From the sleepy city of Cambridge, Ontario, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Jesse Perriam teams up with producer Matt Elder to release his debut solo album, No Props No Punchlines, under the name Useless Urving.
While the stage name itself was conceived from Perriam’s eccentric and whimsical side, he nonetheless takes his music very seriously. A pop punk album that draws influence from music throughout the decades, this record focuses on themes of childhood memories, love and loss, frustration and disappointment, personal growth, and dreams for the future.
“If you listen, you’re going to hear something new, but it’ll feel like something you’ve been listening to for years and years,” says Perriam, when asked what fans can expect from this album.
And how correct he is. Whether it’s the hard-hitting and punchy drive of ‘I Don’t Wanna Know;’ the nostalgic 2000s riffs of ‘Whole;’ the vocal byplay of ‘So Good;’ or the stylistic time machine of ‘Old yeller;’ Perriam maintains a unique sound that will undoubtably come to be known as his. Despite this, his compositions have drawn comparisons to such pop punk greats as The Mile After, Motion City Soundtrack, The Starting Line, and New Found Glory, while his guitar work on tracks such as ‘Long Way’ answer the unasked question of what if Avenged Sevenfold leant Synyster Gates to Hit the Lights for a day.
When speaking about the work needed to complete such a project as a solo artist, Perriam couldn’t credit his producer enough. “Other than ‘Guilty Conscience,’ which featured Sean Riley on drums, Matt played percussion on every song. Not only that, but he gave me some invaluable insight on songwriting and instrumentation, encouraging me to be more aggressive on bass and make every single pick on guitar consistent throughout every track.” And of course, he couldn’t resist finishing with a pun, as he so often does. “Matt was really instrumental in the completion of this record, and I couldn’t have done it without him.”
With his lifelong dream of completing this record finally under his belt, Perriam assures his fans that more Useless Urving is soon to come with funding options and preliminary writing already underway. In the meantime, Useless Urving – No Props No Punchlines can be found wherever you stream music, and you can follow the project’s progress below.
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