Mel Parsons

Last updated

Mel Parsons
Mel Parsons image.jpg
Background information
Birth nameMel Parsons
Born (1981-10-21) 21 October 1981 (age 42) [1]
Westport, New Zealand [1] [2]
Genres Indie folk, alternative country [3]
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active2007–present [4]
LabelsCape Road Recordings
Website melparsons.com

Mel Parsons (born 21 October 1981) is an indie folk and alternative country singer/songwriter from New Zealand.

Contents

Early life and education

Parsons grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Cape Foulwind, near Westport, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. [5] [6] Parsons started out playing piano, and also picked up the guitar at about 14, finally getting serious in seventh form (about age 17) when applying for the Nelson School of Music. [4] [7] [8] After a year of music school, Parsons went overseas for a period, then returned to New Zealand to attend the University of Auckland, where she studied popular music and performance, along with history, anthropology and Spanish. [8]

Parsons has lived in various parts of the world. She spent a year close to the Atacama Desert in Chile, and two years in the Rocky Mountains in Canada. [4] [6] [8]

Early influences on Parsons were Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Mark Knopfler, The Police, Sinéad O'Connor, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Neil Diamond. Later influences were Tracy Chapman, Ray LaMontagne, Damien Rice, Gillian Welch, Ron Sexsmith, and The Shins. [9] [10]

Career

Gerry Paul, Mel Parsons, Jed Parsons, Julia Deans, Aaron Stewart; Mel Parsons at Paramount Theatre, Wellington 2015 Mel Parsons 085 (51459986427).jpg
Gerry Paul, Mel Parsons, Jed Parsons, Julia Deans, Aaron Stewart; Mel Parsons at Paramount Theatre, Wellington 2015

In 2007, Parsons returned to New Zealand to start work on her first album. The album was written by Parsons, and recorded with co-producer Shaun Elley and her backing band, The Rhythm Kings. The album Over My Shoulder was released in 2009. [11] [12] Parsons created her own label, Cape Road Recordings, [13] releasing her album independently while using the New Zealand music firm Border Music for distribution. [1] All of her albums have been released on her label.

In 2011, Parsons released her second studio album, Red Grey Blue, featuring Anika Moa and Greg Johnson on harmonies, Bruce Lynch on double bass, and Don McGlashan on baritone horn, along with others. The album was recorded in Studio One, Boatshed Studios, and The Spare Room, in Auckland, New Zealand. [14]

Parsons recorded her third studio album, Drylands at Surgery Studios. The album was engineered by Lee Prebble who, along with mixing engineer Oliver Harmer, won the 2015 New Zealand Music Awards for best engineer for the album. [8] One of the songs Parsons wrote was a duet, and she decided to cold e-mail Ron Sexsmith to see if he would perform the other half of the song "Don't Wait", and he agreed. Another song on the album, "Get Out Alive", is the result of her writing about a dangerous car accident she was in where the car rolled four times and was totaled, but she walked out without serious injury, but found herself re-evaluating her life for a time. [15] [16]

Parsons released her fourth album, Glass Heart on 30 November 2018. [17] Glass Heart is the first album Parsons recorded outside of New Zealand. It was recorded in the US in Santa Monica, California, with producer Mitchell Froom. The logistics and finances made it impractical to bring her backing band over from New Zealand, so Froom recruited some local musicians to back Parsons on the album. The backing band for the album consists of bass player Kaveh Rastegar, guitarist Adam Levy, and drummer Ted Poor. [18]

Parsons performs rural woolshed tours across New Zealand with Amelia Dunbar and Emma Newborn (The Bitches Box). [5] Although she sometimes tours by herself, and sometimes with her backing band, she has also joined a large New Zealand performance collective, Fly My Pretties. [7] [8] She also has toured Australia with Anika Moa. Parsons was invited to perform at the Folk Alliance International in 2014, 2015 and 2017. [19]

Parsons has released her fifth studio album, Slow Burn , on 16 September 2022. [20] It contains the singles "Carry On", "Already Gone", and the title track "Slow Burn". [21]

Personal life

Parsons currently lives [6] in Lyttelton, New Zealand. [22] [23] She tours so frequently that she is rarely home. [6]

Recognition

Parsons was nominated for the following awards:

Parsons has won the following awards:

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bic Runga</span> New Zealand singer and songwriter

Briolette Kah Bic Runga, recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga has also found success internationally in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom with her 1997 song "Sway".

