Sea Perry Boots and Hearts
The voting for the performance slot may be over but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to hear about the 7th of 8 emerging artists chosen to perform in this summer’s competition at Boots and Hearts, Sudbury Ontario’s Sea Perry.
Sea Perry, admittedly, isn’t your typical country sounding band but their folk-country blend is something uniquely Canadian and we think they’ve got a definite place on the Canadian music scene.
As with the other 6 we’ve featured to date we sent Sea Perry a set of questions so that we could get to know them and their story a bit better, after-all on August 2 Sea Perry will perform in front of a panel of industry professionals as well as the audience at the Front Porch Stage at Boots and Hearts. After their performance your votes will play a part in the outcome and will help decide which of the top 8 will open for Hunter Hayes and win a single release by Big Machine Label Group Canada.
20 Questions with Sea Perry
Sea Perry is made up of Chris Milligan, Chad Bouchard and Shawn Fisher of Sudbury, Ontario. So rather than have us tell you all about them here are their answers to our questions!
SC: Being selected as a finalist for Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist is a big deal. One of the 8 of you will perform in front of Hunter Hayes this summer. Describe the moment you found out you made it? Did you all find out at the same time or were you contacted individually?
Chad: I think we found out at separate times…? I can’t remember…we spend a lot of time together…lol it’s always a good feeling to be recognized for what you’ve been putting your heart and soul into.
Shawn: I was contacted by one of the Boots and Hearts staff informing me that we were within the top I was honestly very surprised as Sea Perry does not necessarily sound like your typical country group. It’s a really great opportunity and I am very happy to be a part of it.
Sea Perry
SC: Every artist I’ve spoken to has a story about how / when they decided to pursue music as a career. Describe the moment that you knew that music was the path for you and what inspired each you to take that path.
Chad: I started playing drums when I was 12 years old…my dad is a drummer too, so he was always an inspiration to me…In grade 7 (Churchill Public School in Sudbury), I tried out to be the class drummer mid-way through the year and was able to finally drop the clarinet that I started out with…lol In these 2 years of middle school, I played drums in the school bands and actually started my own band outside of school called “Sanitarium” where we played mostly Nirvana covers and had some originals too. From here I decided to audition to become a music major at (Sudbury Secondary) a Performing Arts high school which was across the city…so I left all my friends to attend…for the next 2 years I played in the Jazz ensemble and the Concert Band until I got more interested in Punk rock music and girls…lol and ended up leaving the music program to be more involved in my punk band “Soaker”. When this band ran its course…by grade 12…I took an interest in songwriting as I had picked up the guitar here and there when my band mates left them at my house and I also took a couple of guitar classes in school too…so when I completed my first album of original music at age 19 of myself playing every instrument including: vocals, guitars, drums, synth, etc…it was in that moment that I realized that perhaps I was able to do this for a career… ;)
Shawn: My grandmother always had various instruments lying around and I was always trying to play them. The most pivotal moment that made me want to start playing and being a musician was seeing my uncles 1985 white fender American Stratocaster. It was the coolest thing in the world to me, and to me represented endless possibilities.
SC: In music today there are a lot of artists working on projects with other artists, for example Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line or Tim Hicks and Blackjack Billy. If you could write with or perform with any artist on the scene today (from any genre) who would it be?
Chad: I am a big fan of Leighton Antelman, of the band Lydia and The Cinema,…he has such a unique voice and writes very catchy artsy-pop rock melodies…so I would choose him
Shawn: I would love to collaborate with so many musicians, but David Bowie has always been a big inspiration and I think he tops my list.
Sea Perry
SC: As a aspiring Music stars performing in front of large crowds is pretty much par for the course, what’s the largest crowd you’ve ever performed in front of and what do you do to calm your nerves ahead of the show?
Chad: I had the opportunity to open up for Marianas Trench… over 1,700 people…I was super nervous to say the least…lol So before I went on stage I had a practiced a breathing exercise that I had learnt years ago in a Yoga class called Nadi Shodhana or (Alternate Nostril Breathing) The exercise produces optimum function to both sides of the brain: creativity and logical verbal activity. This also creates a more balanced person, since both halves of the brain are functioning properly. The yogis consider this to be the best technique to calm the mind and the nervous system.
Shawn: Opening for Carly Rae Jepsen was a huge show and was an amazing experience. In all honesty I didn’t feel very nervous before the show. I have been playing in a live setting for a very long time, and I find it almost more gut wrenching to play to a smaller crowd.
SC: In any career there comes a moment, sometimes moments, where you know you’re doing something right. As an entertainer you make a decision to follow that path, can you describe a moment in your career, so far, that made you feel that you are on the right path?
