Nate Perry & Ragged Company Set to Shine at Boston Calling

This weekend, the Orange Stage at Boston Calling will host a variety of Massachusetts bands, including Nate Perry & Ragged Company, who recently achieved a sold-out show in Norwood.

With a focus on original songs and storytelling, the band has intensified their rehearsal schedule. "I had never expected to be getting ready to play Boston Calling," Nate Perry, the band's frontman, expressed.

Perry, originally from New Hampshire, is also enhancing his vocal skills through professional lessons. "This is the first time that I've taken any kind of real music lessons," he noted, highlighting his commitment to growth.

His journey into music began during his time in the National Guard and Army Reserve. "I would just stay in my tiny barracks room and play guitar," Perry recalled, reflecting on how those moments shaped his artistic path.

It was in those quiet hours that he developed a profound connection to the lyrics of his favorite songs. "I started getting closer to, like, the storytelling side of music because I wanted to start talking about things that matter to me," he shared with WBZ-TV.

Driven by a desire to convey heartfelt narratives, Perry sought out a band. "I found this guy on Craigslist who was looking for a singer for his band," he explained. This connection also opened the door for songwriting, an area Perry had yet to explore.

"I started really drilling that, and I just started kind of telling my own stories," he said. The process involved breaking down an idealized version of himself as a songwriter and embracing authenticity. "I think you can tell right away," he added.

Now, songwriting has become second nature. "I kind of had this dream where there was, like, a rhythm in my head," Perry described. "So I woke up to that and I was like, well, I'm just going to write this down."

As the band gears up for their performance on Sunday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on the Orange Stage, they aim to maintain their momentum leading up to Memorial Day Weekend.

Penny Kmitt, a reporter for WBZ-TV's morning news, joined the station in December 2023 after her tenure at CBS-affiliate WTKR in Norfolk, Virginia.