Perry Allen

His acoustic melodies and sweet songs come straight from the heart, but do not label Perry Allen emo; he simply won't have it. Instead, the 16-year-old musician, who plays the piano, guitar and banjo, would rather have his music called "honest," since the majority of his songs reflect experiences of...

By Shaina Levee

February 24, 2005

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

His acoustic melodies and sweet songs come straight from the heart, but do not label Perry Allen emo; he simply won't have it. Instead, the 16-year-old musician, who plays the piano, guitar and banjo, would rather have his music called "honest," since the majority of his songs reflect experiences of a young teenager searching for love and meaning. Lately, however, political discourse has also seeped its way into the folk-rocker's repertoire as he works on his next album. Revealing intense feelings of love and loss, Allen dishes out raw, insightful lyrics and mature melodies that aren't just the product of an active imagination; his primary muse is his older brother, who passed away when Perry was a child. "I just don't have anything," he says. "My music is my form of expression; it's everything I've got."

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.