Hey, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What have you been up to over the past year in this big old mess?
In this big old mess we call life, lol. I’ve been busy and focused on the next steps in my career, and I am very excited. I’m not going to give the whole “I’ve got big things in the works” BS, but my feelings towards the new music we’ve been working on feel very fulfilling in a massive way. I’m excited about the reception so far, and I hope everyone will be as enthusiastic about the rest of the music to come. I know I am!
I’m very interested in how you started your adventure with music, and did you know from the beginning that this is what you wanted to do?
I’ll go ahead and start by answering the second part first. I never considered this to be my path at all. I have always loved music. We always went to concerts, and I would sing along and could memorize every song that was on the radio and sing along to it. But I never really sang much publicly, and I was never thrown up on stages like many parents subject their kids to. I never knew what I wanted to do; I just kept moving forward and knew I would find something to lead me to where I was supposed to be. It all came to fruition when I was about seventeen or eighteen. I started playing guitar, writing, and singing my stuff within that time. Shortly after, I ventured out to play a writer’s night to give it a shot. It was at Rolling Oaks Sports Bar & Grill in San Antonio, TX. The people loved it and were so nice and supportive. I came back every week, which eventually led to paid gigs, and I just got caught in the whirlwind and was off from that point. I had found what I was here to do.
Congrats on your new release, ‘Humanity.’ Can you give us some insight into it?
Thanks so much! I’m very excited about this song being out for all ears! The way this song started is one of my favorite stories so far. I was texting Dustin Martin, the producer of this track, and he sent me a song by The Beatles. He pointed out how he liked the transfer from the Verse to the Chorus as it switched from a major to a minor, as in if the song’s verses were in the key of D, it switched to a Dminor for the first note of the Chorus. I also really liked this and decided to write a song that did a similar thing. Thus Humanity was born. That’s fun to say. The lyrics emerged from looking at the world, choosing to slip into madness because of uncertainty and lack of patience. Whether it was all the racism and brutality in general that occurred, which is mind-boggling to me, it should’ve been an awakening to show us how little progress we’ve made in 60 years and how much further we still have to go. I had a lot of time to think about my life and career around the time I was writing all these songs. For instance, the earliest part of my career was my most successful by industry standards and opinions.
Although it was a great start, I did not like the energy and people I was surrounded by. It always felt gross and like the focus wasn’t on making art. It was about this constant need to be relevant but unwilling to adapt. It was foolish, stubborn, and proud. It was excruciating to watch. I decided then and there that I would always follow the creative current. This also calls out the withered souls line in the Chorus. They would never know true wealth because they were essentially extorting the gift they were given. They had lost sight of why they got into it in the first place or had not gotten into it for what I consider to be the “right” reasons.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I would say everything I possibly can. I always try and find new places to play. I still feel like I learn something new from every show, whether about me, the audience, or something musically. I work to keep myself open to receive the next song to write when it’s ready to pour out of me. I’m always looking for more help in getting my music to a broader audience, and I thank you for your support in assisting with that. The growth and development never stop, in my opinion.
What should we expect from your next releases in terms of style and sound? How different are they going to be compared to your previous works?
I’d expect a significant difference in the new material, specifically on the production end. Dustin Martin has taken these tracks in a very fresh direction. It’s still my voice and songwriting, but his unique style is sonically steering the entire project, and I can’t wait for y’all to hear it all. I have loved all of my previous products, and every album I’ve made has been my favorite as soon as we finished them all. You’re always in different places when you start and complete projects, even more, so the time between projects. I’ve always maintained the what’s next for me approach regarding my dialogue moving forward after completing a project. My first record, Doggondest Feelin’, was a classic country record full of twang and throwback vibes. I went from that to a more Americana/Alt-Country direction seven years later on my second project, Things I Need To Say. The latest full-length release I have to date, Things To Come, is what I believe to be the more honed-in version of who I was at the time as a singer and songwriter and who I was being more clear-headed and myself since quitting alcohol for good. I always describe it as a more mature version of the second album. This newer material is in a class all its own. It almost feels like a distant relative of the past projects they never knew existed. It’s the most open-minded thing I’ve been a part of to date, and I am madly in love with it. After saying all that, as a short final answer, I don’t think it can be compared to my previous works. It’s too different. This is the start of a new chapter.
Where are you based? Can you tell us how the music scene there has inspired your sound at all?
I am based in San Antonio, TX. The local music scene in Texas, in general, is fantastic, going back to the stylings of Bob Wills or bringing it forward to the Texas Country Music scene of today. Many people are working hard and trying out the craft, which has always been inspiring. I would say that my sound has been more inspired by the journey of playing shows with and for so many incredible people and cutting my teeth on the older songwriters, some from Texas and others not like Hank Williams Sr., John Prine, Roger Miller, Guy Clark, and so many more. I consider myself very lucky to live in a state that offers so many places for many different genres to have a stage to play on.
If you could perform at any venue in the world, where would it be and why?
The first place that always comes to mind is Red Rocks. I don’t think there exists a cooler venue in the world. And I am saying that as a person who still has never been. I’ve heard the acoustics are phenomenal, and Every picture I’ve seen of where and what that place is screams magic, and I want to be a part of it. We’ll get there, and it will be an absolute blast and an unforgettable experience.
Can we expect a new EP or an album from you in the near future?
You can expect multiple EPs. “Tickin'” and “Humanity” are only two of what will be a five to six-song EP entitled “Life.” And we have enough songs on deck after that to put out at least two more EPs. I don’t want to give too much away at this point, but there are a lot of cool songs coming your way, and I can’t wait until we can deliver them to you.
Finally, have you got anything to share regarding upcoming gigs, and what have you got planned for 2023?
Keep an eye out for the new music! If you want to keep in touch with me and see all the tour dates or book me for a gig if you’d like, you can visit my website at jeremyparsonsmusic.com. I keep all my dates up there and am currently only bouncing around Texas, but I plan to get out of state again when I can. Hopefully, I’ll see y’all at a show at some point. Thanks so much!
