“What’s the Matter, M Ross?” — set to be released May 2 from Coalmine Records — was composed, performed, and recorded completely by Perkins at his home studio.
No one but Perkins has been involved in the making of his solo records. And while that fact remains consistent with this upcoming third installment, as no one else is technically playing on it, there are dozens of people featured, all responding to the same relevant question.
M Ross Perkins album release show — produced by OKO Studio — is May 2 at SRS Rehearsal Stage, 70 High St., Dayton. The performance will feature lo-fi indie pop songwriter Andy Smith, who just returned to the stage with his band Me Time after an eight year hiatus.
In a local park, Perkins played a word association game with passersby, asking them to respond to images — Kanye West, Martin Luther King Jr., stock photos of clowns or overweight men — by answering, “What’s the matter with him?” He recorded their responses on Microcassette and compiled them into the album’s four interludes.
None of the commentary was actually about Perkins — though within the album’s context, it often feels like it is. He also had people from across the world ask “what’s the matter with him?” in their native languages.
“What is this person thinking about me? That’s what’s going on in my head all the time,” Perkins said. “We’re telling this story about what everybody must be assuming about us. We’re assuming it’s about us, even though it truly isn’t.”
The album offers pointed social commentary — about the flood of breaking news, the need for internet validation, systemic inequality, and the narrow, myopic lens through which we often interpret the world.
Much like Perkins’ previous record, the politically engaged “E Pluribus M Ross,” “What’s the Matter, M Ross?” is a political record, too, in the wake of the catastrophic, pre-authoritarian state of things — set to the tune and with the sheen of mid-career Beatles, neo-psychedelia that undermines authority with an absurdity while maintaining a level of plausible deniability.
“It’s a weird time to be making art. You want to value what that role is in the midst of fascism,” Perkins said. “People are disenchanted, realizing the magnitude of what we’re up against. This album is about that, a kind of consciousness. The way out is through self-examination. Your human spirit has to get aligned with some sort of center in order to really be able to function.”
“What’s the Matter, M Ross?” is an entendre; it could mean “what’s troubling you?” or “what’s wrong with you?” or the bigger, scientific question: “what is matter?” The arc of arriving at those answers can be found in the songs, lyrics, and vintage vibes throughout the record, as well as in the responses during the interludes, but is more or less ambiguous.
Perkins found nostalgia for the ’60s during the ’90s, through his father. Growing up listening to oldies radio, Perkins started to identify with a time he never lived through, while still feeling a personal relationship with it. Though primarily recorded digitally, Perkins’ records radiate the warm, analog feel of the ’60s, thanks to mic placement, a Fender Champ, and a refusal to use pedals.
His live band is currently a bare-bones three-piece, with bassist Matt Webster and drummer Micah Kemplin. Perkins says the more he strips the band down, the more it sounds like the studio recordings.
“Where there’s an additive solution to everything, instead of a subtractive solution, you get further and further away from that vintage sound,” Perkins said. “If you plug right into a ’65 Twin Reverb, that’s it. Just plug directly into it and turn it up.”
Perkins released the album’s first single, “I Don’t Wanna Be So High,” in February. It’s about the legalization of recreational weed in Ohio. “I Feel So Dumb” and “Spiritual Kick” were subsequently released ahead of the album, ostensibly about lunacy and spirituality, respectively, though the jury is still out on that.
Perkins’ new record is deeply activist — using his art to fight back, while also satisfying the nostalgia of those who lived through the ’60s, and the longing of those who didn’t.
“What’s the Matter, M Ross?” was made possible in part by an investment of public funds by the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Tour dates will be announced soon.
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
What: M Ross Perkins’ album release show featuring Andy Smith
When: 7:30 p.m., May 2
Where: SRS Rehearsal Stage, 70 High St., Dayton
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 door
Tickets: eventbrite.com
More info: M Ross Perkins’ new album “What’s the Matter, M Ross?” is available digitally, and on CD and LP May 2 from Colemine Records.
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