Indie Vision Music: Tell me a bit about your music. What’s it called, what style is it, when you’ll be releasing some material? It’s pretty broad but should get the conversation going.
Parker Boles: My music is a blend of post-hardcore, emo, and pop-punk, mixed in with some blues. The first material I’ll be releasing will be mostly covers, and the album that I am working on is 11 covers and one original, titled “Horizon To Horizon”.
IVM: That definitely sounds like something I would enjoy. In terms of instrumentation, what can we expect? And will you be doing everything yourself of will there be some guest appearances?
PB: There will definitely be guest appearances throughout the album. A local DJ that I’m cool with, Bluegiraffekid, is tracking drums at the moment, I’m tracking some bass in a few days, vocals later on, my good friend Mac is tracking lead and rhythm guitar, and I’m trying to get Casey from Send The Advocate over here in Brownsburg to do some guest vocals for the title track, which you can expect to feature solid punk rock bass and guitar, but with a bluesy kind of riff, if you understand what that sounds like. Think AC/DC mixed in Flatfoot 56 and MxPx.
IVM: That’s interesting mix of talent. I know IVM has pretty large numbers of followers who will probably get excited after hearing some of those comparisons. The sound you’re describing is pretty precise. Other than the bands you just mentioned, who would you say has also influenced your current material?
PB: I’ve been listening to a lot of Secret and Whisper as well as Saosin, and that’s a huge influence on the guitar instrumentation. Good Charlotte has also been a big influence, as well as some bands with a similar blend such as ForeverAtLast and Sleeping With Sirens. And any song I’ve written in my life has had a hint of blues because I simply like how you can mix the blues with a lot of other genres, similar to how Cage The Elephant has blended blues with alternative rock.
IVM: Well, that’s awesome. Now that we’ve covered the instrumentation, I want to tackle the lyrics. I know you mentioned there will be an original song and was wondering if you could disclose some of the thematic elements or even go through what the lyric-writing process looks like for you.
PB: A lot of my lyrics deal with personal things that I’ve gone through or that I’ve seen. So the basic theme of Horizon To Horizon is having a very drastic change in your worldview after you have repented, you have come to Jesus, you’ve dedicated your life, and you’ve gone from one horizon, who you were before Christ, to another, and you promise to let God mold you into someone who can share the Gospel. I wrote the song after seeing my friend Kevin’s baptism at my church and noticing how he was the same goofy, bodybuilding anime nerd he usually is, but there was something about him that changed. It was like the joy of being a follower of Christ was radiating off of him, like I haven’t seen him with a straight face since then. He’s been all smiles, and I love that about the new Kevin. Jesus makes all things new, and if it’s Jesus we’re talking about, you already know it’s about to go down. Another inspiration is a pastor from my hometown. His parents divorced when he was a teenager, he got into drugs and alcohol, his grades dropped so dramatically that he was ejected from school, and after a night of drinking, he was driving a white Hummer with a friend in the car. He wrapped the car around a tree and killed her in the proces. He got out on parole, and he was to preach the gospel as a condition, and now he is completely changed, and he is an awesome dude.
IVM: Those are both powerful stories. I’m glad you’re willing to be so bold with your lyrical concepts. Based off what you said a little bit ago, it sounds like there are other original songs in the works. It’s probably too early at this point to tell, but I’m guessing there will be a follow-up release with more original songs at some point?
PB: Yes, of course. This is kind of a sneak peek of what you can expect with original material. There’s songs in the works about suicide, depression, the loss of a loved one, fighting with God, because those are the kind of songs that people need to hear. These things are depressing and controversial, but people need to be aware that these are real issues. Real life, actual people deal with these issues on a daily basis.
IVM: For sure. I’ve spent a lot of my life listening to more moody songs. It’s not always healthy, but they certainly match the emotional reality I experience at times. God is good, but He is never good in a vacuum, which is the feeling many Christian songs portray. He’s good in the midst of death, pain, suffering, loss, and confusion. So I admire the songs of lament because they show God is still present in the trials.
PB: That’s why I’m such a fan of mmhmm by Relient K. It expresses more serious topics such as death and loss, and still retains a bit of irony and humor
IVM: That certainly seems to be a theme across their discography for sure.
PB: Yeah, especially with Life After Death (which you can expect to hear on the upcoming album). For example, I’ve been going through some self image stuff. Generally, I’m a smart guy, I have some confidence in my looks and my abilities, but there’ll be days where I’ll feel worthless. Absolutely worthless. And it’s because I try to help as many people as I can, but I try to do things on my own instead of trusting in God and doing things for God.
IVM: I feel like that’s some pretty taboo for guys to confess in many circumstances because society places such pressure on men to perform and provide; to be strong, rugged, even a bit edgy on the personality side. Obviously like all stereotypes and pressures, there’s danger in this and it’s not fully accurate. So I definitely think you’re taking a good risk with that level of vulnerability.
PB: It’s what life is about isn’t it? Taking risks, owning it, even if it ends badly. A . lot of people in Brownsburg absolutely despise the idea of an uncreated God, and they ask questions just to brush the answers off. They have a guard about them, and while it may be frustrating, you’re doing a service to God and the person you’re ministering to. You’ll see how Christianity is practically illegal in India and to be honest, to get anywhere in this world, you have to take risks, even if it gets you killed or worse.
IVM: Very, very true. Anyway, thanks for taking some time to share some insight on your music today – we’ve definitely be waiting for the release. Before we end here, what are some local bands you’d like to give shout-outs to?
PB: Shout out to the boys in The Protest, the dudes and chick from ForeverAtLast, the nerds in Send The Advocate, and my Burg Brothers from Born A Burden. You’re all scrubs but I love y’all anyway.
IVM: Haha, perfect. Anyway, thanks again for sharing your thoughts and keep us in the loop about the release.