An energetic indie rock collective led by writer/bassist Erin Walter, Parker Woodland mixes punk, pop, and heart-on-sleeve indie folk without a care for categories.
Parker Woodland’s music asks one question:
What if you lived your life like you truly mean it?
THE STORY OF PARKER WOODLAND: In 2023, Parker Woodland is the power trio of founder Erin Walter (vocals, bass), Andrew Solin (guitar), and Keri Cinquina (drums). The band formed almost accidentally, in 2018, when Walter and some neighbors got together to jam in a church where one of them worked as music director. What could’ve been a musical one-nighter ended up sparking something too magical to dismiss.
The early incarnation of the band saw Dan McMonigle (Strait Music tech and Berklee music grad) bringing a haunting alt-country sound to his and Erin’s shared Riot Fest underpinnings. DJ/artist Ralph Cutler also helped found the band, contributing drums, art, and backing vocals to the debut EP (recorded in one seize-the-moment day and engineered by Jonas Wilson at the Pink Room in Bastrop, Texas). A varied crew of friends contribute to Parker Woodland recordings and celebratory live experience.
Parker Woodland was born to the outside world in Fall 2019, with a handful of unforgettable, sweat-soaked shows at Austin venues the Nomad, Hotel Vegas, Hole in the Wall, and Batch. The band had a blast shooting a video for lead single “The World’s On Fire (and We Still Fall in Love),” filling Erin’s house with friends one last time just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Austin artists Sam Hensley, Melissa Bryan (The Shindigs), Katy Koonce (Butch County), Simone Monique Barnes, Preston Patterson (Ballet Austin), Richard Whymark (A Curious Mix of People zine, The Good Music Club), Ike and Wendy Eickstaedt, Davis Comeau (Militant Babies), and under-18 band Haunted Hollows have all joined in the creative process, to bring the energy of meaning it to life. Parker Woodland is proudly part of the Girls Rock family, with Erin a former co-president of the Girls Rock Austin board.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a heartbreaker for musicians, and Parker Woodland is no exception. “We miss the stage. We miss our fellow bands. We miss everyone,” Erin wrote in 2020.” But the forced downtime also brought an array of creative opportunities, with Parker Woodland playing livestream benefits, community events, podcasts, and making time to release the new EP and a video trilogy of “Band Life in the Beforetimes.” Erin took the music on a 150-stop virtual tour from her house. And of course, there’s nothing like the apocalypse to inspire songwriting. “The World’s on Fire (and We Still Fall in Love)” is a fiery start — and it’s only the beginning.
In 2022 and 2023, Parker Woodland played shows for renowned Austin radio station KUTX, a South By Southwest showcase and big Rock the Park event. Next Parker Woodland celebrated their new double single on Sept. 1, 2023, with a release party at Chess Club in Austin.
Next shows:
• Mohawk 11/30/23 w/ Sheverb and Sabrina Ellis
• ABGB 12/15/23 w/ The Belle Sounds
Then get back to recording their first full-length album, due early 2024!