To Don Peris of The Innocence Mission, music is a divine gift - a God-given talent he humbly shares
with the world. Through music, he was introduced to his wife, Karen. Through music, he expresses his innermost thoughts. And through music, he celebrates those miraculous moments in life, like
the birth of his son.He even carries music with him - his guitar, that is - to our interview at the Barnes & Noble Cafe in Lancaster. "I'm not going to play," he assures me
softly with a smile. "I just didn't want to leave it in the car in all this heat." Dressed in a comfortable black button-down and jeans, he tucks a strand of peppered hair behind his
ear and excuses himself while he orders a glass of fresh-brewed iced tea.
We're seated at a booth amidst mid-afternoon bookworms sipping latte and buried in the latest bestseller. Ella
Fitzgerald croons from high above. But the only music we're interested in discussing is that of The Innocence Mission and their fifth full-length album, Small Planes, due out September 25. The
project, nothing short of sheer beauty in pure, intimate IM style, is a collection of 11 timeless tracks of "rediscovered recordings" spanning the 1996-2001 IM archive as well as newly
created songs.
"While we recorded the last record, Birds of my Neighborhood, we wrote so many songs - we always write a lot of things - and we really had too many to put together in a
record," explains Peris, "so it was sort of our idea to collect the songs that fit together for (Birds), and then at some point come back to these other songs ... We don't put out a lot
of records, so it took us a while to get these songs collected." These "rediscovered" songs then inspired the group to pen new ones, including "I Have Loved You" and
"Rooftop."
The IM once again applies their profound folk-rock influences of Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel, music Don and Karen (vocalist/guitarist/pianist) grew up with, to
Small Planes. "I certainly listened to a lot of silly things growing up, but I guess they didn't have the staying power," Peris says, his gray eyes laughing behind his retro spectacles.
"I really like Led Zeppelin, but I don't think we sound anything like them ... all your inspirations then are filtered through your own abilities or limitations, so I guess I don't have the
capacity to 'rock.'"
When I ask Peris about the central message of Small Planes, and suggest that it almost seems tinged with sadness, he clarifies, "The message isn't as simple as
being sad ... some of the songs were written when Karen was longing to have a child, during that era. Sometimes it's easier to write about sadder things, it's a more natural thing to do. Writing
songs that are happy seem to be so hard to make interesting and not seem trite."
Traces of melancholy whisper their way into songs like in the title cut: "I know what you mean,/when
you want to run to meet the world,/intentions may not carry you far." "Karen spent time wondering about people's lives (when touring)," says Peris, "a longing to know more
about a place."
He says Karen wrote most of the songs on the album, but the two also collaborate on composing, as they have since their first album in 1989. "I think for both of us,
anything can be inspiring, but often, small things are inspiring: small moments of the day, or little things in life," he relates in a soft voice, sometimes barely audible over the clang of
neighboring spoons and saucers. "We like to write about our own need to do better, to be better people, or sometimes we write to address something we're feeling and it's good to work it out
in song ... I like that about music, that if you marry the words and music together, they begin to be so much more than either of those things on their own."
A new inspiration to the
Perises was born three years ago: their son (whose name Peris requested we not disclose). Although the toddler keeps them busy, Peris says, "When we do get a chance towrite and play, it
makes us that much more focused. We have less time to write and make music, but it seems to be in a good way. He's given us new things to write about, and he's changed the way we feel about other
things we've written in the past." Peris adds with a slow smile that most of the recording for Small Planes was done in the Peris's home studio in Lancaster after his son was in bed.
Music
has been a part of the couple's lives since they first met during a musical production of "Godspell" at Lancaster Catholic High School. Don, Karen, and friends/ fellow Catholic grads
Mike Bitts on bass, and Steve Brown on drums formed The IM nearly 20 years ago under the name Masquerade. "If you're working with people that you really love to be around, and love to do
things with, that makes the experience so much better, enhances the experience," says Peris of the band's steadfast friendship. "Playing music without (Karen) would still have been a
joy, but doing it with her takes it to a different level ... it's always been a part of us." National recognition has closely followed the group's footsteps, as they signed with A&M in
1989 and four albums later with RCA for their Birds of my Neighborhood album in 1999. Throughout their career, the quartet has shared the stage with such greats as Natalie Merchant, EmmyLou
Harris, and 16 Horsepower.
Peris was happy to welcome Brown, who left the band in 1998 to pursue the restaurant business as manager of Lily's on Main in Ephrata, back in the recording of Small
Planes. "We had always hoped we could continue to record as it suited his time," says Peris. "I hope we can continue in the future." For now, Peris has his finger in other
pies, including his recent solo recording, Ten Silver Slide Trombones. He says he's always written poetry, and first began to meld music with his words in 1995. "A couple of friends urged me
to put together the CD, so I did," says Peris. "It really is just a one-time project, not something to make a career out of, but I found I really enjoyed it." Through the album, he
performed several local solo shows and was able to convey his personal thoughts on the birth of his son through songs like "Firefly" and "Butterfly." He points out, however,
that he prefers playing with The IM.
Peris lent a hand on the recent recording by friend and local artist, Denison Witmer. He says The IM also independently recorded a collection of hymns and
folk songs in April 2000. All proceeds from the sale of the CD are donated to the Lancaster County Council of Churches and an international charity, Food for the Poor. They've raised $25,000 thus
far. Peris will continue his live solo shows, but those will taper off when The IM tours regionally this fall and winter in support of Small Planes. Expect another IM album in the near future;
Peris says the group is currently writing songs for a record they hope to release next year, depending on the success from Small Planes.
Although Peris admits he wouldn't mind exploring the
opportunities of a more metropolitan area, he says the couple is happy to raise their son in their hometown of Lancaster. And concludes, "I hope we don't have to stop (making music). People
still seem to be listening, so that's good." "Small Planes" will be released on September 25 through W.A.R. Records in stores nationwide. -ed.
