Opening Photo By: Luz Gallardo
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Usually sighted as the collaborator of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, Tess Parks has a hazy psych sound that puts her listeners in a trance, and to take a momentary break from recording, she’s bringing that sound to the Festival Musique Emergente in Rouyn-Noranda.<\/strong> The Toronto, often UK-based singer-songwriter, has been busy this summer\u2014working on the follow-up album to her 2022 release, And Those Who Were Seen Dancing<\/em>. Before her solo show at FME, PAN M 360 had a chance to briefly chat with Tess Parks about her new music, why words are still spells, and channeling emotion into a song.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n PAN M 360: And Those Who Were Seen Dancing <\/em>has been out for a year and a bit now, so are you onto working on the next album or project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tess Parks: <\/strong>Yes! I have been in London this summer recording the next album. It\u2019s the best one\u2014I haven\u2019t been this excited about music in ten years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PAN M 360: Is the idea to \u201croad test\u201d new songs at live shows? Will we hear any new sounds at FME?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tess Parks:<\/strong> I have really been thinking about this. I will do my best but I find it seriously terrifying to play new songs on my own for the first time. I used to go and play open mics when I was first starting out so I will do everything I can to channel that courage again. The songs on the new album are more of a collaboration than ever. One of my best friends and long-time collaborators, Ruari Meehan, is producing the album and it\u2019s honestly a masterpiece\u2014he\u2019s going to become a household name after this. So he wrote most of the music for these songs and kind of re-taught me how to sing in the most patient and kind way\u2026 but anyway, I don\u2019t know how to play these songs on guitar yet. I have a whole album\u2019s worth of songs I wrote alone but I\u2019m still feeling shy about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PAN M 360: It seems this album (And Those Who Were Seen Dancing<\/em><\/strong><\/strong>) shifted to more of a piano focus than light guitar psych. Was that an organic change?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tess Parks:<\/strong> I was living in Los Angeles when the last album was being recorded and I made a point of always wanting to have a piano in the house \u2026 we went and picked up a free upright piano from Craigslist that belonged to an old elementary school. I was just drawn to the piano more than the guitar around that time. Plus one of my best friends\/bandmates\/ collaborators Francesco Perini (Pearz) is the most amazing keys player so that\u2019s him you hear on all of the songs – and then when we were finishing the album in Toronto, I got my dad to record piano on a few of the songs too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PAN M 360: How do you determine when a song is going to be a bit \u201cheavier\u201d like on \u201cDo You Pray?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tess Parks:<\/strong> Honestly, that song didn\u2019t turn out the way I had expected at all. I would do a lot differently now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n