Karahi King, LLC Photo
Elison Jackson.
“We’re lucky,” said Sam Perduta of Elison Jackson. “Paul” — as in, Paul Mayer, owner of Cafe Nine — “asked us to hop on a show at Cafe Nine a couple of weeks ago with the Yawpers, and it was really fun. I’m glad we said yes. It was one of our best shows, and I guess our last for a while.”
Elison Jackson, formerly a New Haven-based band that now calls Philadelphia their home, was poised to start a tour on Monday that coincided with the release of a new version of an older song, “Caught One in the Jaw.” The tour would have taken them to six cities in seven days, including a stop at Three Sheets in New Haven. The tour, of course, has been cancelled, but the song remains — and is out digitally as planned.
“Calling out to everyone who caught one in the jaw,
The fighter inside you must be crossed.
Last I heard he had no soul and let fear in the door.
Now what’d he go and do that for?”
“Caught One in the Jaw,” according to Perduta, is a song “which we had played and recorded but it never really worked, so we recorded a different version with our buddy Dave Van Witt in New York. I think it’s maybe the most realized version.”
Perduta also talked about the band’s history and future — which included more new music. A lot more new music, in fact.
“We finished a record with Bill Readey that we started when I was still living here, and that’s done. We were going to put it out this year, but we’re sort of figuring out how to do it. And we’re finishing up a record that we’ve been working on in Philly, which we also hope to get out before the end of the year.”
Two records?
“We have a lot of material,” Perduta said, smiling. “ I don’t know if any of it really ever got played live much, but it’s stuff that’s been around about five years.”
Perduta moved to Philadelphia at the end of 2015. Another member of Elison Jackson, bassist and vocalist Greg Perault, joined him in Philly a year ago. Drummer Justin Roberts — another former New Havener who moved to Philadelphia — joined the band around that time.
“He filled in for a couple of shows and it was like, ‘oh, well, you know, let’s just keep playing’” said Jackson. “We all live together. We’re all in the same house. We have the basement space and practice there so we’re always hanging out.”
Perduta, who is a librarian and moved to Philadelphia to take a full-time job there, continues to balance work and his musical life.
“I have a job that’s conducive to being a musician because I’m able to book shows,” he said. “I booked a concert series at work, so I’m still connecting with people in that scene through that way. It’s better for everyone if I’m doing what I’m good at…. I did four [shows at the library] in the spring, and then I did three in the fall. The whole idea was to do something interesting and get people out of their comfort level. It is a great space with 40-foot ceilings, a great space to hear crazy music.”
As far as his own music goes, Perduta is a realist, albeit one that still wants to have a good time.
“I always looked at it [music] like … it’s always fun,” he said. “I have no delusions of doing anything other than enjoying myself and doing it because I want to do it.”
Karen Ponzio Photo
Sam Perduta.
Has Perduta’s songwriting changed since he moved to Philly?
“I think so,” he said. “I think living in a bigger city you have to work harder to try to actually write songs. It’s not as easy it seems. I’m also working full time. I think the songs are maybe better, but I’m writing less. I’m letting things saturate more in my head maybe, sitting with ideas longer instead of just writing a thousand songs because I feel like it.”
His guitar work has also changed. “I’m playing more solos, which is nice. I’m forced to relearn lead guitar a little bit, so it’s a three-piece raw kind of thing, a little heavy, a little groovy.”
Elison Jackson is also known as a band that is quite pliable and always welcoming.
“We’ve played shows where someone just showed up that we knew and we’ve had them jump on,” Perduta said, such as longtime friend and vocalist/artist Daniel Eugene. “I’ll be like, ‘hey, I’m in town — want to sing a couple?’ Or I’ll say to someone, ‘hey, we’re out here, want to bring your guitar?’ We’ve been that kind of band.”
And still are; Perduta noted that at their Cafe Nine show, he and Perault were joined by former bandmates Mark Sev on drums and Matt Belliveau on guitar.
Perduta was looking forward to the tour. He had thought of it as the beginning of Elison Jackson trying to go on short tours a couple times a year. With the coronavirus outbreak, that position has had to be altered.
“There’s not much to say,” Perduta said. “Nothing seems to be a big rush.” But meanwhile, “we live together and have a practice space here. We’re still doing stuff. The band is here and jamming.”
