Moosic: Do you have a story behind your artist name?
Mike Chandler: We wanted a name that put Nate front and center while capturing the essence of the rest of us as a collective. “Ragged Company” perfectly describes the scrappy, tight-knit crew we are. When we first started brainstorming names, we went down a rabbit hole with the word “dead,” playing around with different combinations. Late one night, I was thinking about songs with dead in the title for inspiration and I thought of the Stones’ “Dead Flowers,” I put the song on and when I heard the line, “Well, I hope you won’t see me in my ragged company,” it was a eureka moment. That line just resonated with everything we’d been through as a band – surviving the grind, the pandemic, and all the ups and downs. It felt like we’d been chewed up and spit out, but we were still here, still together. It was the perfect name, a reflection of the sentiment we expressed with our EP title, The Otherside of Everything, too. Also, we love the Rolling Stones [laughs].
Nate Perry: Yeah, Mike pretty much nailed it. We had my name and we’re desperately searching for a “and the” part of the name. I remember Mike sending that in the chat and me and Connor just agreeing right away, it was perfect.
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Chandler: I think this is mostly a Nate question, and I’d defer back to his Nashville experience. Maybe he could add a personal journey aspect. Otherwise, I’d add that we focused our songwriting around Nate and his perspective, while adding all our own personal influences into the melting pot of our sound.
Perry: I’ve tried writing songs many times in the years prior to this group and it never sounded right. It took a bit of courage to finally start telling my own stories and adding some good chord progressions to them. I think the honesty in the lyrics is what makes the songs “real” and not like we’re trying to sound like or be another group. I started playing guitar in middle school and people always enjoyed my singing. Taking the big leap and telling my own stories was what really began my musical journey.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
Chandler: I’d say it inherently sits nicely in the alternative rock genre with crossover into Americana. It’s very representative of American music from the mid- to late-20th century and through today.
Perry: Agreed with what Mike says, it has themes that are either anthemic Springsteen-style or just country depending on what the listener usually listens to. I’ve heard both from people.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
Chandler: We’re just a product of our influences, I think. What you hear is the mash-up of all of that while we serve the song as a priority. We never set out to write for a genre, but every song we write we hear what it needs and what we want to highlight in an arrangement. Some songs we know we need to lean into a more country thing, or a blues thing, or just recently we knew a song wanted to go in more of a synth rock direction. So we try to listen objectively to the song from the start and where it wants to go, but try to keep one foot on the path with “our” sound that we’ve been developing and what we think sounds good.
Perry: We don’t start writing hoping to write a genre specific song. We have our tone and playing styles pretty Locked in so the feeling of each song identifies itself in a genre I think. We have a good filter and can weed out songs that don’t fit and sometimes it’s as simple as I just don’t feel it when I’m singing it. That’s all we need to know when trying to finish songs in “our genre.”
What inspires you to write music?
Perry: I come from generations of dudes who don’t or didn’t express their feelings and I think the best way for me to break that cycle is to make music. I’ve always felt like I’ve had stories to tell and the further along I get in life the more I have to write. And the better this band becomes, the more I want to take advantage of this incredible pairing of musicians and stories.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
Chandler: The Otherside of Everything is our debut EP. It’s a record that represents our arrival as a band, and everything we had to go through to get here. The songs are very personal and as Nate would say, confessional. They represent everything we’ve done collectively pouring ourselves into our music, and Nate’s post-military journey.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
Chandler: Hopefully a refreshing sound, and maybe even a return to form with bands. The last decade or so has been dominated by individuals as artists and the culture of singles in music, whereas the decade prior (and beyond) there was a real appetite for bands in the mainstream. I like to think that things are cyclical and maybe we’re entering a time again where that appetite is growing, and hopefully we can contribute to ushering that along. I was talking to our producer, Brian Charles, when we were in the studio, and he said he found our sound to be refreshing in a similar way that the Black Crowes were refreshing in 1990 when their first record came out. I thought that was a real compliment and an interesting perspective for sure.
Perry: That live bands still rock and that the art is something that is refreshing for people to see for the first time. The amount of friends of mine, or even more so my girlfriend’s friends who come to shows and are shocked to see that real bands play like we do and deliver real shows is really nice to see. I hope listeners take away honest stories and a personal connection to the band and my lyrics.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
Chandler: I love Chris Stapleton, him and Jason Isbell seem to just be so dialed in and working across genres so well right now. I also love Nathaniel Rateliff, bands like Houndmouth, Mt. Joy, all these bands you’re seeing on the festival circuit right now are all just so great.
Perry: I love Jason Isbell’s stuff – as heartbreaking as all those damn songs are I can’t stop listening. I really enjoy James McMurtry, The Gaslight Anthem, and Gang of Youths. Favorite song is “King of Oklahoma” by Jason Isbell. That story tears me up, man.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
Chandler: Probably through our home page, but also on Instagram, we’re the most active there as far as social networks go. But we’re active on all the social networks too, so dealer’s choice.
Perry: Precisely what Mike said.
Homepage: https://nateperryandraggedcompany.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nateperryandraggedcompany/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nateperryandraggedcompany
Bandcamp: https://nateperryandraggedcompany.bandcamp.com/
What’s next for you?
Chandler: Our CD release party is coming up on August 27 at Notch Brewing in Boston, which we’re excited about. Releasing a CD on a Tuesday like back in the day is going to be really fun. Then we have the Thrive Music Festival and Team Haverhill’s River Ruckus here in Massachusetts, which are both a big step for us. We’re really excited to be a part of those festivals..
Perry: We’re also starting to focus an effort on booking solo gigs for me to increase output.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Chandler: We’re working on new music! We hope to get back in the studio late this fall, so stay tuned.
Perry: I bought a cool new guitar [laughs].
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.
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.
