Draft:David Pozobyt
David Pozobyt | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | David Perry, Purple Tree |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie rock, progressive rock, psychedelic rock |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, piano, accordion, guitar, bass |
| Years active | Early 2000s–present |
| Website | pozobyt |
David Pozobyt, known professionally during his career under the pseudonyms David Perry and Purple Tree, is an American indie rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and audio engineer rooted in the Chicago-land and Northwest Indiana music scenes.[1][2] His creative catalog spans over two decades across three distinct eras: his early independent work under the David Perry moniker, the theatrical progressive rock era of Purple Tree, and his current standalone productions under his birth surname.[3]
Early Life and Musical Training
[edit]He was born into a musical family; his mother was a competitive accordion instructor and his father was a professional touring drummer. Following his parents' divorce when he was three, his mother remarried an accordion teacher. He began formal classical training on the accordion at age three under his mother and stepfather's instruction.
Developing as a young multi-instrumental prodigy within regional circuits, he competed extensively and earned more than 50 performance trophies, alongside the title of "Junior Virtuoso" at age nine.[4] At age 14, he shifted his primary compositional focus from the accordion to the piano and vintage keyboards after discovering formative rock and roll and British progressive rock influences.[3] He later pursued acting during his college years, performing in various regional theater productions before returning fully to independent songwriting.[3]
Career and Creative Eras
[edit]Chapter 1: The David Perry Era
[edit]In the late 1990s, Pozobyt began his recording career utilizing a home tape player to manually overlap independent instrumental tracks. Operating under the pseudonym **David Perry**, he distributed copies of these multi-track tapes at local open mic events, establishing an initial audience in the Chicago-land area. He subsequently upgraded to a digital multi-track home studio device to re-record his early tape compositions, releasing an old-fashioned rock-and-roll style self-titled debut studio album, David Perry.[5] His early performances and regional circuit tracking developments were heavily documented across the local press during this developmental recording phase.[6]
Chapter 2: The Purple Tree Era (2001–2010)
[edit]Seeking an expansive, complex vehicle for his songwriting, he transitioned to a progressive psychedelic rock project called **Purple Tree**.[3] In 2001, he composed and released the 17-track concept album, Plasticine Man, a narrative exploring existential isolation and human survival told through flashback songs.[7][8] To match the heavy, introspective themes of the record, the live performances featured a costume-driven theatrical stage presentation, incorporating elaborate outfits and stage makeup for tours across regional bills and underground venues in Chicago and New York City.[9]
During the mid-2000s, Pozobyt expanded his tracking experiments with early studio demos to assemble complex material.[10] In January 2008, the project gained wider national recognition when a cover of John Lennon's "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier" was selected by Uncut Magazine for inclusion on their international compilation CD, Give Peace a Chance!.[1] The publication highlighted the track as an outstanding release in the genre, noting the outfit served as "essentially a vehicle for the music of singer and songwriter David Perry."[1][11]
In 2010, he engineered, mixed, and produced the follow-up concept album The Final Prophecy.[2] Tracked between "the Purple Tree House" and "Studio Chicago," he handled nearly all recording duties independently—including primary vocals, multi-layered vintage synthesizers, rhythm guitar, and bass—relying on external session players strictly for specialized lead guitar overlays.[2] Studio tracking logs note tracking contributions on select album releases from engineer Chuck Kawal alongside regional studio musicians. Regional broadcast networks documented his live performance developments and studio updates during this tracking phase.[12][13] Following the release, the theatrical project moniker was retired.
Chapter 3: Standalone Solo Work
[edit]Following the conclusion of his theatrical rock eras, Pozobyt retired his past pseudonyms to consolidate his entire past and present musical catalog under his birth surname. Operating independently from his private studio facilities, he transitioned away from traditional group performance to focus on standalone studio tracking, digital audio engineering, and electronic composition. Subsequent solo outputs include tracking sessions for the standalone studio project Lou Velvet alongside developmental recordings and archival arrangements for the Phase 3 solo releases.
Discography
[edit]- David Perry (Solo Debut Album)
- Plasticine Man — released under Purple Tree (2001)
- The Final Prophecy — released under Purple Tree (2010)
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Track 6: Purple Tree – I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier". Uncut Magazine, Issue 128, January 2008. Archived audio available via: https://pozobyt.com%5B2007%5D%20Uncut%20-%20Various%20Artists%20-%20Give%20Peace%20a%20Chance/Purple%20Tree-Give%20Peace%20A%20Chance%21-06-I%20Don%27t%20Wanna%20Be%20A%20Soldier.mp3
- 1 2 3 Lounges, Tom. "LOCAL SCENE: Purple Tree bears musical fruit with an unique taste". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), November 26, 2010, Page 169, newspage ID: 310630541. Database access via: https://nwitimes.newspapers.com/newspage/310630541/
- 1 2 3 4 Lounges, Tom. "Plasticine Man Perry Tells a Sci-Fi Story". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), May 30, 2003, Page 108, newspage ID: 308056650. (See also: newspage ID: 308060138). Archived copy available at: https://purpletreeband.com
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Local Music Spotlights: David Perry Studio Developments". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), December 13, 2002, Page 43, newspage ID: 306758806. Archived copy available at: https://compurpletreeband.com
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Regional Beats: Independent Tracking and Releases". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), December 14, 2001, Page 164, newspage ID: 309550257.
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Regional Spotlights: Live Circuit Performance Profiles". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), March 22, 2002, Page 38, newspage ID: 309561523.
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Studio Concept Feature: Purple Tree". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), August 24, 2002, newspage ID: 304608265.
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Live Action Events and Group Bills". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), October 25, 2002, Page 218, newspage ID: 307111318.
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Three Bands Team Up For Eclectic Bill". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), February 21, 2003, Page 218, newspage ID: 307815374.
- ↑ Lounges, Tom. "Studio Focus: Spaces and Compositions". The Times (Hammond, Indiana), May 16, 2003, Page 42, newspage ID: 308201719.
- ↑ "Uncut Magazine Feature Clipping". purpletreemusic.com. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Broadcast Interview: "David Perry Live on WJOB AM 1230". WJOB Radio, June 4, 2007. Archived audio available via: https://purpletreemusic.com
- ↑ Stardust, Oriol. "New York Underground Volume III: Purple Tree, Somnis Psicodèlics". 33RPM Magazine, June 2005. Archived audio available via: https://pozobyt.com%5B2005%5D%20Interview%20for%2033RPM%20Magazine/Purple_Tree-33RPM_Interview.mp3 Printed copy available at: https://purpletreeband.com