Azwel Talks ‘Bells and Whistles,’ Musical Evolution, and Two Decades of Indie Pop Excellence

For over two decades, Azwel—led by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jason Perrillo—has been crafting infectious, melody-driven pop-rock with a signature blend of Brit-pop influences and eclectic instrumentation.

What began as a solo project in a New York studio has evolved into a full-fledged band, known for its intricate arrangements, thought-provoking lyrics, and ever-evolving sound. With a rich discography spanning from their 2003 debut Hap End Void to the critically acclaimed The Drifting Game (2023), Azwel continues to push musical boundaries. Now, with the release of Bells and Whistles: Unreleased Songs: 2020-2024, the band offers a fresh glimpse into their creative process, showcasing hidden gems from the past few years.

In this exclusive interview, Jason shares insights into the band’s journey, musical evolution, and what lies ahead for Azwel.

Hi Jason, thanks a lot for being here with us today. Let’s start from the very beginning: Azwel started as a solo project before evolving into a full band. Your early work, including Hap End Void (2003), introduced listeners to your unique blend of melodic pop and rock. What were your main influences back then, and how did you define your original sound?

J: Around that time I was big into what was happening overseas with Britpop, but also enjoyed the American alternative scene a bit before that, perhaps in high school. My first instrument was guitar. I learned to play through the basic classic rock, pop punk, and grunge songs and then it progressed from there. Studying some classical nylon string guitar in college probably helped the way I structure chord changes. I’m influenced by anything I hear, even if it’s a style of music I don’t listen to. It’s good to grab new ideas so you can develop as an artist.

At what point did Azwel transition from a solo project into a full live band? How did the addition of new members shape your music?

J: After the release of 2014’s From Now On, I finally found a group of musicians who were just as interested in playing this stuff live as I was. The lineup of John, Gregg and Joe exists today, with the addition of new member James last year who plays trumpet, keys, guitar and vocals.

Looking at your discography, your sound has evolved significantly over the years. How would you describe that progression from your first releases to The Drifting Game (2023)?

J: I feel every album up to that point had been an experiment. It’s always been pop music, but I’m always trying out new sounds, styles, lyrical concepts. However, “The Drifting Game” was all about keeping it simple, back to basics: guitar-oriented songs. It’s definitely a lot more focused than the previous 2 releases. It’s one of my favorite released. If I never made an album again, it would be the perfect one to go out with.

Your music has often been compared to Brit-pop and classic rock artists. How do you blend those influences with your own personal style to create something unique?

J: By varying the approach, instrumentation, production and lyrical concepts.

Over the years, you’ve incorporated a wide range of instruments, from guitars and keyboards to brass and strings. How do you decide on the sonic palette for each album?

J: It’s very random. I guess the theme of the song would determine the production. For example, a song like “Beyond an Orchestration” was written as a very stripped-down acoustic piece. I wanted something more dramatic and cinematic so an ambient backdrop was added, along with some strings and mellotron flute sound. I just played some tambourine in the outro. A full drum kit would have been too much. Being I was going for simplicity, I suppose this bent the rules a bit, but since these instruments occur at the end of the song, the sound opens up. My albums usually have a good amount of piano songs, but on the Drifting Game only 1 or 2 songs feature piano in the back. Again, I wanted to keep it focused.

What’s your creative process like? Do you typically start with lyrics, a melody, or an instrumental idea when writing new music?

J: Always chords and melody first. That combination gives me an idea for the lyrics in the sound of the melody and vocalization. There are a couple of songs on the new compilation, “Bells and Whistles” in which the instrumental backing tracks were created over 10 years ago and I decided to add lyrics just within the last few years.

What led you to release Bells and Whistles: Unreleased Songs: 2020-2024? Were these songs left out of previous albums for a specific reason?

J: Many of the songs weren’t finished by the time of their albums’ release. I had been working on the vocals, lyrics etc. And then some songs didn’t fit the albums stylistically. For example, the title track “Bells and Whistles,” which I like a lot, was actually on the original release of XV. After remixing the album for digital distribution a year later, I decided to adjust the album’s tracklist a little. I feel a lot of my unreleased, b-sides etc, are darker and less mainstream than the songs on the albums. However, I don’t think that’s the case with these. I put this album together in a cohesive way as if it were an album of its own. Some of my favorite songs from the sessions are on it.

Is there a particular song from this collection that stands out to you, either because of its meaning or the process of creating it?

J: I like ‘We Walk the Bloodstained Road,’ as its the most experimental and unique. It originates from an instrumental I wrote in 2013. I also like the funky guitar pop of “Elevate,” and the acoustic feel of “Opposition.”

Do you feel these unreleased songs reveal anything new about your creative direction during the last few years?

J: They just sound like an extension of the last few releases. The sound is very refined at this point. I’ve gotten used to the process and can make recordings that I know will work.

If you could go back and add one of these unreleased songs to a past album, which one would it be and why?

J: Perhaps something like ‘Hard Fast Solution, ‘ The Glorious Self Restraint’ or ‘End of Story’ could have easily fit on The Drifting Game, however, that album has 14 songs on it already.

How does your approach to recording differ from performing live? Do you rework songs for a live setting, or do you aim to capture the same studio energy on stage?

J: We perform a lot of the songs based on the album arrangements, however without access to certain instruments, they will be played differently. For example, there are no harmonica players in the band, so when we play a song little, “Wrong Place at the Wrong Time,” or “Patience is My Life,” I’ll have to play those parts on an organ instead. But that gives it a new sound. Or some of the more electronic songs like, “Broken Down,” we do our own kind of ska-or-something version because we’re not going to bring out a drum machine.

As an independent band with your own label, what have been the biggest challenges and rewards of maintaining full creative control over your releases?

J: The best thing about having creative control is there is no rush to creative music. Record labels will give deadlines and, in the end, the artist isn’t happy with the finished product. The worst part about that is after it’s released they can’t change anything at all. Whereas, I can make changes to the tracklist, mixes, everything. As a result, I have so many songs that I’m 100% happy with. Then some years later, I will relisten and make any adjustments needed. My ear keeps getting better too so that comes in handy. Another good thing is that I don’t physically release anything. Now, in 2025, there’s no reason to. I just finished remixing, and reworking of 16 albums. It took me over a year. The last time I did that was in 2015 or so, which is why there was a 3 year gap in between releases. So now, I even got the first few albums to sound decent. I corrected vocals, lyrics, and rhythms, and even added some instruments. It was a big process, but very necessary. I went right through it with all my free time. I bet popular major label bands would love to re-do their history like that. I read in interviews about how they have regrets about producers they’ve used, sounds they’ve explored etc.

Now that Bells and Whistles is out, what’s next for Azwel in 2025? Are you working on new material or planning a tour?

J: I have a completely clean slate right now as the albums are all released, re-released. It definitely feels like a weight lifted. I am working on promotional things at the moment, as well as booking live shows. No plans for a tour yet. I have a good amount of songs that can be recorded, but no rush. Online promotion will hopefully get the music to more and more people each year. It’s available everywhere online. People say the music industry died, but I think just the business aspect of it is dead. Yes, it would be good to make more money- who knows what will happen in the future. Back in the early 90s or 80s, 70s, if you were a lesser-known band, you had no chance of getting heard. All you had were your demo cassette tapes which went nowhere. Now, you can release your music on every digital store in the world and be heard at any time in any country. It’s great to see people in, for example, Europe, Asia, and South America listening to the music. That would never be possible 20 – 30 years ago.