yeah,
come to Tennessee please, they've most of them have moved
to town.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Now. Yeah, that's what you do, is you come, you
move somewhere and then just try and bring your child uproot.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Everybody. Yeah, that's the home for me.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We have this amazing speaking of our toddler, this amazing
babysitter here in Nashville. We live in East Tennessee over
in the mountains, and I keep going like, just move,
just move you and your whole family to where our
family is and we can all be one big family together.
It is yes, you know Charles Manson vibes, I get it.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But we just don't have kool aid.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, different, not at all at all. It's at least cherry.
It's not great. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
When you think of the music you were making by
yourself a couple of years ago. Yeah, how do you
keep that separate from the band Pairy because the band
Parry is you. Yeah, but then you're you? So how
do you make sure those two things got to live
live there?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yes, I think I'm just not a mental multitasker. I'm
definitely not a creative multitasker. I'm always all in and
what's right in front of me. And I always say,
you know, I'm like an environmentalist. Wherever I'm in in
my environment and my ethos is where my brain and
my heart are engaged. And I think the moment that
it came time to flip that vand Perry switch back,
(05:49):
which came last January, played our first show back from Hiatus.
Our little small town in East Tennessee had been hit
by Hurricane Helene and they were trying to raise money
for all of our displaced families, and so Johnny and I,
who of course live in Greenville, we called it Read.
Neil was working on a solo project, so timing went
right for him. On Joshuad Tree, I was like, Read,
get on a plane, like we've got to go support
(06:09):
our hometown. And from that moment on it was just
such a blast of a show. I had missed it
so much and from that moment it was like, oh,
this in my heart and in my head it's like
Van Perry, let's go to the future.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
You know, when you look at the success you had early,
and that's what a lot of and I'd like to
bring up because a lot of country music fans don't
get success.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Is great, but it is so hard to be Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Same, So when you see that early success, right, the
better big, the better dig two if I die young.
But then knowing like not every song is a massive yes,
and you think it's hard to get a first big song,
a second, a third, a fourth, So how do you stay?
I'd imagine that can be like a kick in the teeth,
(06:56):
right to have to So how do you stay? How
did you stay motivated during that time enough to be
like right the.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
You know, I feel like, as you said, with success,
two things happen, it's like this amazing thing. And then
I was just also terrified at the same time that
it would just all fall apart at any minute and
all of a sudden, your entire you know, world, everybody
has an opinion on how we're going to maintain that success,
and that became a little complex for me. I felt
like some of the songs maybe that brought us to
the dance in the first place. We were diverting a little.
(07:25):
And you have to understand, this is a season when
broke country was coming in like a tidal wave, right,
and so the instinct is like, how do you Yeah,
I wrote how do you like? Compete with bro Country?
And I think there was a moment where it's like,
we don't. We don't have to compete. We do what
we do and that's working. I think now looking back
with hindsight of all of the years of my career
and all the songs they've got to put out. First
(07:47):
of all, I've touched the top of that mountain. I
know what that feels like. I've also been at the
very bottom of the pool. You know, we're right where
the drain is. Of gotten to touch that part of
this career as well, and it is about the journey
of both halves of that and not losing your mind
in the middle of it. You know, music is volatile.
Everybody has an opinion about it. They're going to be
great songs, they are going to be mediocre songs. Your
legacy is what you do with each creative moment and
(08:08):
how they work together and in the band Perry. Some
of those were meant to be what I'm calling like
band Perry Underground, Like we did this Coordinates project, you know,
and I had black hair and like you know, bangs
at the time.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I don't college.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, we got a college and I'm proud of it.
You know. Oh gosh, I know nobody even Garth, even Garth. Yeah,
but you have all those seasons and you embrace them.
I'm just so happy to be back home. I'm happy
to be back in this family band and bring these
songs on stage that I've always loved.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You know, so and correct me if I'm wrong. But
that first version of the band Parry, did you feel
like you were chasing things more? And listen, everybody learns
at some point chasing things, yeah, does not fulfill you
when you catch them. Now, So has that has that
changed your view of what will measure success? Of chapter two?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think the measure of success for me has always
been and is now being relevant. I think how we
get to those points. Maybe I would challenge some of
my ideas over the years. Although all you can do
is sort of put one foot in front of the
other and keep walking. In that direction. But I think
it's been very important for me in this season too
to really honor the nostalgia of you know, the Fida
(09:24):
Young's a Better Dig two the first two projects. This
is PS the third album we've ever worked on in full, right,
so like what you guys heard in our first LP
and Pioneer, those are the only full projects that we've
ever put out as the band Parry. So for me,
it's about honoring where we've come from and then being
perfectly seated in twenty twenty six, perfectly authentic to the
(09:45):
culture that we live in, the human beings that we are,
and how we like to come unhinged on stage.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
And I want to talk because the single that is
coming out and will be out by the time this airs,
so good speak right, I want to I want to
touch real quick on this new version of the band
Perry once again, Johnny. Obviously you you are newer to
(10:12):
the journey, right for sure? How do you how do
you and your spot like respect where where it's been
and where it's going, but also like still fulfilled like
what you need to as a musician.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I think the cool part about the band Perry is
it is a Southern gothic country rock band. I think
there's some of like Kimberly Read and Neil living in Mobile, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi.
