Perry Wimbleton.

His name is Emyr Humphreys but he performs under the alter-ego Perry Wimbleton, he hails from Aberystwyth, Wales and would describe his sound as “harmonious lo-fi trip hop” .

He started out playing drums then branched out to guitar and keyboards and he muses “I guess my favourite instrument has to be drums as I’m most comfortable playing them but the guitar’s steadily becoming my favourite as well..”

He is most heavily influenced by “Beck, as his music really inspires you because of it’s sheer innovation. Every album has its own unique sound and is the perfect mood for how you feel that day. Animal Collective and Panda Bear also for innovation and their progressive attitude towards making music. I also love how completely non-linear their songs can be. Bon Iver is also a huge influence as the whole recording in the cabin thing inspired me to keep a bit of a lo-fi ethos.”

How he came to pick the name Perry Wimbleton “is quite a funny story actually… It came right from the top of my head when my band had to have a manager sign the contract for a small festival we were playing. I think it must have had something to do with it being around the Wimbledon tennis season or something…” He laughingly adds “I guess that shows how suggestible I am!”

He is also in a band, Violetones and the band met as “we all went to the same school in Aberystwyth, and the original couple of people who wanted to be in a band started out taking guitar lessons in the first year. Then as time went on different people got involved or lost interest and took up different instruments etc. It then got going with more or less the same lineup today properly round about the end of 05 after practicing and school gigs…”

He started making music as Perry Wimbleton as “it was almost a natural progression from being in a band, especially seeing as we’re all getting more mature and so are out music tastes. I’ve always wanted to write some songs and make some cool music on my own and it’s this year that I started out getting things out there and finding out what works best for me as an artist.”

As to whether he prefers playing as Perry Wimbleton or with the Violetones he cant’ really say yet as he’s “only had one gig as Perry really which was terrifying, but it was a great feeling I created or at least sampled everything everyone hears.. That said though, the ‘tones have been playing for so long and we’re just so laid back and on the same wavelength, it’s just good fun. If had to choose, then it would be as part of the Violetones, but that may change in due time the more I lay as Perry – and I’m definitely planning on gigging more.”

He’d like “a long and fulfilling career full of festivals and rave reviews!” He laughs and then carries on “I’d definitely to make a career out of music. That would be a dream come true. I know lots of artists say it’s all about the music and not the money, but as long as I make enough money through music to get by, and to get new cool sound makers, I’m happy and will continue to make music nevertheless.”

His favourite thing about performing is “definitely the suspense right before going on and setting up. As a musician you’re pumped. As an audience, they’re excited to see you or at least are in a mindset to listen to new music and appreciate it, otherwise they wouldn’t be at the gig. Obviously the small local gigs I’m playing now are different to, say, waiting for a big act take to stage in a festival, but if I were able to create that, I’d love it. The ecstatic vibes before you go on and as you set up, the audience in good spirits and talking to each other and getting excited, a good tune on but not too loud, to create that vibe and turn excitement into sheer rejoicing when going onstage would be perfection.”

Recording the songs that appear on his Myspace was “mostly quick and inspired. They came in a flash of inspiration and I finished them either within the day or early the next day. All done lo-fi through my usb mic and music software, and sampled. These new ones I’m writing I plan to really take my time over, and send lots of prototypes and sketches to people for feedback. I intend to sample less as well.”

He’s planning to record an EP and he’s “just started writing” he continues “I think it’s going pretty well, I have a few sketches and I’m always getting ideas here and there. I’ll write songs in full on paper out of them then I can get to the nitty gritty of tweaking, recording mixing and distributing. It’s pretty early to say but it will definitely come about next year. I think the important thing is, like I said before, to take my time on these songs and let them take on a new vibe to what I’ve done already..”

His plans for the future include “getting new songs written, then recording and releasing the EP. Fine tune my live show. I’ll hopefully lay more live shows nationally and with other musicians. I’m planning collaborations with artists like Convoi Exceptionnel and theMOOSH. These new songs will be a lot different or at least sound it, so I might actually start a new project for them and work on that. That’s the big decision I will have to make.”

For now, as Perry Wimbleton, things are looking good. I look forward to hearing new and exciting things from him.

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