Elvis Perkins

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Elvis Perkins performing live at Joe's Pub in New York City on March 1, 2007.

Elvis Perkins (born February 9, 1978) is a folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the son of actor Anthony Perkins (an Academy-award nominated screen actor best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho) and photographer Berry Berenson. He was raised in Los Angeles, California and New York City. Perkins is a great-grandson of the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli and a nephew of the actress Marisa Berenson.

[edit] Biography

Perkins's melancholy songs reflect the personal tragedy he has experienced over the years. His father died of AIDS in 1992. His mother was on board a flight that was flown into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.[1] His debut album, Ash Wednesday, a chronologically sequenced album of songs written before and after his mother's death, was released in February 2007 by XL Recordings with a lead single called "All The Night Without Love". Perkins had help from his elder brother, Oz Perkins, on drums and friend Ethan Gold who produced, arranged, and mixed the album. The album includes backing vocals by Ariana Lenarsky, Shana Levy of indie band Let's Go Sailing, and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond among others.

Perkins's trio of musicians, dubbed Dearland, are known for walking the line between delicate restraint and what Rolling Stone describes as "raucous and piratical performance styles". Although the band was officially formed after the making of Ash Wednesday, all members contributed in various ways, to the making of Elvis's debut. The band includes bassist Brigham Brough, drummer Nicholas Kinsey and keyboardist/guitarist Wyndham Boylan-Garnett. Elvis Perkins in Dearland garnered media attention in 2006 through extensive touring across the United States with Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide, World Party, Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog, Okkervil River, My Morning Jacket, and Pernice Brothers among others. They have also played the Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo music festivals as well as the Newport Folk Festival. Elvis Perkins in Dearland recently opened for the indie rock outfit Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on their US tour and for singer-songwriter Willy Mason on his European tour.

The members of Elvis Perkins in Dearland are old friends and officially began work on the group while living outside Providence, Rhode Island. However most of the members now reside in Dutchess County, New York. Having played over 250 shows in the last year the group hopes to begin work on the follow-up to Ash Wednesday in the near future.

In the Spring of 2007 Elvis Perkins in Dearland began performing their version of the shape-note hymn "Weeping Pilgrim" which was written in 1859 by J.P. Reese and is included in the Sacred Harp.

In September of 2007, Elvis Perkins in Dearland entered the studio with engineer/producer Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan, Public Enemy) to record a new version of "All the Night Without Love". The single was released on Nov. 5th on UK itunes and will be available in the states on Nov. 20th.

The members of Dearland have also joined many acts on stage as a vibrant and explosive horn section known as "Dearland Horns" which includes Wyndham on trombone, Brigham on alto saxophone and Nick on clarinet. They joined My Morning Jacket for Lionel Richie's "All Night Long", Kool and the Gang's "Celebration", as well as Jacket favorites "Dancefloors" and "Easy Morning Rebel" at the Jacket's New Years Eve 2007 celebration at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Dearland horns continued to play with My Morning Jacket on the tour that followed. Jim James has called them, "the best horn section on this side of the Mississippi," a comment he has made on both sides. Dearland horns have also frequenty joined Cold War Kids on stage, most notably at Madison Square Garden on August 6th, 2007 when the Kids opened for British band Muse. Dearland horns, along with Elvis on harmonium performed "Hospital Beds" with Cold War Kids on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on September 20th 2007. Dearland horns have also performed with Okkervil River, Dr. Dog and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah among others. Dearland horns appeared most recently in France with British rockers Noisettes.

Perkins' song "Moon Woman II" appears on the Fast Food Nation soundtrack. "While You Were Sleeping" was featured in a season 4 episode of The O.C.. Elvis Perkins in Dearland made their network television debut performing on the Late Show with David Letterman on June 13, 2007.

Perkins attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.