Some of that Southern rock is kind of like webbed
into some of the instrumentation East Tennessee Banjos Mando's like,
we have all the instrumentation represented, but we have the
low end on the base thumping along to give you
(10:48):
some of that feeling of southern rock. I think with
my rock background, it's been really sweet to just see
it feel pretty organic. Yeah, the catalog has just been
I mean, playing Mandlin on Better Dick two, it's just
so fun, chainsaw rips, and then I'm like, here we go,
let's push. Like it's just it's such a fun catalog
to play. I'm just here for the energy. I'm like,
let's go.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Uh So the new single is out Friday, funny enough
Valentine's Day and it works that way.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
You love how we did that.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
I mean it's I would ask, but I try not
to ask dumb questions. It's so good and not that
and I say that like I don't want to sound
like what did you think it would be? What? But like, wow,
what a what a great reintroduction for who you guys
(11:36):
are and where you're at.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Thank you, and we felt like Psychological was that perfect
song for that. I think it. I always feel like
it's like the kid's sister to Better Dig Too, Better
Dick Do was like a very serious, you know, passionate,
delusional love song. And I do feel like we have
some evolution and psychological in the fact that we're not like,
we're not out here killing a guy, We're not even
threatening to in this one. You know, we're just like,
(11:58):
I am so obsessed with you, Please be obsessed with
me too, and then if not right, and then if
not crazy?
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
By the way, had this song come out early Red Flag.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Parasol? What do we keep saying? Red Flags? Does it's
like confetti?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Yeah? Holy god, that's good. You You guys are working
with producer Dan Huff, Yes. I don't think guys like
Dan get mentioned a lot in like mainstream conversation, especially
for country fans or people that come to shows. Uh,
this dude is.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So good at what he does. He's the beast.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
He has built houses, He's built neighborhoods off of great ideas. Right,
Why was it important to work with him to get
this new version of you guys out.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Dan just never misses.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I think the job of the producer is to really
be the liaison between the songwriter and the artist and
the audience, Like how are we going to perfectly translate
this and the way that we intend to and help
it just be like butter in somebody's ears, Maybe not
butter in your ears. That was like a kind of
a weird thing to say, but you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
I did put but you did. Oh my god, for
another time.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
But Dan is just so amazing at bad translation, and
you know, he works with everybody like our label mate
Riley Green. He did the Band Perry's Pioneer album, so
he did our sophomore record, and we just would not
trust this music in any other hands. He's the best.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
It's and it's funny because when you listen to this song,
it sounds like a band Perry song, but it doesn't
sound like And that's got to be the hardest thing
for an artist, like, hey, this is our sound, right,
but I but like, let's make sure it doesn't.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Sound like stuff, right. Yeah. It is that fine line
between nostalgia, like how do you make them feel what
we've all felt together before, but we are evolved, Like
we're in twenty twenty six. There's a lot going on
in country music that's so exciting as well, and it's like,
how do we just perfectly set this song in that season?
You know? So I'm glad you love it?
Speaker 1 (14:13):
How many? How many? So? How many songs do you
have like completed? Right now?
Speaker 2 (14:17):
We have three and we're headed back in in the
middle of March to grab three more.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
So what so psychological? What made that? Out of these
ones you have done? What made this? How did it
raise its hand the highest for you guys and whoever
else was in the process.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I feel like the energy of it felt like the
right thing.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
And you know the lyric, I think the playoff of like,
oh that's the banter, that's the wittingness of TVP and
then match with the payoff, and then the chorus is
just how Dan cut it produced.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
It is just for all you music nerds. It's in
six eight, which is like a walk cut a six
eight song. It's a different kind of beat, so we've
never cut a six eight song. There are these crazy
chords on the courus am in it, which is it
just felt like all the right elements.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
You know, I have a ten year old, so I'm
dying to say six seven.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
But I'm not going to do no. I know, I
know our nieces and nephews educated us on that over
the holiday.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
You know what, it's best not to go to the
age we're like, if I don't know, I'm not going to.
The last thing I want to ask is and it's
going to be a semi sentimental question. So I'm setting
you all up somebody who digs for tears. Now I'm
going to ask uh, Johnny. First, knowing the band Perry
existed before you and it's still obviously your lovely wife
(15:36):
is a large part of why its success is maintained,
what do you feel that you bring to the band
that makes it better? And then I'm going to ask
you the same question, what does he bring to the
band it didn't have before? But Johnny, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
I think it's just like we're currently in the Olympics.
I think it's that thing of like I'm carrying the baton.
I think it's yes, it's better, but it's like I'm
also just doing the work to move it forward, and
I'm doing it in my style, like I'm bringing the
rock element to our perform moments. I think I'm just
continuing the brand development in the way that it was
it should be, and I think that we all see
it going. I think we're all excited about the band Perry.
(16:10):
We're excited to see the band Perry play live. I
think I'm just helped pushing it forward.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
For me with him and having been in his band
since I was a kid. You know, a band is
only as good as the partnership in it and the
camaraderie in it. And I was so blessed with Season
one of this band with my brothers, My whole family
was so involved. They picked up so many pieces around
me that really allowed me to be Kimberly and do
what I need to do in the band Perry, And
(16:37):
I feel like you've picked up so many of those
responsibilities in one human and our partnership is just it
really is. Every's like, how is it going. I'm like,
it's it's pretty flawless. Like God has definitely designed us
to do this together.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Yeah, we go to therapy twice a week now instead
of once. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
The partnership is fun to share with him, it really is.
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Well listen if the rest of the music you got
can be half of what Psychological is.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Y'all about to have a big ass year.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Thank you, We're ready for it.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Thanks for stopping boy it guys.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Thanks. That was so
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