Jason Parker Unveils Single / Video 'The Bright Side' + Interview

Following on from the high-speed impact of his previous single ‘Crash’, Jason Parker has shared ‘The Bright Side’ — the third single from his forthcoming Fairy Bread EP via Bigpop Records. The Hawkes Bay-raised pop artist bares his knitted soul in the aftermath of a significant break up, creating music that is utterly sincere yet freeing to the listener in its captivating hooks. As a double treat, today also sees a vibrant lyric video by fellow pop artist Cee Blu, which promptly demands for a karaoke sesh. Parker currently resides in Tāmaki Makaurau, chasing the pop dream and soon releasing Fairy Bread as a beacon of hope and all-round fun. I was lucky to catch up with the rising star to chat about next week’s show at Ponsonby Social Club alongside labelmate Isla Noon, their songwriting process with producer Maude Minnie Morris on their latest track and everything delicious in between. Read on, dance to ‘The Bright Side’ and reach for tickets for next Saturday’s not-to-be-missed performance…

Jason Parker and Isla Noon
Saturday 15th June - Ponsonby Social Club, Auckland
Tickets available HERE via UTR

Samantha Cheong: How are you doing in the midst of healing from your breakup in which 'The Bright Side' is about? Any specific silver linings / 'bright sides' you’ve taken note of?

Jason Parker: Wow, that's very sweet of you to ask. I can say with confidence I am on the bright side. I spent the year alone to try to develop a better understanding of myself, my needs and boundaries. I really made a conscious effort to work on the things about myself that I didn’t like during the end of this specific relationship. I got to fall in love for the first time and have someone love me back, but I also got lost in that and I needed to figure out why I got lost in that.

The bright side in the song is two different things, I feel lucky to have loved and to be loved, ya know when love is good it's so goddamn good and that's the bright side, just as much as healing a broken heart is the bright side. I like to remember the good times and I've learnt from the hard ones to be a more confident me. Now, I feel good about myself and I’m in the reward stage of all that growing. Sometimes you’ve gotta stop and plant the seeds and then you get flowers.

Just last week, I saw you attending one of The Wine Cellar's twenty year anniversary gigs on Wednesday night. Did you feel inspired by any acts you saw, or are there any local acts you're admiring right now?

Yea totally! I went down to see Babe Martin specifically. I feel very inspired by her, she was one of the artists who killed it at this year's Little Gay In. For this gig she had a cellist (Kat Tomacruz) join her on stage and it really enhanced her ethereal vocals and songwriting. I myself have really only done one performance with live instruments and normally I do it with backing tracks. I have a dream to perform my pop songs with orchestral instruments, so seeing Babe Martin live that fantasy was really special. She has one of the most ethereal voices I have ever heard.

How do you come up with such devastatingly beautiful hooks? What’s your songwriting or in-studio process with producer Maude Minnie Morris?

‘The Bright Side’ came title-first. I'd been obsessing over a recent break up, and one of the things I'd said while we were having the conversation about ending things was like, "Maybe this is for the best, and there will be a bright side." Maybe it wasn't the right thing for someone to hear at that particular moment because I was hit back with, "That's a toxic thing to say," while you're breaking up with someone. So I guess just real life. I feel lucky that I have the ability to write out my feelings in these songs and figure out what the right thing is to say, and really work through it through that.

I write all my songs as an acapella, just lyrics and melody and then bring them to Maude with an idea of what the production might sound like, and she works her magic. I had a very clear idea of what I thought 'The Bright Side' should sound like, I even have little voice notes of me singing the strings part. You can write about a sad thing but put a banging beat to it [laughs]. The lyrics do sound quite sad and reflective but I remember thinking, “This is a banger though.” It was the last song I wrote for Fairy Bread and I thought the EP was missing a club banger, so that's what we made. Huge snaps for Maude. She worked really carefully to make this song sound better than I could have imagined. In Maude we trust.

What’s your plan for the rest of the year for your music, right after Fairy Bread rolls out in full?

Ooh la la, I'd be so keen to do some shows around New Zealand. Nothing feels better than a room full of cuties being silly and dancing to pop bangers. I've also started recording the follow up to Fairy Bread, so I think we can look forward to a year filled with new music.

Can we expect some Jason Parker merch inspired by your own fashion?

I'll have to talk to my mum about knitting some one of a kind vests for the fans. Maybe I could do a little vest give away or something once the EP is out?

What can we look forward to seeing at your Ponsonby Social Club gig with Isla Noon on June 15th? Can you give us a few words to sum it up? For example, “gay party central”?

‘Joy personified’. Nothing makes me happier than a room full of cuties enjoying gay pop music. Catch me screaming ‘Need To Go Home’ front row for Isla Noon’s set. ‘Gay Party Central’ is correct or maybe ‘Live Laugh Love’.

'The Bright Side' is out today on major streaming platforms via Bigpop Records.