Parachute is an American pop-rock band consisted of Will Anderson (vocals, guitar, piano), Johnny Stubblefield (drums) and Kit French (keyboards, vocals, saxophone). They are active in music industry since 2006 with a big audience that follows them.
As they are about to release their new, self-titled album, “Parachute”, we talked with the group’s front-man, Will Anderson, about their following plans. Some of them include the promotion of their forthcoming album, as well as their tour. What the musical changes / differences between their debut album, “Losing Sleep”, and their recent one, “Wide Awake”, are and what does Anderson believe about the making of a hit song? Is it an easy procedure?
An outstanding statement was that Parachute wants to collaborate with Kelly Clarkson. Why do they want it and what does Will think about the use of social media?
All of these and many more are the issues that have discussed in the interview that you can read below.
Will, welcome to SounDarts.gr! What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been busy preparing for the release of our new album, and getting our tour set list together. We’re excited to get back out on the road and play some shows.
Recently, you released your new single, entitled “Had It All”, produced by Jacquire King. Tell us a few words about your collaboration.
We met Jacquire through our record label, and have always been a huge fan of his work with people like James Bay and Kings of Leon. He really got what we were going for, and turns out he and his wife were big fans of ours as well. Once he explained his vision for the new songs I had written, we all were immediately excited to get the chance to work with him. We loved it.
What’s the story behind this song?
There’s not really a specific story that “Had It All” stemmed from. It was more of a combination of a bunch of past relationships, and trying to figure out what I would like to say now that I have some perspective. It wasn’t too hard to put myself in that place emotionally, and the song just came spilling out.
Between your debut album, “Losing Sleep”, and the most recent, “Wide Awake”, what differences do you point out in your music as a group?
I think we always had a pretty common thread throughout all our records, in that it was me writing the songs and us playing the music. But this most recent album is our best yet, for sure. It’s a lot more raw than our previous ones, but really sparse and has a lot of space to let the lyrics and my voice cut through.
You are active in music industry over a decade. Is it easier to promote your projects in 2019 than the past years? Do you think that internet is helpful or do you believe that there are traps?
I think the internet and social media are great. We always have. I don’t know if we’d still be a band without the internet in general. In 2019, it is definitely a lot easier to get the word out about new music, and to connect with fans in a really easy and visceral way. We love it and think it’s a wonderful, helpful tool to reach more people than we could have ever imagined when we started the band. It really is the driver in helping our fans stick with us.
Can you stand out a moment that you and the rest members of Parachute are grateful of occupying with music?
I think anytime we see fans in the audience singing along with songs we wrote, it’s hard not to be grateful. Those shows where you can barely hear yourself from everyone singing so loud are our favorite memories for sure.
Your song “She Is Love” was the most successful till today. Right? How easy is it to make a “hit song”, nowadays?
Yes, numbers wise, that song is our biggest for sure. It’s harder than ever to write something that breaks through the noise, but I think it’s still my favorite thing to try to do as a writer. I love seeing a song connecting with people like “She is Love” did.
You are about to start a tour. What is the most magical part for you while touring?
I think meeting people and seeing fans enjoy themselves at the shows are why we love touring. It’s definitely tough, being on the road and riding in a bus with a bunch of people, but it’s a great job and we love helping people have a good time.
What is the main source of inspiration for your songs?
Every time I try to write a song, I’m thinking of a feeling or emotion that I’ve felt before, and trying to capture that in a clever or interesting way. It’s easy to get caught up in the words or melody or production, but finding a moment in my life where I felt something is always the core of the inspiration for anything I write. It could be a simple event, or a moment in my life I can think back to. But as long as it made me feel, I can take that feeling and write something based around it.
If you had the chance to collaborate with an artist or a band, who would you choose, and why?
I’d love to collaborate with Kelly Clarkson. We love her voice so much.
So, what are your future, professional plans are apart from the tour?
Right now, we’re just excited about the new album and the upcoming tour. Who knows what’s next??
Is there any motto that follows you from the beginning of your career?
Be authentic! We hate fakeness in all forms, and just want to be real in whatever we do.
Interview: Elektra Limnios
