Sedric Perry – The Rising Star Spreading Feel-Good Vibes and Empowerment
Sedric Perry In Conversation With FAULT Magazine
Hailing from the US and now based in Berlin, Sedric Perry has crafted a musical journey like no other. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of genres and cultures, his artistry knows no bounds. Last month, Sedric Perry shared the magic behind ‘It Girl,’ an electrifying retro pop/soul track that pays homage to the iconic Prince and Whitney Houston.
In this exclusive interview, Sedric Perry opens up about the inspiration behind ‘It Girl,’ his influences, the strength he found to persevere through challenging times and of course, his FAULTs.
Congratulations on the release of your latest single, ‘It Girl’! Can you tell us what inspired you to create it?”
Thank you! I think it was just one of those moments of universal inspiration. I’d just started working on this other song with Gabe, the producer. It’s a dope song, but in a totally different world than It Girl – it’s dark, elusive, and vulnerable. I went over to finish it up, but we just started listening to a bunch of music – Kpop, Vapor Wave, Whitney Houston, Prince, Earth Wind and Fire. Then we just started jamming to this riff he made on the guitar right then and there. It’s so fun watching Gabe get latched onto an idea, he really goes there and doesn’t mind me going there so we feed off each other well. We didn’t plan on making a “single,” so we decided to fully immerse ourselves in the genre and not try to make it sound like a modern song with a retro feel, but to really respect how the greats did it.
The creation of ‘It Girl’ sounds like a spontaneous and fun process. Can you share more about the inspiration behind the song and the magical moment when everything came together?”
Honestly the whole process was just magical. Every once in a while a song comes along that is just pure bliss to make no matter how long it takes. Every single session something new would happen, every time I’d think it was close to being finished, we’d add a harmony or a different bass-line. The moment when I knew this was the one, was when we were on our third vocal session. We didn’t even record for like three hours, we just talked and listened to a bunch of gospel. I think up until that point there was a bit of struggle with how to deliver the proper vocal for this song. But when it was time to record, it really came together and we knew it had to be a full, bright, chest vocal with some nice falsetto moments to really give it that colour. Before, it was more soft and whispery, like the BeeGees would do maybe. By the end of that session, I was blown away by what we did. Every time I thought I’d reached my limit, Gabe would push a little further. I think I hit the highest chest note and highest falsetto on any recording of mine in this one session. I mean obviously we had to dial it back and take some things out, but the energy is definitely there in the outro of the song.
You’ve mentioned that ‘It Girl’ delves into 80s pop, channelling the energy of Prince and Whitney Houston. How did these iconic artists influence your sound, and what elements did you incorporate into the track?”
Two of the main references for this one were “So Emotional” by Whitney and “I Wanna Be Your Lover” by Prince. I remember being in my dad’s Mustang and hearing “So Emotional” for the first time when I was little, and just being in pure bliss. I think that feeling came through this song and I wanted people to feel that. I wouldn’t really compare myself vocally to Prince, but I’ve always had the utmost respect for the way he presents himself. He’s so intentional and really manages to let you see and hear exactly what he wants, and brings you into his world. I think they both encouraged me to really step out there and not be afraid to be fun and a bit cheeky.
You mentioned going through a challenging period in your life before committing fully to your artistry. How did you find the strength to persevere and embark on this wild journey?”
I wish I could say there was some magical pill I took. But it really all starts with this small need to create. It’s like electricity that keeps me up at night and it’s shown me what’s possible if I just continue to show up and serve, so I do! From there, it’s just being around the right energy and people. That makes a difference. And I’m so blessed to have so many amazing humans in my circle who see me and celebrate me. We’re all crazy as hell but we love and support each other so deeply, from a real place. That’s rare. Sometimes I try to revisit my old life and I’m like “no wonder you were miserable!”, so I know I’m really blessed and I don’t take it for granted.
Are you quite spontaneous with your creative process or do you prefer to be more structured in your workflow?
It’s like trying to capture that electricity I mentioned. My job is simply to catch lightning in a bottle – make something that doesn’t exist, exist. So the spark of creativity is usually spontaneous and even unplanned, but then there’s the discipline and knowing which tools I already have to make it come together. And again, I have great fucking friends who all are masters at what they do, so we work together.
With ‘It Girl’ being just the beginning, can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from your upcoming music releases in 2023? Any particular themes or directions you’re exploring?”
Yes! I’m never short of ideas for a visual. I actually made another track for sync with my friends, but I think it’s so fun and fitting for Leo season, so I thought to drop it for my birthday and have a crazy release party/concert. I think the running themes of my music , which I want to emphasise even more, are self discovery, self acceptance, self expression, and liberation. Our community is so diverse and has so much to offer, but you can’t pour from an empty cup! That’s what It Girl is about – you can stand up in the face of B.S., you do have the tools you need to achieve your goals, you can have love, and you can take up this space!
You’re based in Berlin (same!) – how does the city inspire your creative process?
I think Berlin is a city for rebels. People come here looking for a different life in some way. Meeting people at these different intersections is so inspiring. You meet people who want to create with you, just because they want to and believe in what you’re doing. For the most part, my experience has been so pure and I’ve learned a lot along the way.
What’s the most challenging hurdle you’ve had to overcome?
That’s a tough one. The past few years were intense – last year my friends and I were attacked while on vacation in a place where I would expect to feel the safest. The year before that, my dad passed. It kind of restructured the way I viewed everything and I wasn’t sure where that would lead, but it ultimately led me right back to love. But it also forced me to really let go of a lot of people and things in my life that were not working for me.
What is your FAULT?
I was made perfectly. There are no flaws, just things I have to unlearn that were dumped on me by people who were just doing the best they could with what they had. I am working on being more punctual, though…