Austin Indie Rockers Parker Woodland Release 2 New Life-Affirming Songs, Host Release Show
Singles include an adorable and innovative take on "True Love Will Find You In The End" by Daniel Johnston
[Music available now on Bandcamp.]
Aug. 24, 2023, Austin, TX — For immediate release
In the past year, Erin Walter of Austin-based indie rock collective Parker Woodland has become very familiar face -- and voice -- in the Texas Capitol. In response to the seemingly never-ending legislative assault on human rights, the Unitarian Universalist minister and musician has been tirelessly leading protest singalongs and testifying in support of the LGBTQ+ community, public education, racial justice and more. So it’s not surprising that her band is on a mission to spread “relentlessly positive, life-affirming indie rock” (Loud Women), including their forthcoming singles.
On September 1st, Parker Woodland will release two new songs and host a release party at The Chess Club in downtown Austin along with locals Goons and Small Engine Fire. The party triples as a celebration of the four-year anniversary of the band and Erin Walter’s own birthday. The singles were born out of the vibrant atmosphere of the 2022 Spare The Rock (a PRX syndicated radio show broadcasting “indie music for indie kids”) showcase during SXSW, when bands were challenged with creating a Schoolhouse Rock or Daniel Johnston cover. Parker Woodland’s take on the iconic Johnston tearjerker "True Love Will Find You In The End" starts out as a sweet, folk-country lullaby, but explodes into exuberant punk at the 2:45 mark until it screeches to a halt with the line, “THE END!” The band's innovative (and frankly, adorable) approach to the song commanded rapt attention live and prompted the group to record the track at Austin's Ice Cream Factory Studios (both songs were mastered by Alex Lyon (Jet, Super Thief)). Additionally, the band lent their signature style to a UU church and Capitol favorite, Holly Near's activist anthem "I Am Willing".
Joining Walter on the recordings are Sam Hensley on guitar and vocals, Andrea Carroll on violin and vocals, and Andrea Lagrone on drums, as well as engineer Matt Parmenter on organ for "I Am Willing".
"We wanted to share these songs that have been so cathartic and uplifting for us as a band, even amidst the struggle and chaos of these past few years, especially in Texas," explains frontwoman Erin Walter, who is also on the Advisory Board for the SIMS Foundation. "We felt real magic making them, like we were capturing the essence of joy and purpose even in hard times."
From their humble beginnings as neighbors spontaneously getting together to jam, to their 2021 debut EP, "The World’s On Fire (and We Still Fall In Love)," and single of the same title, the collective captured the inspirational energy and hopeful optimism we all needed during the worst of the pandemic. They were backed up by KUTX who observed, “Songs about finding joy in the midst of world-crumbling chaos. Who knew it would be so fitting?!” and added them to their Rock The Park series. A joyfully expressive frontwoman, Walter was not deterred by pandemic sheltering in place. Instead, from 2020-2021, she took Parker Woodland’s music on a 150+ stop virtual tour, which included a Campaign Nonviolence music festival with Willie Nelson, a women’s conference, Rock The Vote events, and more.
Erin Walter (center), of the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry, leads a singalong at the Capitol in support of rights for trans kids. Photo courtesy of Texas Freedom Network.
Currently, the band is diligently working on their first full-length album of original music, set to debut early in 2024. Lead guitarist Andrew Solin (Belcurve) and drummer Keri Cinquina (Butch County) joined the band in 2022 and the updated lineup continues to churn out music as buoyant and uplifting as the message in the band’s lyrics.
"When you write a song, that’s often where you discover what you really believe," Walter affirms. "I believe life is short, beautiful, and hard, and we will get through it together.”
Keep an eye out for more Parker Woodland shows this fall at Mohawk, ABGB, Meanwhile Brewing and an annual Thanksgiving benefit for Central Texas Food Bank, as well as national tours and a video.
— Press Release by Adrienne Lake, Daydream Believer Creative