Chris Perricelli of Little Man

Equal parts Bowie and Bodhisattva, Chris Perricelli mixes spiritual insight with massive riffs for maximum impact as leader of local glam-rock-loving power trio Little Man. On his group’s fourth album, Of Mind And Matter—released this month—the ever-ebullient vocalist and guitarist proves yet again that his small stature belies a huge presence. The mustachioed mighty mouse of the local music scene recently talked with Decider about his musical inspiration and spiritual motivation. Little Man plays the album-release show for Of Mind And Matter Nov. 8 at the 7th St. Entry with Strange Lights and High On Stress.

Decider: Little Man's music has a pretty strong classic-rock element. Why are you drawn to that style of music?
Chris Perricelli: Classic rock can mean a lot of things. Some people think classic rock is AC/DC and “Smoke on the Water.” So if you say “We’re a classic rock band,” then I think people expect things they shouldn’t sometimes. My inspiration comes from the music my folks listened to as I was growing up—a lot of Beatles, early Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac. A little later I started listening to The Kinks, and the songcraft there amazed me, because Ray Davies’ songs were so different from one another. Jimi Hendrix was another big inspiration, because he showed me the power of the guitar, that it could have soul and its own expression apart from lyrics. I try to keep that in mind when I’m writing.
D: Prior to moving to the Twin Cities to pursue your own music, you spent two years touring the country as a roadie with the Ike Reilly Assassination. What did you learn from that experience?
CP: That was a very important time in my life. Quitting my job to go out on tour with Ike was really the start of me coming out of my shell. I was on the road and had to be sociable all the time. I wasn’t used to it, but I wanted to push myself. It was great seeing my friends play music every night, but at the same time I wasn’t getting my kicks because I wasn’t playing. I was lugging gear and tuning guitars. Part of what led me to going on the road was trying to find a better city to create my music in. That’s how I got interested in the Twin Cities. We were up here every month, it seemed. I met my wife in the Twin Cities. I decided to stop working with the band when things got slow, and because the community and music scene here was so great compared to other towns it was an easy decision to move. I’m really glad I made the decisions I did.
D: As the album title suggests, Of Mind And Matter explores the divide between dreams and reality, especially “Don’t Pray To Fantasy.” What inspired that song?
CP: That song is mostly about the danger of expectations. People fantasize about things in their heads and then project how they think things will be if they act on their fantasies. Frequently the reality ends up being very different than the fantasy, and that can be a big letdown. Relationships are often an example of that, where people will idealize the other person and then be upset when the other person doesn’t turn out as perfect as they hoped. Sometimes fantasy is better than reality.
D: You’re very open about the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of your musical career, declaring on your MySpace page that you “strive to inspire listeners to look within and seek a better self.” How do your spiritual beliefs affect your songwriting?
CP: Self-realization is important to me. It all ties into the name of the band. I didn’t just call the band Little Man because I’m 5-foot-2. [Laughs.] The Little Man is a figure in folklore and fairy tales, a guide who appears to you on your journey. It’s a small-statured creature or person who gives you what you need to move on—whether it be wisdom or jewels or whatever. The power to take the next step in your life. That ties into a lot of the stuff that I write about. There are real spiritual elements to what I’m trying to express. I’m not saying that I’m a spiritual guide, but I have my own ideas and ways of living, and I’m hoping the songs can be useful for people in their own lives. I read a lot about Zen Buddhism and get a lot of inspiration from it. I’m also very into tarot cards, both as a way of life and as creative songwriting tool because tarot is so connected to interesting ideas about imagery and symbolism. My spirituality is important to me and I hope when people listen, they can get something for themselves out of it. I try not to put a cap on where my songs can go.