Douglas Pearce (born 27 April 1956), known professionally as Douglas P, is a British musician, best known for his neofolk project Death in June. He was born in Sheerwater in Woking, Surrey, and currently resides in Australia, where he has lived since the mid-1990s.

Early life

Pearce was born on 27 April 1956 and grew up in Sheerwater, suburb of Woking in Surrey which he described as a "white, working-class ghetto", to a father who worked as a courier for the military, and had served in World War II. Both of his parents were English, though his mother claimed Scots-Irish ancestry. His father died of a heart attack at age 56, when Pearce was 14. Pearce grew up in what he describes as "a very militaristic environment, surrounded by war", and says that he "had a natural attraction to war". At the age of 18 Pearce left home and hitchhiked around Europe and "came home a changed man".^[1]

As a child, Pearce was exorcised by his parents for alleged demonic possession, and after his father died, his mother and he would "muck around with a Ouija board". Pearce believes in the paranormal and occult, and claims to have had contact with various entities.^[2] For a while Pearce was involved with the International Marxist Group.^[3]

Career

Personal life

Douglas P. is openly gay,^[6] and says that 'being gay is fundamental to Death in June', and expresses discontent with this side of Death in June not being explored in interviews. He describes the lack of coverage of this as 'incredulous'. His literary influences include Yukio Mishima and Jean Genet, whom he admires 'not only because their work was brilliant but that they were also gay. It adds so much.'^[7]

Discography

References