Brian Perrone instantly creates a soothing, temporal refuge for isolated, weary souls.
The Livonia alt-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist constructs a safe haven comprised of celestial soundscapes, vivid piano, and soulful vocals on his new cinematic single, “Gotta Get Away,” out today via all streaming platforms.
“I saw a news report at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown that touched on how some people are living in an abusive environment while being trapped inside their homes. At that time, people were being told to work from home, kids started going to school virtually or not at all, and everyone was asked to stay home,” said Perrone, who also plays piano and drums on the track.
“It got me thinking, whether in good times or bad, most of us have encountered situations that are unhealthy. As this happens, hopefully somewhere in the back of our minds, something keeps us going — a hope and drive that something better is around the corner.”
Perrone beautifully delivers this uplifting message as whistling synths, thoughtful piano, mystical electric guitars, propulsive drums, and bouncy bass shelter listeners. He reflects, “I’m all alone inside/By myself all alone inside/Trapped in a garden, it’s fine/Stay away, I can’t hide/I can’t hide/A smile you won’t find/Sold to the loudest mime.”
“The lyrics, ‘I’m all alone inside … trapped in a garden, it’s fine,’ epitomize that moment when someone realizes and acknowledges where they are in life and the fact that everything will be OK with some course of action. Also ‘garden’ is subject to its environment, and with that being said, whatever the environment, things will still grow and flourish. Hope, faith, courage, and pure will are the messages here,” said Perrone, who channels inspiration from Elvis Presley, Radiohead, and The Horrors.
With those messages top of mind, Perrone quickly crafted “Gotta Get Away” one night at the piano and recorded the track in his home studio. He later added drums at Ypsilanti’s Alley Records and invited longtime friend and Siamese bassist Eric Cojocari to include guitar, bass, and synth.
“As a music junkie, I digest a lot of music from different genres. When writing music, I just let it happen and find out what direction the song is taking me. After messing around with some chords and melodies, I played and sang the opening line and knew immediately this song would be in a shoegaze style,” Perrone said.
Perrone will bring the track’s dreamy sensibilities to life through two new animated videos coming March 23. He provided the song and storyboard to animators Masaood Rehman and Ali M to enlist two entirely different creative approaches.
“Gotta Get Away” is the third mesmerizing new single from Perrone since releasing 2018’s Dog with Ball EP, which features stripped-down, piano-based tracks intertwined with warm, nostalgic melodies. In January, he dropped the wistful, romantic piano ballad, “Be This Way,” after sharing the haunting, lovelorn track, “Sorry,” last summer.
With a growing roster of reflective singles, Perrone plans to release a three-track live acoustic EP after recording an intimate studio session at Grand Rapids’ Dogtown Studio last year. He’s also focused on writing, recording, and releasing additional new material this year.
“I’m in the process of pre-production on a lot of songs, and I’m planning to release another EP, although a full-length album isn’t out of the question. The material being written and recorded for the new CD will have elements from different genres and instrumentation as well as vocal inspiration from the great crooners and my favorite alternative singers of today,” Perrone said.
