Bella Perron barely got a chance to unpack her bags. The 23-year-old, Berklee-trained shredder had recently relocated from her home state of Maine to Los Angeles, and on her first day in town she got a call to audition for pop star Haiden Henderson’s U.K. tour. And she nailed it.
“The whole thing was so crazy,” the guitarist says with a laugh. “I’ve been really focused on launching my solo career, but I also want to be open to whatever possibilities come my way. Basically, my attitude right now is just ‘go for it.’”
Motivation has never been much of a problem for Perron, who has already toured the U.S. several times with her former band, Plush.
Lately, she’s been sitting in with Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom’s side band, the Slim Jim Phantom Trio, and performing with the high-octane country rock group the Midnight Cowgirls.
“I’ve had a great time playing with the Cowgirls,” she says. “They wanted some fast lead guitar work with real rock edge. And playing with Slim Jim has been incredible. [Bassist] Jennie Vee, who’s also in the Cowgirls, called and asked me to play with her and Slim Jim. We were part of a tribute to Duane Eddy at the Grand Ole Opry. What an honor!”
Perron has been eking away at an instrumental solo record – it could be a full album, but in all likelihood it’ll be an EP – that she plans to release this year. Thus far, she’s uploaded two music videos on YouTube that offer a pretty good idea of what she’s been up to.
Enlighten is a ferocious, ultramelodic rocker that shows off her supple chops in a highly listenable four-minute package. Mirrors is more of a slinky, funky bit of business with a growling, kickass riff and enough twists and turns to keep listeners constantly guessing where she’s going next.
If she has her way, she’d love to carve out a career similar to Steve Vai or Nita Strauss.
“I’ve admired them for so long – for their musicianship, obviously, but also how they tour with different artists,” she says. “Like them, I’m a rock player at heart, but I want to get my toes in the waters of other genres. I’m exploring my voice as a guitarist, and I’m trying to write in a space without rules – no genres, no time lengths.”
She smiles. “I’m just enjoying it.”
- This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.
