Perry Desmond-Davies photo credit: Shannon Powers

Perry Desmond-Davies’ original songs relate to experiences in life, relationships, work, and even serious illness. Her distinctive voice ties the words and music together: always tender, lyric and melodic, at times soaring, seductive or smoky. Says a fan: "her voice and songs are pure and powerful; they touch unguarded parts of the listener, filling us with joy, nostalgia and longing. Once you hear Perry Desmond-Davies, you will never confuse her with anyone else. "
Sweet Ride, her current release, is a full length studio album that has been described as: "an inspired, addictive mix of folk, blues, bluegrass and a capella, all driven by an exceptionally beautiful voice." The 12 original songs (and three live bonus tracks) continue to receive high praise and constant airplay across the US, UK and Canada.

Perry began performing on the New England coffeehouse scene as a teenager, then stashed away the music to focus on career and family. She returned to her musical roots a few years later, and has been sharing her voice and songs with happy listeners ever since.

A finalist in Portsmouth, NH’s Prescott Park Arts and Acoustic Festival Emerging Singer-Songwriter competition, and chosen as one of ten finalists selected nation-wide for the 2011 Susquehanna Music Fest in Havre de Grace, MD, Perry has performed at the Wachusett Valley Folk Festival's Showcase stage, as we;; has also hosted several successful coffeehouses and open mikes, including The Gathering Place(Nashua, NH), The Pleasant Café Open Mike(Maynard, MA), and a Boston-area based “Unplugged” monthly music series.

Perry's first recording, "This One's for You", is from a live performance at Simple Gifts Coffeehouse in Nashua, NH. In addition to her heartfelt original compositions, Perry's unique tributes to John Prine’s "Angel From Montgomery", Gillian Welch’s "Orphan Girl", and a scorching rendition of the classic "House of the Rising Sun" had the audience of 100 joining in with their own harmonies and percussion as well. Her a capella encore will bring tears to your eyes...

Sweet Ride, her newest release, is a full length studio album that has been described as: "an inspired, addictive mix of folk, blues, bluegrass and a capella, all driven by an exceptionally beautiful voice."
The 12 original songs (and three live bonus tracks) continue to receive wide acclaim and constant airplay across the US, UK and Canada. The title track was recently featured on NPR Car Talk's Christmas show!!
Sweet Ride and This One's for You are both available for purchase and digital download (per track or whole album) right here on her website, and also at CDBaby, ITunes, Amazon MP3, CDFreedom, Rhapsody, and many other online distributors.

 


A sampling of reviews:

"The songwriting of Perry Desmond-Davies never stands on ceremony. She writes from the heart and mind about the ups and downs of everyday life that carry the weight of honest experience. Desmond-Davies' voice is unadulterated and pure, cut from the same working class cloth as artists such as Pete Seeger, Tom Waits and even a bit of early Janis Joplin. 
She plays working class hero on Sweet Ride, sticking to the basics of everyday life and the human condition; drawing the joy and pain of small victories and subtle defeats out into the open in song. She is a story-teller who writes songs, or a songwriter who tells-stories. It's hard to say which comes first, as the two talents blend thoroughly throughout Sweet Ride. A Sweet Ride it is." 

- Wildy Haskell, Wildy's World 

 

Perry Desmond-Davies' CD "Sweet Ride" is a beautifully written, performed and recorded paean to the joys and miseries of everyday life. Favorite moments were the good time feel of "Sweet Ride", the gorgous, heartfelt, vocal performance of "Beautiful Child", the spooky lyric of "Eyes Wide Open" and the uplifting sentiment of "New Beginnings". Other favorites were the intimate, live piano version of "Nobody Cares" and the honky-tonk joy of the live "One Hot Mama". Perry's plaintive vocalizations on her bluesy and darker lyrics are chilling and real and sometimes remind the listener of early Janis Joplin and Billie Holiday. Seth Connelly's production and arrangement work is stunningly passionate and musically articulate and perfectly supports and compliments each tune and lyric. All in all, "Sweet Ride" is an aptly titled and thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

Jeff Root, Performer/Producer

 

" Over the course of a single song, Perry’s soaring, emotive voice will weave in and out of different styles (Country, R&B, Folk), which lend the song the dynamics that are so difficult for solo acoustic performers to achieve."

Hewitt Huntwork - Boston Acoustic Underground Award Winner, Host:Acton Jazz Café