The Local 913: Peter Perkins
Peter Perkins spent most of his adult life building homes for other people, but now he’s ready to spend some of that energy on his own creative projects. "I’ve been writing songs all my life," he says. "But I figured there was a more secure career path and took that one. I would rather have done it sooner, but it was great to have it happen any time." Maybe it was better to wait a while. The songs on the aptly named Better Late Than Never are full of poignant storytelling, bursting with emotional maturity. "I found a little bit more of my own voice and style as I got older," he says.
Perkins also found some really great friends to help make Better Late Than Never. Scrolling through the liner notes, it’s hard to miss the big names that contributed to the album. Perkins sings and plays the guitar, but his backing band includes members of The Clarks and the Allman Brothers – an incredible feat, especially considering it’s his first album. "I’m very lucky to start with. I was introduced to The Clarks through friends and Chuck Leavell I met through a friend who put together a trip to Georgia," he says. "He knew Chuck and we got a chance to go down to his place in Macon, Georgia where the Allman Brothers got there start. Another guy, Byron Berline, who was kind of the “it” fiddle player in the 70s- he played with James Taylor, the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, you name it – I met him on another trip through another friend. I just asked after chatting with them and they all said yes. They’re all incredibly nice people and willing to do it. They did ask to hear it first, though!"
