Sweet music from bad songs
You have to write bad songs to write the good ones. At least, that’s the view of Christchurch musician Jed Parsons.
The 25-year-old caught up with The Press two weeks after he launched his debut solo single Get Lost.
The song featured on Apple Music‘s ‘‘Best of the Week’’ playlist soon after it launched and received radio play almost immediately.
Parsons wrote the first song he ‘‘wasn’t entirely embarrassed about’’ near the end of his time at Lincoln High School.
‘‘Most of it is rubbish, but some of it is great. That’s sort of my theory on songwriting,’’ he said.
‘‘You just have to accept that a lot of the stuff you write is going to be bad. If you don’t accept that fact, and you write something bad, screw it up and give up for a few months, you’ll get nowhere.’’
Parsons said he learnt the guitar and drums from his brothers, who stopped playing when he ‘‘got better than them’’.
‘‘But you know, they pursued real jobs and now they have money and houses and stuff so I guess the joke’s on me.’’
He graduated from Jazz School at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT), now Ara, in 2013.
Two days into his Bachelor of Musical Arts, the February 2011 earthquake struck. Recording and practice spaces in the city were scarce and musicians flocked to Parsons’ family home in Lincoln. His parents built a comprehensive music room for the family about 10 years ago.
‘‘I think it’s important to collaborate with as many different people as possible and in as many different styles. That was what was cool about those earthquake days when a whole lot of us came together – folk artists, rock artists, hip hop artists – this was the spot for it really.’’
He defined his music as ‘‘under the very broad umbrella of indie pop’’.
‘‘My album has a wide range of influences, from you know, Neil Young’s folk era, to the sixties stuff, Beach Boys, and even modern indie rock like Unknown Mortal Orchestra.’’
The album, which as yet does not have a name, was recorded at Surgery Studios in Wellington. It was engineered and co-produced by Lee Prebble, known for working with Fly My Pretties, The Black Seeds and Phoenix Foundation and many other well-known Kiwi bands.
‘‘I went there just because I love everything he’s previously done and he was so enthused by working with me. I figured I may as well work with someone I trust, and can achieve a sound that I like.’’
Parsons said he loved playing festivals for their ‘‘happy vibe’’. He will play a set at Nostalgia Festival on Saturday.
‘‘I try to keep my festival approach like it’s a bit of a party. There are a few melancholy songs on the album, but I’m aware that at a festival no one wants to be too upset.’’
"Most of it is rubbish, but some of it is great. That's sort of my theory on songwriting."
Jed Parsons