South African hard rock duo Perry & Blackwell close the Volume 1 chapter with “Psych”, a riff-driven statement about facing life’s challenges, questioning your next move and finding the strength to keep going when everything feels like it’s falling apart.
Sometimes life throws you into situations where there are no easy answers. You can listen to everyone else’s advice, try to make sense of the chaos and wrestle with your own doubts, but eventually you have to look inward and decide what comes next. That internal struggle sits at the heart of “Psych”, a track that explores the collision between the mind and soul when you’re pushed to your limits.
“Lyrically, it’s an internal debate in your mind and soul,” the duo explains. “It’s about finally getting to that place where you ask yourself: WHAT NOW? What is my next move? How will I deal with this?”
Rather than offering easy answers, “Psych” confronts the uncertainty head-on. It’s about learning to trust your gut, recognising a situation for what it is and holding on to who you are, even when giving up or giving in seems like the easier option. There’s also a healthy dose of frustration with unsolicited advice from people who might not have your best interests at heart.
For Perry & Blackwell, the word psych becomes a call to action: prepare yourself, confront it and get on with it. Life doesn’t come with guarantees, and sometimes the only way forward is to take a breath, trust yourself and face whatever comes next.
The message behind the track is summed up in three words: “Climb, Fall, Climb.” It’s a simple but hard-earned reminder that setbacks are part of the journey. Falling doesn’t mean you’re finished; what matters is finding the strength to get back up.
Musically, “Psych” came together through the same collaborative approach that has shaped the duo’s work. The song began with a main riff from Jake Blackwell, but the turnaround wasn’t quite working. Jon Perry stepped in with the missing piece, completing the riff and giving the pair a foundation to build on.
“From there, as per usual, we added and built onto the rest of the song, and it came out great to us,” they say.
That back-and-forth reflects the musical partnership at the center of Perry & Blackwell. Lifelong friends and seasoned musicians, Jon and Jake have spent years cutting their teeth in the Durban rock scene, with previous projects including Zip Code, High Trailer, Conform To None and the heavier Minority For The Masses. With Perry & Blackwell, the pair have returned to their shared love of classic rock ‘n’ roll, bringing together gritty riffs, hook-driven songwriting and a raw, swagger-filled sound.
Their debut album, Volume 1, was a hands-on project, written and recorded over three years at their self-built Bunks Studio on a farm in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Released in November 2024, the album marked a new chapter for two musicians who have come full circle, from jamming together as teenagers to creating music on their own terms.
As the final single from Volume 1, “Psych” brings the album’s chapter to a close with a statement that is as much about resilience as it is about self-reflection. It’s an acknowledgement that life can leave you confused, frustrated and questioning everything, but the answer isn’t always to surrender or listen to the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes, you have to find your own way through.
With “Psych”, Perry & Blackwell deliver a final reminder that whatever life throws at you, the climb doesn’t stop just because you’ve fallen.
Volume 1 is available on all digital platforms.
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