It may have been a quarter-century since Steve Perry released an official music video -- but we've never stopped believin'. The former frontman of Journey (and Del Mar resident) has dropped a brand-new video for "We're Still Here," a hit single off last year's 25-years-in-the-making solo album "Traces."
Indeed, until 2018, it'd been a long minute since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted singer released anything at all -- his last studio full-length album was 1994's "For the Love of Strange Medicine" (which spawned his last official video for "Missing You" as well). However, to the delight of Perry faithful everywhere, the reclusive singer finally emerged from his lengthy hiatus with a new studio album and a grip of singles ready for radio airplay last September.
Perry's powerful velvety rasp is, of course, on fine display throughout "We're Still Here" -- the type of hopeful ballad that, to be honest, few do better. Now he's got a video to match the song's vibe. During a recent interview with Billboard's Lyndsey Havens, Perry described how it all came together and the spirit behind the tune co-written by producer/songwriter Brian West.
"Brian and I had just started writing the song and were sketching it out in the studio. When we broke for dinner I went to this place down the street, and that was the first time I'd been in Hollywood in a long time," Perry said. "There I was on Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood and Vine just walking around. I saw a whole new generation of 16- and 17-year-olds running around just...alive. And through these kids, I felt a kinship. We're still here doing the same thing."
For the unfamiliar, Perry became a sensation fronting Journey from 1977-1987 (and again from 1995-98) while providing the vocals heard worldwide on the rock band's biggest hits like "Open Arms," "Wheel in the Sky," "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" and "Faithfully," among others. His vocals are so unique, he was literally given the moniker "The Voice" by Jon Bon Jovi.
The singer largely disappeared from the music industry after the 1994 "For the Love of Strange Medicine" album cycle -- only popping up at the odd baseball game (a longtime San Francisco Giants fan, Perry led a home crowd in a singalong of "Don't Stop Believin'" during the club's 2010 World Championship run), rare one-off performances (he joined the indie-rock band Eels onstage in Minnesota for three songs in 2014, for example) and at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 to give an acceptance speech when Journey was inducted.
With last year's album drop (and subsequent single releases), we're still left wondering if Perry will hit the road at some point. Currently, there's no news on that front but stay tuned to SoundDiego for future updates on potential tour dates.