While there’s been no shortage of high-profile releases lately, there’s something exciting about discovering a young band and getting to share their music with the world. Today we’re thrilled to be premiering Contrast, the debut full-length record from Oneonta, NY indie/ emo band Parallel. Following the 2016 release of their EP Broken Beyond Repair and a split with DIY bedroom pop band Catlike earlier this year, the group headed to record with engineer Ryan DeMarco back in May.
Before Parallel began, vocalist and guitarist Patrick Elliott, bassist James Boss, and drummer Frederic Rigollaud had played in a metal band together in their first years at SUNY Oneonta. When it came time to transition past “that nutty metalcore phase and… hone in on some songwriting and melodies”, they set right to work on an EP. Six weeks later, it was recorded, and a few months later guitarist Conor Gracey was added to the mix. Some of the songs from the EP have resurfaced on Contrast, but Elliott tells us “they’ve really been given new life now that we have Conor.”
Speaking on the album’s title, Elliott reflects, “Contrast represents not only how we wrote the album- we tried to make every song sound different- but a lot of my songs start out either really sad or happy and then move in the opposite direction as the story is being told or as the song progresses…. Contrast is the different emotions I’m trying to evoke in other people and how they take the stories that are in my head and apply it to their own lives.” With this record, Parallel aimed for more diversity in their songwriting, striving to take risks beyond simple, familiar song structures.
Contrast touches on typical young adult growing pains, from relationships to loss, but Elliott says “there’s also songs about doing mushrooms in college- there’s all sorts of things on there, things that really reveal a lot about myself if you know me and as people listen to the record, they’ll start to grasp on to those things.” Boss explains the album’s themes developed naturally: halfway through writing the record, they “got a feeling for what we wanted to do” and continued down that same path to finish writing.
At certain times introspective and others more outwardly focused, there’s plenty of real-life stories to relate to on Contrast. With the album’s release, Parallel hope their listeners will connect with what they have to say and take a minute to think. Elliot says, “A lot of those songs are written with some sarcasm of who you are and who you should be- so I’m hoping that people listen to it and reflect on themselves in the process.”
Contrast will be released this Friday, September 29. Enjoy the album, in full, below:
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Contrast is available for pre-order here. Parallel have several shows coming up to celebrate the album’s release; see the full list below and keep up with the band on Facebook and Twitter for more updates. We’re always sharing new music from up-and-coming artists, so be sure to follow Substream on Twitter to see what new artists we have our eyes and ears on.
Parallel – Fall 2017 Tour Dates:
Sept 28- Amityville Music Hall w/ Bren Lukens and Jess Sands- Amityville, NY
Sept 29- Hunt Waterfront w/ A Will Away and Modern Chemistry- Oneonta, NY
Oct 1- Fraggle Rock- Albany, NY
Oct 22- Amityville Music Hall w/ Everyone Leaves and Young and Heartless- Amityville, NY