Londoner Perry goes acoustic

“If you don't always have something to be angry about, you are clearly too apathetic and not invested enough in this world,” says London-based singer, songwriter, model, writer, record label owner and former Fanshawe student Rose Cora Perry. As a rock and roll songstress and singer of Anti-Hero, Perry is “still full of animosity,” in spite of several recent years' growth and maturation.

Lately, however, she has been channeling that angst through her acoustic guitar, and Perry has stepped away from the band life for the time being. Now, with a new solo record, Off of the Pages, coming out this June, she's ready to show a different side to fans.

Rose Cora Perry“I'd like to think that I've matured and so I have a wider perspective on things. On top of that, I went through some insanely traumatic life-changing experiences this summer, and accordingly, I changed as a person. Naturally, this has affected the music that I produce.”

Certainly, Perry's new music is more candid in nature, but fans need not worry; to think she has strayed away from her roots entirely would be preposterous.

“There's still some straight up rock 'n' roll on there, and there will be more in the future,” she assures

Still, adjusting to the solo life was difficult for Perry, who had to learn to perform without any support.

“It was definitely very weird getting up on stage for the first time entirely by myself with only an acoustic guitar, after almost 10 years of fronting bands,” she said,

“I was incredibly nervous, but once I started strumming my first song, it honestly just felt right.”

Performance aside, Perry has always shown incredible independence in all aspects of her career. From writing to booking, pressing to distribution, she handles each opportunity with a D.I.Y. ethic, “influenced by the 1970s punk rock ethos,” she says.

“It's about a sense of artistic empowerment. At the end of the day, if things don't work out, I will only have myself to blame in that regard. I just don't ever want to find myself constricted by others who are supposedly there to help me. This is my art and I'm unapologetic about it. Not everyone will like it, that's sure, but I have to be true to myself, not just play to the common denominator.”

To Perry, not playing to the common denominator means taking influence from all sources, which she does with zeal. Originally trained as an operatic singer, she looks upon her classical counterparts for inspiration just as much as her favourite belter, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

“I warm up my voice to Frank Sinatra while on the way to the studio, I listen to Norah Jones while vegging out in my loft, and I crank AC/DC while cruising down the highway. I think the best artists are influenced by a diverse number of styles.”

That philosophy is best exemplified on Off of the Pages, to be released on June 9 at the London Music Awards Showcase, held at the Wolf Performance Hall in London's Central Library. From there, Perry has plans to tour, all the while maintaining her several careers in writing (both music and print), modeling, and even pursuing academics as a student at UWO. But most impressively, all of this she has achieved in London, the city she has no plans of leaving any time soon.

“I guess the true test of my loyalty to the Forest City is best exhibited every time I come home from tour. When I see the City of London sign as I'm coming off of the 401 into town, I have a sense of relief that I'm home again.”

Rose Cora Perry's Off of the Pages will released on June 9 through HER Records.