Tag: Parker

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Parker Blows Me Away With “Lie Low”

Parker dropped her new single “Lie Low” a couple of days ago, just in time for International Women’s Day, but there’s never a bad time for female empowerment, right? So if you didn’t catch it then, make sure you listen now.

When you do, really listen to those lyrics. It’s so easy to get swept up in her angelic, ethereal voice, but those lyrics are what really sold me on this song. They’re so strong and wise. While I think they’ll really hit a chord with female listeners, I can imagine plenty of men will take something from them as well. If you’ve ever tried to shrink yourself down and or present a front that’s more palatable for the world than your authentic self, this one’s for you.

“I’ve always held myself with a belief that I should exist in the world with quiet grace. Not be too loud or stand out too much … Even though my friends, parents and partners have encouraged me to follow my dreams I always felt this responsibility to not be too loud or abrasive, to look pretty, to sound pretty, to not challenge people too much, make music and art that is beautiful and easy to listen to and look at,” she admitted. “Hans and I were working remotely on the track and we had the ‘be less, be less’ section looping at the end. I felt this rage inside me in response to that idea. This feeling of frustration at all the times I’ve controlled my emotions so that I didn’t make others feel uncomfortable. I set up my mic in my bedroom and just started screaming and yelling until finally it felt like my heart cracked open. The floodgates opened up and I wept loudly for about 10 mins.”

The emotions kept flowing for the music video. Parker explained the artistic choices she made in this beautifully surreal clip.

“We talked about the courage it takes as a woman to put yourself first in a world where there are still so many expectations for women to play support roles in both career and domestic spaces. Thinking about the concept of sacrificing time and energy for another we found a way to represent this with the metaphor of colour being drained from one character to another. I like that it is not explicit that the colour is being taken or given. When the character drops to her knees she could be crying or she could be praying. When we worship our loved ones we can fall into our own pattern of giving too much of ourselves to them.”

This isn’t the first time Parker’s impressed me, but I think “Lie Low” might be her best single yet. What do you think readers?

Image used with permission from On the Map PR; credit: Wilk

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Parker Impresses With “Become the Fool”

Tasmanian artist Parker creates the kind of music that stops you in your tracks and forces you to listen. She wowed me with her last single “Can’t Keep Waiting” and she’s done it again with her latest release “Become the Fool.”

The term artist gets bandied around a little too freely in the music world for my liking, but Parker is one talent deserving of the title. She’s a musician, songwriter, and visual artist who uses her creative abilities to create truly transformative works. Listening to “Become the Fool” is arresting, but when you take it in while watching the music video the experience becomes even richer. You feel the heartbreak while listening to her achingly angelic vocals and poignant lyrics.

“This is the first song that was co-written with my writing and production team, Hans Van Vliet (QLD) and Becki Whitton (VIC), across three states and I’m really excited about it,” Parker said. “When a relationship ends it can be devastating. But what happens afterwards can be a beautiful mess of experiences and vivid feelings. When I got to the end of my longest relationship, I realised I had lost so much of myself. I had been living for someone else and their dreams for so long I didn’t know who I was without them. But through this experience, I was set free to find myself again, to pursue my creative practice with all my heart.”

And yes, you read that right, this is only the first song to come out of this creative partnership. I can’t wait to hear what else it brings.

Image used with permission from On the Map PR

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Parker Wows Me With “Can’t Keep Waiting”

We often talk about musicians being artists, but few performers have the creativity running through their veins that Parker does. Her new single “Can’t Keep Waiting” gives you just a taste of what she can do.

This track really blew me away. There are hints of Massive Attack, Portishead, and Lana Del Rey in its lush sonic layers and haunting vocals. It’s the sort of song that sucks you in to a brand new world when you press play.

“’Can’t Keep Waiting’ is about gathering the courage to be honest with myself,” Parker explained. “It’s about letting go of all that is safe and familiar in life in order to evolve and grow,” explains Parker. “I believe it’s in the moments when we feel completely lost that we find the opportunity to discover something new about ourselves. Nothing is permanent, everything can change. Each moment we have the ability to create ourselves anew.”

Then there’s the video clip, which adds another dimension to “Can’t Keep Waiting.” Parker created it in collaboration with director and technology artist Jaymis Loveday and sculptor Briony Law. When such creative minds come together like this, you know it’s going to be impressive. The music video has already earned critical acclaim, winning Best Concept at Clipped Music Video Festival in Sydney, Best Music Video at the Los Angeles Film Awards, New York Film Awards and Top Shorts.

Parker has also just wrapped up her exhibition You, Me and that Other Thing at Launceston’s Sawtooth ARI gallery. Is there anything this woman can’t do?

Image used with permission from On the Map PR