Sharon Lea O'Neill is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and pianist, who had an Australasian hit single in 1983 with "Maxine" which reached No. 16 on both the Australian Kent Music Report and Recording Industry Association of New Zealand charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Blatt</span> English singer (born 1975)

Melanie Ruth Blatt, also known as Mel Blatt, is an English singer. She rose to fame in 1997 as a member of the girl group All Saints. The group have gained five UK number-one singles, two multi-platinum albums and two BRIT Awards, and have sold over 10 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooke Fraser</span> New Zealand musician (born 1983)

Brooke Gabrielle Ligertwood, professionally known as Brooke Fraser, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter best known for her hit single "Something in the Water", released in 2010. Fraser released two studio albums What to Do with Daylight (2003) and Albertine (2006) through Columbia Records before signing a recording contract with Wood + Bone. Her third studio album, Flags, was released in 2010 and is her most successful album to date. She released the album, Brutal Romantic, in November 2014 through Vagrant Records. After a long hiatus from solo albums, she released her first live album, Seven, in 2022, while another studio album, Eight, was released on October 20, 2023. Both recent albums have been released in her married name - Brooke Ligertwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anika Moa</span> New Zealand recording artist and television presenter

Anika Rose Moa is a New Zealand recording artist and television presenter. Her debut studio album Thinking Room, was released in September 2001, which reached number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart and provided two Top 5 singles, "Youthful" (2001) and "Falling in Love Again" (2002). Moa competed at the Rockquest songwriting contest in 1998, which led to a recording contract. She is the subject of two documentaries by film-maker Justin Pemberton: 3 Chords and the Truth: the Anika Moa Story (2003), detailing her signing to a record label and the release of Thinking Room, and In Bed with Anika Moa (2010) on her later career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elemeno P</span> New Zealand rock band

Elemeno P is a New Zealand rock band. The band's first album, Love & Disrespect was released on 4 July 2003, and reached number one on the RIANZ albums chart. Their second album, Trouble in Paradise was released on 24 November 2005 and includes the singles "11:57", "Burn", "One Left Standing", and "You Are". Their third album, Elemeno P was released on 26 May 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karine Polwart</span> Scottish folk singer (b1970)

Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide. She has been most recognised for her solo career, winning three awards at the BBC Folk Awards in 2005, and was previously a member of Malinky and Battlefield Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Urlich</span> New Zealand singer (1965–2022)

Margaret Mary Urlich was a New Zealand singer who lived in Australia for most of her career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gin Wigmore</span> New Zealand singer

Virginia Claire Wigmore is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Featured on the Smashproof single "Brother" in 2009, Wigmore went on to release four albums Holy Smoke (2009), Gravel & Wine (2011), Blood to Bone (2015) and Ivory (2018), with the first three having been chart-toppers on the New Zealand Albums Chart. She is known for her high pitched and raspy voice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Naked and Famous</span> New Zealand band

The Naked and Famous are a New Zealand indie electronic band from Auckland, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimbra</span> New Zealand singer and songwriter

Kimbra Lee Johnson, known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and seven New Zealand Music Awards. Her musical influences range from Prince and Minnie Riperton to Björk and Jeff Buckley.

<i>Glass Heart</i> 2018 studio album by Mel Parsons

Glass Heart is Mel Parsons' fourth album, released on 30 November 2018 on Cape Road Recordings. The concept of the album name came from comparing ones heart to a fragile object that smashes if it is dropped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass Animals</span> English indie rock band

Glass Animals are an English indie rock band formed in Oxford in 2010. The band's line-up consists of Dave Bayley, Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward (drums).

<i>Over My Shoulder</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Mel Parsons

Over My Shoulder is Mel Parsons' debut album, released on 9 March 2009 on Cape Road Recordings. Parsons returned to New Zealand to start work on her debut album in 2007. The album was written by Parsons, and recorded with co-producer Shaun Elley and her backing band The Rhythm Kings, along with support from Don McGlashan, The Sami Sisters, Lisa Tomlins, and Neil Watson. Parsons created her own label, Cape Road Recordings, so she could release her album independently while using the New Zealand music firm Border Music for distribution. The album was nominated for the Tui NZ Music Award's Folk Album of the Year.

<i>Red Grey Blue</i> 2011 studio album by Mel Parsons

Red Grey Blue is Mel Parsons' second album, released on 19 September 2011 on Cape Road Recordings. The album features Anika Moa and Greg Johnson on harmonies, Bruce Lynch on double bass, and Don McGlashan on baritone horn, along with others. The album was recorded in Studio One, Boatshed Studios, and The Spare Room, in Auckland, New Zealand. The album was nominated for the Tui NZ Music Award's Folk Album of the Year. Parsons and her backing band the Rhythm Kings performed a 20 date New Zealand tour from 24 September 2011 to 5 November to showcase the album release.

