Interview with Tom Perret of Ruadh (Scotland)

August 13, 2020

Interview with Tom Perret of Ruadh (Scotland)

Photo by: Kim Copland

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Tom! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Tom Perrett: Hi! Thanks a lot for having me it's a pleasure.

CV: Do you feel Heavy Metal music in general is viewed differently by fans in Europe compared to fans elsewhere, especially in America, and if so why?
TP: Heavy Metal is beautiful because it is about unity and purpose for the most part and I feel nationality has little part to play in that.

More to the point, I would believe genre is the biggest divider of people and elitism. In saying that though I have always viewed Germany as a bastion of culture for Metal. In America and the UK, I think people see it as more of a sad joke.

CV: What do you feel makes Heavy Metal music so alluring to the fans? What is it about the music that personally resonates so strongly with you?
TP: That's a great question. I feel as if Metal still shares that want and need to be alien or different…we are never going to be the cool kids in the class room. It's the kid who's had enough and escapes into this veritable sanctuary. I can relate to this, I was the weirdo in school, suffered immense bullying for liking Metal and spat on or beaten up for wearing black clothes…I'm no shrinking violet though I got some hits in myself.

In Glasgow in particular, a city known to be a bit rough, it was sometimes pretty hard.

CV: Has Metal splintered into too many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making it harder for newer bands to actually classify themselves as one style over another? Is it confusing for fans as well?
TP: I feel like we over think genres and give it too much credence or purpose. What's the point in breaking down the relationships we have built through our love of early Bay Area Thrash or even NWoBM to exist in a little bubble. It seems counter-productive to me. If you like it, you like it…I wouldn't bother to over think it or down cry someone because they like another style of Metal from you.

CV: How would you describe the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a COVID aware, and maybe even feared world? Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given the recent pandemic? What are your thoughts?
TP: The world exists in a constant state of change, when we are too comfortable; nature has a way of shaking things up. We haven't had a war in a while, so I suppose the planet needs to take the numbers down somehow…I know that may sound bleak. In terms of how it will work against artists…the biggest problem will be gigs. I know a few mid level touring bands that could face financial ruin due to this as they have no day job, not me...

Thankfully it doesn't affect me that way as I have a day job so Ruadh will survive this because it only needs me to be here to survive it.

CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band together and making music?
TP: Traditionally the idea of a band is a collective that all write and take full responsibility for the project. I use the term "Project" when discussing Ruadh as it's not in my mind a band. I suppose it is live but most of the time it's all my own instructions to ensure it meets my expectation. That's not through arrogance, the truth is that I had no one to work with when I started, so I did it all on my own.

Great bands exist through a mutual respect and will to succeed but you need to be more than one full time member to be a "band" I think.

CV: On a more global view, how do you see your band’s music and songwriting separating itself from just being another Heavy Metal act?
TP: Honestly, I'm not the one to answer that…judgment will be for the people who listen to it. I write music I love and draw from a source of inspiration close to my own heart which is Scottish History and Celtic Culture.

I've never written it for approval…it was for me from day one and it still is. I love the feedback I've had and people seem to like it which is nice, but I can't say why it stands out or if it does.

CV: Can an artist truly be unique? Some would argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s nothing more than a compounding of influences making an artist who or what they are.

Would this then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of those who have already come to pass?
TP: I once knew a man who ran a record shop in Glasgow called "The Seven Notes." I asked him why have you named your shop this, and he said "All songs are just 7 notes." It's kinda poetic…I really appreciate the fact that we can't really do new things. But then the same argument can be made for food, art, film, etc…all the things we hold dear are pretty much a compound of influences.

CV: Are there life lessons to learn to be in a Heavy Metal band that you feel cannot be taught elsewhere? If so, what are they?
TP: The best lesson I've learned in this game is have a thick skin. Some people won't like you and that's fine, you have no right to appeal to everyone…that lesson can apply to life of course as well. Don't be too eager to please people because some people just won't like you and that's fine.

CV: What do you feel makes someone a “rock star”? Goes being a rock star automatically make one iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
TP: It's a media made term and it doesn't exist. Elvis had to shit like the rest of us although that could be a touchy subject. We are very good at worshiping people as a species. It's time to chill out a bit.

I mean we live in a world when celebrities who forgot to wear knickers (underpants) for an evening is more news than potentially discovering the Higgs Boson…

CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect to see coming as the world looks to surmount a new normal laced with a load of restrictions?
TP: I've started writing album 3…I have about 9 demos of full songs, so I'll keep myself busy with this. I am working on another project that's a bit darker too but more of that later.

I'm hoping to play some more shows next year, some confirmed and some in the works… be sure to check the webpage for more details with these.

CV: Thank you again Tom for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
TP: Thanks a lot for your time too. Thanks for the kind words and I wish you guys all the success. Keep up the great work.

Check out Ruadh at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruadhofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruadhofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruadhofficial/

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.