Nate Perry & Ragged Company forge a euphoric sense of trust with ‘Count on You’
Boston alternative Americana band roars back with a new single that shines with an effervescent grandeur on Tuesday, May 6
Performing live at Boston Calling, New England Americana Fest, Levitate Backyard
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New EP recorded with Brian Charles at Rare Signals set for release this summer
Photo Credit: Collin Heroux
BOSTON, Mass. [May 6, 2025] – When Bruce Springsteen gave a keynote address at Austin’s South By Southwest festival back in 2012, he described a ticket to a live show as "a handshake between the artist and the fan." It’s a symbiotic relationship that has endured for decades, sometimes favoring one over the other depending on societal whims, but always eventually evening out to the point where one simply cannot exist without the other.
More than a dozen years later, that advice not only holds steady, but it resonates deeply with Nate Perry & Ragged Company, a band inspired by The Boss and his working-class ethos as they take on the year ahead with a healthy slate of live performances around New England, including Boston Calling Music Festival across Memorial Day weekend.
Just ahead of the festival gig on May 25, as well as appearances at Levitate Backyard (May 22), New England Americana Festival (June 28), and Veterans Rock Music Festival (July 19), and fresh off a sold-out show at The Fallout Shelter, the Boston-based alternative Americana band releases its euphoric new single, “Count on You,” on Tuesday, May 6.
A shimmering anthem that glistens and glows as it canvasses a spectrum of Americana, alternative, pop, outlaw country, roots, and indie rock, the transformative “Count on You” details the importance of a partner to help navigate the rough waters that these days feel increasingly turbulent. Vocalist, guitarist, and band leader Nate Perry penned the track about personal relationships, and arrives on the eve of Boston Calling, just as Nate Perry & Ragged Company continue their rapid ascent following last year’s release of debut EP The Otherside of Everything.
“‘Count on You’ is about finding your partner in life and running into hard times,” Perry admits. “Specifically, I wrote this song from the point of view of someone who is scared that their partner isn't going to show up when it matters. The result is a song from the perspective of someone who needs you. The times are getting hard and we both need to show up in this kind of situation. It's a call to arms.”
It’s also a promise of something special. “Count on You” is the effervescent first offering from a new EP set for release this summer, recorded with Brian Charles at Rare Signals in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The track opens a portal into a more grandiose sound and vision from the quintet, who retain the gritty Americana and roots rock sound at its core, but coat it in sonic layers that prevent it from being limited by our sense of genre or style. It’s emotional music for emotional times, written by one of Boston music’s most intriguing new voices.
“I've been listening to a lot of James McMurtry and Springsteen and I heard the value of writing as the antagonist of the story,” Perry adds. “I wanted it to be a song that grabs you immediately, like if you were having the conversation the lyrics are telling. While I was writing, I took the perspective of the antagonist and wrote the lyrics as if someone was saying those things to me – the person who needs to be counted on. It allowed me to reflect on myself. What came later for this song was a brilliant rhythm section and hook from my band to help tell the story.”
That band is the machine driving this force into new musical heights, with Perry joined by lead guitarist Mike Chandler, drummer Sam DeMello, bassist Connor Milligan, and keyboardist Ollie Nash.
The path that delivered Nate Perry & Ragged Company to this moment has been steady and focused. Perry, an Army veteran, grew up listening to old Johnny Cash and Springsteen records with his father, and rediscovered his love of country and Americana while stationed in Kentucky back in the 2010s. On weekends, he and his soldier buddies would make the short trip down to Nashville, but while his crew was simply looking to party up and down the wild stretch of Lower Broadway, Perry was transfixed by the energy and urgency of The Music City’s dive bars and honky tonks.
Perry brought a bit of Nashville back with him to Boston, and soon the New Hampshire native linked up with Chandler through craigslist. After a previous project came to an abrupt end, Nate Perry & Ragged Company was born, with DeMello, Milligan, and Nash quickly solidifying the quintet. The chemistry was instant, the energy palpable, the shared vision seemingly within reach.
That was apparent on The Otherside of Everything, a record infused with twang and blues that took the campfire storytelling ethos of alt-country and shifted it into rock and roll overdrive, highlighted by the relentless propulsion of “Maria,” the yearning ache of “Evergreens,” and the country gallop of “All I Need.”
But “Count on You” explores a new sonic grandeur, taking the band’s ambitious sound to remarkable new creative heights that shine with organic magnetism. Nash’s synth lines supply perhaps 2025’s most infectious melody, Milligan and DeMello’s dynamo of a rhythm section drive the beat, and Chandler’s searing guitar work all combine to showcase Nate Perry & Ragged Company as one cohesive unit. This new single is an earworm that showcases a band that not only feels entrenched in our playlists as they soundtrack the highs and lows of life in 2025, but also on the cusp of a national breakthrough as they come into their own as a band and prepare the new record.
“The music is maybe the strongest this band has written,” Perry says. “The hook is incredible and it gets us every time. We're always looking for ‘the sound’, and this song is a great example of everyone's strength. It's a powerful anthem that signals our growth. Our roots will never be out of the songs though. We still have deep Americana influences and every song I write will have that. But ‘Count on You’ signals a more high-speed and in-your-face EP than our previous one.”
And that bodes well for the live stage as well, where that relationship Springsteen once spoke of comes well into view. A Nate Perry & Ragged Company show is a celebration of the now, a feast of energy and positivity as the band’s melodic and memorable songs ricochet across the venue, a growing legion of fans singing the words right back to Perry and the boys. That “handshake” quickly turns to a hug.
