The family that plays together stays together
Rocking relatives release album to mark dad’s 60th birthday
A family of five’s musical talent has been showcased in a six-track album recorded to celebrate their father’s 60th.
David Parry, along with wife Carol and their three children, took to the studio to rehearse and record their debut release ‘The Parry Band’.
The family, from Loose, drew inspiration from dodgy haircuts and musical displays from yesteryear to create an original album with a comedic twist.
David, who celebrated his birthday last Tuesday, said: “My middle son was in a band.
“They were going to release an album when they went to the States.
“They never finished it, so I said to Andrew, as a joke, ‘why don’t we record an album?’
“We booked five days in Squarehead Studio in Sittingbourne. We wrote a couple of songs each. The engineer helped us through it all, and we came out with something pretty good.”
Music teacher Andrew, 30, teamed up with his parents and his two siblings Jonathan, 32, and Sarah, 26, to complete a family-themed CD.
A favourite among the six tracks is entitled ‘Bald Spot’, which has its origins in one of his son’s friend’s back gardens.
He said: “My eldest son Jonathan told me about two of his friends at school who ran a hairdressers from their shed.
“They would place a big bag on him and cut his hair.
“We recorded six songs in five days, and people who have heard it really like it.”
Another popular family anecdote is the time Jonathan climbed on the roof of Maidstone Grammar School to copy Brian May when he played on Buckingham Palace.
David added: “He took a 100watt amp with him and everyone applauded him. Both he and Andrew are very competent musicians.”
The family have now released the album on CD for £6, and it is also available for digital download.
Copies are being given to charities for donations, including St Peter’s Church in Boughton Monchelsea.
To listen to the tracks or to buy a copy, visit theparryband.bandcamp.com