ARTIST NAME: Russ Parrish
SONG TITLE: Weary Hearted Man
ALBUM TITLE: Finding the Light
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2018
GENRE: Folk / Pop / Rock
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Go into detail on why you decided to choose music as a career.
Music expresses what words often can’t. But I also believe words coupled with music can be the most powerful tool in the world. It makes us move in ways we wouldn’t in silence, it makes us say things we would otherwise keep quiet, and it makes us go out and make a difference in the world. That’s what I want my music to do in others.
I want to inspire and make people feel something just for a moment. Forget the world around you, and enjoy the time we have together in the present moment. I want to bring hope and joy even if it’s just a moment.
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Brief us the feedback you are getting from fans on your music.
From my gigs, fans really love the upbeat, exciting, community feel that comes with my music.
I write songs for everyone to sing along, and that’s what happens.
At my gigs you’ll find people singing my songs even though it’s the first time they’ve ever heard it!
I find ways to engage and interact, and I want people leaving remember the night for the rest of their lives.
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Discuss the relevance of social networking to music.
It’s been the greatest invention since sliced ham. I’ve been able to interact one on one with other fans and artists in the area.
Some of the coolest collaborations have actually come out of conversation that started on Instagram or Facebook.
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Tell us how you record your song.
I have a home studio. When I recorded “Finding the Light”, it was all done in my basement.
I invited my drummer, Topher King, over for a week and we just wrote, recorded, and produced the album.
We were intentional, focused, and driven to get the album done in that short week.
We’re happy with the product that came out of it.
Lately, I’ve just been tracking everything at home and then sending it out somewhere else to get mixed and mastered. I think it was fun to do the whole project between us, but we learned it was a lot of work for two people…
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Tell us the story behind the song.
Weary Hearted Man came out of a moment I was struggling in my job.
There was a lot of hardship and uncertainty about what was happening in my career.
I focus a lot on the struggle between faith and doubt. I never know what’s next, and I hate not having control of my life.
Weary Hearted Man really focuses on the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what’s next, but not being happy where I am.
There’s an upbeatness to it that comes with the hope of whatever is next will keep me going.
One of my favorite lines is the chorus where it says, “So as I wander, oh I still wonder will I ever find where I belong”. That’s essentially the journey I face.
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State your musical skills.
If it’s got strings on it I can probably figure something out. My main instrument would be my vocals, but I love learning new instruments!
Lately I’ve found myself working more as a producer and arranger.
I’ve been working with loops and new sounds through my DAW.
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Tell us how long it takes to complete a song from the start.
It really varies. Some of my most popular songs, like Weary Hearted Man, I finished in about 10 minutes… But the ones I feel are some of my deepest took months to finally feel done. You’ll hear some of those in the next year hopefully!
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Go into detail on how you develop your lyrics and melody.
I am stronger at finding melodies than I am at lyrics.
My songs start with a chord progression and melody most of the time.
The lyrics either come with the melody, or added as the song gets developed.
Lately I’ve been trying to use song mapping which helps develop the song before you even start!
Marty Dodson has a book called Song Mapping I highly recommend reading if you are a songwriter!
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Discuss music in full details.
Wow that’s a big question… music is life. It carries me in the hard times, and helps me soar in the good.
It’s the vessel to carry a message I believe needs to be heard.
It unlocks a presence unique to it.
It touches the soul that goes beyond the heart.
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State your five favourite genres of music with reasons.
Pop – I love the simplicity and singability. I’m inspired by pop because it works wonders to engage people.
Singer / Songwriter – There’s always a story to tell. I feel singer / songwriters have a deep raw emotion that can get lost in other genres. It becomes more about the lyrics, and I like that.
Rock – The emotion and elation that comes with this music is so exciting.
Alternative – There’s always something new in this category. I like being inspired by new sounds or ideas.
Christian – I know this is an open genre, but the themes of hope and joy are inspirational to my music writing.
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Discuss your rehearsal.
I’ll typically spend an hour daily writing, rehearsing, or recording music. This is necessary because I want to perform my music without even thinking about it.
I want to think about the audience and the atmosphere of the scene. I care more about the people and how they’re feeling about the night than I do about if I play the right notes. So the more I practice, the less I have to think about hitting the right notes.
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State your favourite musical instruments.
Mandolin!
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Describe the chemistry between you and your fans during a live performance.
We have to be engaged! I have written a few songs that are call and response because I am big on engagement. If they aren’t responding, I kind of force the response with those songs… ha.