Chad: Anytime we can connect with anyone with our music at some type of level…I feel like we must be doing something right…even in the creation process I feel like if I am being moved by what is happening…I know that someone else out there will too…
Shawn: Hard to find one, but I guess the following experience will be mine. Sea Perry was playing a show in Oshawa I believe, and it was a large bill with varying musical acts playing. There were fans there to specifically see us but there were others in the crowd waiting for the next act to play. An individual in the crowd had his arms crossed and was refusing to enjoy the show. Not sure why, perhaps out of some loyalty to a different band. At some point we had broken his guard down and stopped trying to not like us and gave in to our show. After the show he bought a CD and the next time we played Oshawa he was there to see us.
SC: What’s your all-time favorite movie?
Chad: I can’t choose one…lol I like the Star Wars series, The Lord of the Rings series, Gladiator, The Truman Show, Open Water, The first Saw, Groundhogs Day, Sweet November…etc. etc. How can anyone choose one…? lol
Shawn: Probably The Departed
SC: Your ideal brain food?
Chad: I make fruit smoothies every morning
Shawn: Anything spicy
SC: Favourite Restaurant (anywhere in the world)?
Chad: Pho 88 in Toronto… 270 Spadina Avenue, They make the best spring rolls ever!!!
Shawn: Haha Eastside Marios
Sea Perry
SC: Favourite TV show (all-time)?
Chad: Again I can’t choose one… LOST, True Blood, The Following, Weeds, Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld
Shawn: Arrested Development
SC: If you could see any artist in concert, who would you see (living or dead)?
Chad: Can you tell I’m an indecisive person…lol I really want to see Sleeping at Last, Bon Iver, Brighten, Circa Survive, David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), The Fray, Kings of Leon, Pinback, Portugal. The Man, Silverchair, The Strokes, The Used, Timber Timbre, and if only I could have experienced Led Zeppelin and The Travelling Wilburys…P.S. I left out the bands that I like and already saw…
Shawn: Michael Jackson
SC: iPhone, Android or Blackberry?
Chad: Definitely Android… I have a huge Note 2 and I have a 160 gig iPod for my music
Shawn: iPhone
SC: Can you talk about a fan encounter that completely took you by surprise?
Chad: We have had some fans that have drove a pretty fair distance to come see us play…that always means a lot to me…
Shawn: We have some pretty awesome fans from all over that we talk too quite regularly. I like to say that our songs are an expression of the extremity of all 3 of our emotions captured in 3 or 4 minutes. Having such concentrated emotional power has the ability to connect with people in a profound way (we hope anyway.) It’s an emotional thing and I think that’s why people reach out to us. There is a certain vulnerability in a good song, and I like to think people reach out because they feel that we may understand them and they are not alone. Either way, to touch someone in this way is truly amazing and touching.
SC: What are your family member’s musical interests and abilities?
Chad: Dad is a drummer too…he loves country music, My Mom plays organ, My 2 older brothers played a bit of drums too, My sister was into dance
Shawn: My family is made up of either musicians or music lovers. My grandmother came from a French Canadian background which breeds hearty, organic, storytelling music. She played many instruments and her sons and my mother followed suit. My mother is a very open person to music, she would listen or play anything from Steve Earle to Joni Mitchell back to back.
SC: Name a fictional character most like you?
Chad: I feel like I am “Jon” Garfield’s owner…cause I am a slave to my cat…lol {a slave to Chris Henderson then?}
Shawn: I am at times my own fictional character and real character. That is the best answer I have.
SC: In “Sea Perry, Story of Our Lives” – The Movie, who would you pick to play each of you?
Brad Pitt as Chad
Johnny Depp as Chris
Ben Affleck as Shawn
Chad: I would get Brad Pitt to play me haha, Johnny Depp to play Chris and Ben Affleck to play Shawn
Adam Levine as Chris
Dave Grohl as Chad
Nikki Sixx as Shawn
Shawn: Chris would be Adam Levine, Chad Dave Grohl, Shawn- Nikki Sixx
SC: Star Trek or Star Wars?
Chad: Star Wars
Shawn: Star Wars
SC: Stress management: hitman, spa vacation or Prozac?
Chad: Spa Vacation
Shawn: Prozac
SC: What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Chad: Always follow your heart and chase your dreams and never give up
Shawn: Yesterday is just that
SC: The music business is one of the most charitable businesses in the world, is there a specific charity that’s close to your heart that you support or would like to see more support for?
Chad: I think it is important for all children to experience music in school, so MusiCounts would be my choice….
SC: Tell us why country music fans should chose Sea Perry?
Chad: Sea Perry is in it for the long haul…we are like brothers who love writing and performing music and will not stop until we achieve the success that we are destined for…
Shawn: There are a lot of great bands in the competition, but people should vote for Sea Perry because if they don’t they aren’t our friends haha
We’d like to thank Chad, Shawn and Chris for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish them the best of luck during the Emerging Artist competition in August. We’ll be there and look forward to meeting in person at the event!
If you want to find out more about Sea Perry check them out online: www.seaperry.com, https://twitter.com/sea_perry, www.soundcloud.com/sea-perry, www.instagram.com/seaperrymusic
Here’s the group’s latest video and single, it’s called “Nowhere to Go”