Because when Perry sings of love and trust and dependency and all the things that help get us through the day, his personal anecdotes are shared by those in the room. Like all great songwriters, the words flow from the written page to his lips to the hearts of the fans with ease. At the end of the day, Nate Perry & Ragged Company is the people’s kind of band.
“We’re telling their story,” Perry concludes. “When a crowd can identify with the band and feel like they share a common purpose, and when a band plays songs that the audience feels are written about them, they're doing a great job. Also, having fun on stage always helps the crowd get into it – and the more fun we're having, the more fun they're having.”
With an exciting spring and summer ahead, that’s something we can all count on.
Media Contact: Direct press inquiries to Michael Marotta at michael@knyvet.com,
and reach Nate Perry & Ragged Company at nateperryandraggedcompany@gmail.com.
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‘Count On You’ artwork:
Photo and design by Mike Chandler
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Nate Perry & Ragged Company is:
Nate Perry: Lead vocals and guitar
Sam DeMello: Drums
Connor Milligan: Bass and vocals
Ollie Nash: Keys and vocals
Mike Chandler: Lead guitar
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‘Count On You’ production credits:
Written by Nate Perry & Ragged Company
Lyrics by Nate Perry
Produced by Brian Charles at Rare Signals in Cambridge, MA
Single artwork photographed by Mike Chandler at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood, MA
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Nate Perry & Ragged Company short bio:
After leaving the Army in 2018, frontman Nate Perry returned to the Boston area with a new mission: To start a band. Stationed near Nashville, Perry had initially focused on a military career, but his time in Kentucky and Tennessee reignited his long-held passion for music. During his time off, he immersed himself in Nashville's live music scene, captivated by the musicians on stage who were living the dream he longed to pursue.
Back in Boston, Nate soon connected with guitarist Mike Chandler, a seasoned player whose previous band had recently disbanded. Together, they began shaping a new musical direction. To complete the lineup, they brought in drummer Sam DeMello, bassist Connor Milligan, and keyboardist Ollie Nash. This collaboration birthed Nate Perry & Ragged Company, a dynamic new force in the Americana-rock scene.
Since forming, Nate Perry & Ragged Company have been lighting up the Boston music scene and beyond, playing shows that highlight their infectious songwriting and electric guitar-driven sound. In 2024, they released their debut EP, The Otherside of Everything, which rapidly garnered over 10,000 streams, a testament to their growing popularity. New music arrives Spring 2025, led by new single “Count on You,” ahead of live performances at Boston Calling Music Festival, New England Americana Fest, Levitate Backyard, Veterans Rock Music Festival, and elsewhere around the region.
Nate Perry's journey from the Army to concert stages is a testament to the power of finding and following one's passion, turning the muse of Nashville into the sounds of a rising Boston band.
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Nate Perry & Ragged Company live this spring and summer:
Photo Credit: Collin Heroux
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Media praise for Nate Perry & Ragged Company:
“The way this band conquers is formidable.” _End Sessions
“[Nate Perry & Ragged Company] deliver their own brand of high-octane alternative rock, full of strong melodies and fist-pumping choruses. Opening number ‘Maria’ embodies the very ethos of the band, with Perry’s passionate vocals and Chandler’s stinging guitar solo positioning their sound in a similar area to the Gaslight Anthem or even Blacksmoke Cherry just minus the southern accent. Following tracks ‘All I Need’, and ‘Another Day’, continue at a gallop, each with their own infectious chorus, before the radio-friendly ‘Evergreens’ offers a slight change of pace. The EP finishes with the heavy blues of ‘Preacher’, which draws comparison to the iconic rock bands of the seventies such as Bad Company.” _Americana UK
“Nate Perry & Ragged Company bring a big country sound and a little alt-rock energy to what’s primarily an energetic Americana style on The Otherside of Everything. Kind of R.E.M.-era Athens meets alternative country’s Nashville... ‘Another Day’ is another alt rock-meets-Americana number. …Stylistically, what if John Mellencamp rocked along with the grainy, barely-constrained energy of a rollicking Bruce Springsteen song? Well, its sound might be something like this.” _Geoff Wilbur’s Music Blog
“We can’t believe we are late to the party with Nate Perry & Ragged Company… The Otherside Of Everything is that perfectly poured glass of beer and the perfect sunset all rolled into one but… set to music. There is this real familiar feel on the EP that really makes the listener feel connected to the music. We found ourselves almost singing along instantly.” _The Whole Kameese
“Nate and his band, Ragged Company, are on a steady rise, and their five-song EP, “The Otherside of Everything”, is clear proof. A collection of tracks that feel both classic and fresh, the EP — recorded at Rare Signal Studios by the renowned Brian Charles — strikes a perfect balance between polish and raw emotion. At its heart is Nate’s voice, which stands out for its sincerity, strength, and natural fit within the band’s sound. He doesn’t just sing; he connects.” _New England Americana Fest blog
“All hail the singable chorus. Nate Perry & Ragged Company serve one up on our highlighted track ‘Maria.’ It’s just one piece of the puzzle, along with twang-laden verses, a bridge to recoup momentum, and a guitar solo at about the three-quarter mark that bleeds tastefully into the grand finale where the band dutifully repeats the lyrics they’ve taught you throughout the song, except this time you join in, because you remember things, and then we all take a swig of beer.” _Hump Day News
“A Boston-based group that finds its inspiration from the rootsier end of the American music spectrum. Lining their work with acoustic guitars and bluesy riffs, their work can also feel pretty anthemic and ready for a big crowd.” _Graeme Bentley, Boston’s 92.5FM The River
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Press Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Band Contact: Mike Chandler at nateperryandraggedcompany@gmail.com
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