<i>Drylands</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Mel Parsons

Drylands is Mel Parsons' third album, released on 10 April 2015 on Cape Road Recordings. The album was recorded in engineer Lee Prebble's Surgery Studios in Wellington, New Zealand. One of the songs Parsons wrote was a duet, and she decided to cold e-mail Ron Sexsmith to see if he would perform the other half of the song "Don't Wait", and he agreed. Along with Ron Sexsmith, the album showcases local and international guest musicians Anika Moa, Vyvienne Long, and Trevor Hutchinson. Another song on the album, "Get Out Alive", is the result of her writing about a dangerous car accident she was in where the car rolled four times and was totaled, but she walked out without serious injury, but found herself re-evaluating her life for a time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldous Harding</span> New Zealand folk musician

Hannah Sian Topp, known professionally as Aldous Harding, is a New Zealand indie folk singer-songwriter, based in Lyttelton, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ella Mai</span> British R&B singer (born 1994)

Ella Mai Howell is a British R&B singer. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor. In 2015, she released her debut four-track solo extended play (EP), Troubled in October of that year. The EP and her performances on social media were discovered by American record producer DJ Mustard, who then signed Mai to his record label 10 Summers Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadia Reid</span> Singer-songwriter

Nadia Reid is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Port Chalmers, New Zealand. She has released three albums and toured internationally.

<i>Slow Burn</i> (Mel Parsons album) 2022 studio album by Mel Parsons

Slow Burn is the fifth album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Mel Parsons, released on 16 September 2022 on Cape Road Recordings.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mel Parsons – Interview". Under the Radar. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Mel Parsons 'Drylands' Release Tour with Christof (NL)". eventfinda. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Mel Parsons". Mel Parsons. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Smith, Jacqueline (29 January 2010). "A stroke of folk". Entertainment. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 Woolf, Amber-Leigh (30 March 2016). "Mel Parsons and 'Sons of a Bitch' to perform in Waikaia woolshed". stuff. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 McKee, Hannah (7 October 2015). "Mel Parsons tours iconic theatres with Fur Patrol's Julia Deans" . The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2017.}}
  7. 1 2 Reid, Wal (16 October 2016). "An Interview With Mel Parsons". NZ Entertainment Podcast. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Dunstan, Robert. "Mel Parsons at Trinity Sessions – Friday 11 December". BSide Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Mel Parsons Newsletter Interview". Music.Net.NZ. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Mel Parsons". New Zealand Music Commission. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Mel Parsons & The Rhythm Kings". ObscureNZ. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  12. ↑ Anon. (2009). Over My Shoulder (CD liner). Mel Parsons. New Zealand: Cape Road Recordings. CRR081.
  13. ↑ "Breaking Glass". Cityscape. 29 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Anon. (2011). Red Grey Blue (CD liner). Mel Parsons. New Zealand: Cape Road Recordings. CRR082.
  15. ↑ "Finding the Balance Between the Pragmatic & the Poetic". The Music.com.au. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  16. ↑ Perkins, Mai (21 April 2015). "Review: Mel Parsons – Drylands". Pop Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "Glass Heart by Mel Parsons". Bandcamp. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  18. ↑ Jenkin, Lydia (30 November 2018). "Mel Parsons Shares New Album 'Glass Heart' + Interview". Under the Radar. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  19. ↑ "Mel Parsons Bio". Music.Net.NZ. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Mel Parsons Unveils Edgy New Single, "Tired of Being You", From Forthcoming Album Slow Burn". New Zealand Music Commission. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  21. ↑ "Mel Parsons releases nostalgic new single from upcoming album, Slow Burn". Muzic.Net.NZ. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  22. ↑ "Mel Parsons Reveals Single 'Carry On' + Announces NZ Tour". Scoop. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "About | Mel Parsons". Mel Parsons. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  24. ↑ Pease, Natalie (2010). "Found under 'folk'". New Zealand Musician. Vol. 15, no. 5. p. 18. ISSN   0114-9032. OCLC   173364583. Feb/Mar 2010.
  25. ↑ "Best Folk Album 2012". Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "First Tui of the New Decade Recognises Mel Parsons as Best Folk Artist". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  27. ↑ "Country Music Winners Announced". Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  28. ↑ "2016 Music Managers Awards". MMF NZ (Press release). New Zealand. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2017. The prize for 'Best Independent Tour' was awarded to Mel Parsons. Mel booked, promoted and performed her twenty-three date 'Drylands' Album Release Tour. If this was not enough she also arranged a five-date tour to some of New Zealand's most beautiful and iconic theatres with Julia Deans.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.