By Cristina Carrazza, Regional Head- Midwest
It’s been an amazing seven months for Parachute. After releasing their debut album “Losing Sleep” last spring, the Virginia natives have enjoyed some well-deserved success. After their single “She Is Love” gained a lot of exposure from its feature on a Nivea campaign, Parachute has spent a significant amount of time on the road opening for big name acts like Kelly Clarkson, OAR and Three Doors Down. Now, Parachute is in the midst of wrapping up their first headlining tour. Before the sold out stop of their Chicago tour, I chatted with the Parachute guys to know this up and coming band on a more personal, and humorous, level.
Cristina: So how would you describe Parachute?
Nate: My casual response to how would you describe Parachute…*laughs* I’m going to give you a body metaphor. No but we are a pop, rock, alternative band. I love using those words. Alternative in the 90’s sense – like Third Eye Blind alternative. Not really, but I love that band. Melody is important to us. Accessibility. And rocking out of course.
CC: I noticed that on the Parachute twitter today there was a very interesting way to describe your band.
NM: That’s what I meant by the body metaphor.
Will: Apparently we sound like Maroon 5 going through Jon McLaughlin’s intestine.
Kit: I think that’s a good thing.
WA: I’m not complaining.
NM: If you’re going through go through anyone’s colon he’s a good colon to go through.
Alex: He’s a good looking.
CC: So let’s backtrack a little bit. The first time I ever heard of you guys was when you were opening for Jon McLaughlin about a year ago. Since then your debut album “Losing Sleep” came out in the spring.
WA: Yeah we did a bunch of tours. We toured during college. And we put out “Losing Sleep” in May 18th of last year. So it’s been out for about six or seven months. It feels like it’s been out for a long time. But we’re just very excited to be working on our second single “Under Control.”
CC: Six, seven months is only a short amount of time and you guys have achieved a lot of success. I know you have been featured on TV and commercials through “She Is Love” and gotten a lot of exposure that way.
Johny: It’s fun!
NM: Lots of fun.
WA: It like to be on TV, it feels right.
KF: It feels right.
WA: Like if I weren’t on a band, I would probably be a local TV newscaster. So getting to do that, it’s like the best of both worlds. A little taste of what it would’ve been like.
AH: He used to do it in High School and he was pretty good!
WA: Yeah I used to do the sports segment. I would always try to spice it up a bit. Kids knew me, let’s just put it that way.
CC: Well apart from your other lesser known fame, you guys have been touring a lot this past year. Most notably, Kelly Clarkson this past fall, and now you’re Headlining.
WA: We’re in the middle of it right now. Headlining is great. It’s like birthing your own child.
KF: I really wouldn’t put it that way…
WA: Opening is watching someone else birth a child.
KF: Ok…
WA: If you watch, it’s a beautiful thing but when you’re actually doing it, it’s awesome.
CC: And let’s not forget that your CD hasn’t even been out for that long, which is pretty remarkable.
WA: It’s very nice to see it growing. We’ve been working really hard for the past year, and even longer than that so it is nice to see it pay off with this headlining tour.
CC: And today’s show is sold out.
WA: It feels good to sell out.
AH: The first time we played Chicago it was for like three people.
NA: And one of them was a good friend of ours.
JS: Oh yeah. Like a year and a half ago.
AH: So it’s really nice to see in a year and a half how much we’ve grown. And it’s really surreal. Five years ago, when we were still kids, I would’ve never imagined being here.
WA: We’re still kids.
NA: I’m a man. I’m a boy man.
KF: I would say we’re graduated to adolescence.
WA: We’re getting there. Prepubescent.
JS: Are we comparing ourselves to animals? I would say we’re more of an adolescent reindeer, in that awkward period.
WA: But in all seriousness. Jon was a good jumping point for the year. Then OAR, Three Doors Down, The Script and Kelly Clarkson were sort of the big tours of the year. It’s been nice to see it blossom.
CC: Is it intimidating sometimes being such a new band to the industry and playing with such big names?
WA: We’re very naive and we throw ourselves into whatever we go into. For better or worse, we don’t really get intimidated.
AH: And plus, we’ve been really lucky with the bands we’ve toured with. They’ve been really awesome and extremely nice and friendly. So I guess we haven’t been intimidated yet.
CC: So you guys are playing overseas for the first time with Kelly Clarkson.
WA: Well, Nate and I are world travelers so to speak. But I guess to play music yes. One of the first places we’re playing at is Wembley Stadium, which is in my Bucket List as top five venues to play – so I guess I can check that one off.
CC: Pretty amazing considering it’s your first time over.
JS: I heard Kelly Clarkson might be playing with us…
CC: Any expectations?
WA: I hope it’s not too cold.
JS: I’ve heard people have weird accents and are four feet tall.
WA: Just kidding Europeans.
NM: I’m excited to see what the fans are like, how they respond. What excites them.
CC: Do you guys have any interesting tour stories you want to share, since we keep bringing them up?
WA: When we were the Baha Men, it was much crazier.
NM: I signed a boob somewhere in there.
CC: Just one?
NM: Yeah…she kind of grabbed my hand and just put it out there.
JS: It was actually a large fellow…
KF: We had some pretty awesome tour pranks at the end of Kelly’s tour. Shane (Tour Manager) went out there and did a little dance.
WA: A little dance?
KF: A pretty awesome dance.
NM: Show stopping dance.
WA: I’ve never heard the crowd go as insane.
CC: So what is next for Parachute?
WA: We’re going to Europe next and then tour the United States some more. Then we’ll go into the studio – we have a lot of ideas we’re excited to work on. But for now, we have a lot of touring ahead of us.
CC: Anything else you guys want to add?
WA: Weareparachute.com is the website. Check us out on myspace, facebook.
NM: Don’t go to wear a parachute.com. That’s something completely different and we’re not endorsing that.
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