We were fortunate enough to catch up with the superb Australian, Gold Coast-based band Parker Sounds for an interview. They have released their infectious indie-rock single, ‘Prison Cell’, in May 2020. Check out our interview below!
Tell us about yourself? What is your songwriting process?
Parker Sounds is a pop-rock band from the Gold Coast, Australia and have only been jamming together for the last four months, though front-man Alick Kilsby has been writing these songs for much longer. Kilsby fell in love with music at age 15 and has been performing in the local Gold Coast covers scene for years, coming into his own with the formation of Parker Sounds. The band’s exciting new sound starts off with Kilsby writing simple, yet catchy acoustic tunes which the band enhances through happy-go-lucky keys, powerful vocals and tasty guitar licks.
Tell us about your latest release?
‘Prison Cell’ refers to the mental prison we all spend time in at some point in our lives – a place to question our choices and how it impacts who we are. This track was well-received when played live in the short time before Covid-19 came to town.
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
The songs aren’t written with any clear direction in mind; the lyrics form to fit the melody. Ultimately, we want the music to be relatable and as human as possible – catchy, simple tunes with lyrical depth, you know?
Who are your musical influences? Who are your non-musical influences?
Primary musical influences would be The Killers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Powderfinger, Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam.
Non-musical influences cover anyone that has believed in the music and are hoping we can succeed in bringing it to a wider audience.
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
Parker Sounds were primed for their debut single launch show for ‘Something Heavy’ – the bands’ debut single – though these plans were quickly scuttled with the arrival of Covid-19 and the restrictions that followed. When the single launch show was cancelled, Parker Sounds got together in a community space and performed the entire set. The ‘Live from the Lockdown’ performance was filmed and recorded, later played live in a special Facebook live stream hosted by local music mogul BlankGC on their page of over 15k followers.
What is your funniest gig moment?
The entire lockdown show was super strange because there wasn’t any crowd to vibe on. So, we decided to wear white hazmat suits and drink Coronas to suit the times and make it a little more relaxed. It was super fun and was cool to adapt to the new normal and find a way to get the music out. You can check the whole thing out on our YouTube below.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
Being unique and getting noticed for it. Even though getting your music out into the digital world has never been easier, getting noticed in that huge sea of music can be tricky. I think you must work as hard as you do on your music, as you do to get people to take notice of it. It means hours of content, phone calls, marketing, blog submissions, playlist submissions, more phone calls, merch etc. And it all costs money.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
Have a good selection of songs you want to release, have them polished. Come up with a strategy and don’t be afraid to ask for help from people that know more than you. I think it’s easy to wait to be discovered, so to speak, but how will anyone know about your music if you don’t put it in front of them. It takes work. Be consistent in your approach and don’t give up, someone out in the world is waiting to be moved by your next song – they just don’t know it yet.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
Once the current restrictions lift and things go back to normal in the music scene, we hope to be playing more shows working up to a national tour and getting onto some festival line-ups. We’ll be releasing a new single every two months for the foreseeable future and hope to connect with as many people as possible with the potential to collaborate with other artists and start the conversation with some record labels. Right now though, the focus is getting the band tight on all our new tracks so we can deliver an epic live set!
FVMusicBlog May 2020
https://www.instagram.com/parker_sounds/
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