Rykarda Parasol
Preface and Interview by Ashlee Elfman
Button Photo by Xavier Gomez
Rykarda Parasol has the voice of a woman who knows the weight of a gun, and the weight of a heavy heart. Her rugged, romantic ballads draw frequent comparisons to the likes of Cash and Cave, and although these comparisons seem to be handed out too freely these days, Ms. Parasol has definitely earned her stripes with her last contribution, Our Hearts First Meet. When listening to this album you will most certainly be swept into a deserted Texas landscape left only to imagine Rykarda's stories as they unfold in your mind. Like listening to many great singer/songwriters, it's nearly impossible to divert your attention from Rykarda's atmospheric vision. Sometimes painful and impulsive, yet always beautiful, Ms. Parasol offers up an array of soul plunging songs for those that enjoy their music genuine and unafraid.
You hail from San Francisco, where you live now, but for a while you spent time in both Texas and Los Angeles. How did these two atmospheres influence your album, "Our Hearts First Meet"?
My LA life was a vacation and Texas was boot camp. I always joke one was a ball, the other an eight ball. In the end, it was the harder experience that mattered the most and one that I had to keep coming back for and will go back for. It’s like the terrible parent that you reconcile with. The mistakes have made me “me”. I only mention LA in one song, which is “Arrival, A Rival”. I’d been anonymous and carefree there, and in Texas I stood out and got into heaps of conflict. Incidentally, I made a conscious decision to start the album with “Hannah Leah”. I wanted to imply that a new start had already begun. It calls out New York streets, somewhere far enough from all those places, and that I’d be telling the story in flashback. I’d moved on.
So many of your lyrics seem quite exposed and autobiographical, which I think makes them very mesmerizing. Why do you think so many artists are ashamed to admit that they call upon their own life experiences for inspiration?
There’s a big difference between implying nudity and actually being naked. The album cover for instance. Not every detail is essential with words as in images and mystery often implies more anyway. Getting naked is not for everyone. I suggest getting a dimmer on the lights and starting off slowly.
You seem to have an eclectic array of influences. Do you feel that in order to evolve as an artist one must soak up as much as possible?
Influences are handy, but it’s not essential. There’s a whole school of painters called “naive artists” who have no formal education and that’s what makes their art special. I like the part of me that tries things that no one has inspired me to do. I seek to enrich my life. It entertains me. I don’t know how evolved I will ever be despite that. Soaking up what you can will definitely makes you a more evolved audience. That’s needed. You’re better at cocktail parties too.
What is it like making music with your band The Tower Ravens? Is it a collaborative effort?
I spend lots time off by myself, with the 4-track, and then bring the completed songs in. Our rehearsals are organic and quick. The guys usually write their own parts and we all suggest ideas to each other. My direction is pretty loose. I just randomly shout out “Make it creepier”. When we get down to playing the music it really is a terrific intoxicating feeling. I’ve also begun working with Jacob Fury, a violinist.
When did it strike you that music was your calling? Is this something that you see yourself doing for the rest of your life?
Words are my calling and music is the vessel that carries it. It was a few months back in a dive bar in Brooklyn - the worst whiskey soda I ever had - when I knew for certain that I was indeed a “lifer”. A co-conspirator told me I was one too and it was futile to deny it. It’s the thread that holds me together. Sad really.
How do you feel being a woman affects your career as a musician? Is it a non-issue?
The things that affect my career as a musician are things like “Do we have enough money to go up to Portland?” Everything else just makes you interesting.
By Pat Johnson
Do you enjoy performing live?
Yes. Anton Lavey said that there is a beast in every man and you have to exercise it not exorcise it. I like live shows because I enjoy the exercise.
It seems that you're working on a new album. What can we expect to hear?
You’ll still hear the darkness. Out of the shadows though is a more defiant narrator. It’s deviant and at times jaded and morally challenged. There’s a bit of wit and humor. Is this vague enough? Sonically the goal of the music is to underpin the imagery of the words. They’re still the focus for me. I’m careful to create stories and themes that tie up in the end. There’s more internal rhyming at this point. I wanted the words to be like music if read on their own. Things are just starting to be recorded, but songs will be heavier and louder at times. It will also be quieter and starker too. That’s pretty much reflective of my character anyhow and the songs are being drawn out of my experiences and recurring themes in my life. There is still talk of doing two separate recordings, one an EP, and one a full-length. I think folks who liked “Our Hearts” will be pleased.
What was your favorite album of 2007?
No favorite. It was a weird year. I have favorite songs all over the place. BRMC, Jay-Z, Grinderman – they made good stuff. My friends Veil Veil Vanish made a fine album too (Into a New Mausoleum). I hit “replay” uncountable times.
You recently filmed a music video. Can you tell us a little bit about that? When and where can we expect to see it?
The video is for “Hannah Leah”. It should be done in February sometime. We may end up with two versions. But the bulk of the video is a dance with death. The Grimm Reaper on ice was a ridiculous notion. This is not high budget anything. There were various inspirations like Kate Bush videos, but we added some humor and tweaked it by ice-skating instead of dancing. I think Ingmar Bergman inspired me to have interaction with Death himself. It’s a Woody Allen thing too. As I’ve become “darker” I noticed my humor getting darker too. I think to be funny you’ve pretty much got to laugh at everything including death.
You've worked with Eric Drew Feldman, a well-respected musician and producer who has worked with a variety of wonderful musicians such as PJ Harvey and Captain Beef heart. How did that collaboration happen?
Eric’s wife suggested that we work together. We worked on several songs, but picked just one for the album, which was “How Does A Woman Fall”.
You cover "She's Like Heroin To Me" by The Gun Club. You definitely have a very unique take on the song, and as a die-hard Gun Club fan, I enjoy it quite a bit. Why did you choose that song, and that band to cover?
The words are compelling. It’s a love song and a kind of sad love to me that I felt familiar with. It’s sorrow and infatuation. Frankly, comparing love to heroin and vice versa nailed it perfectly at the time. I approached it as a footnote to the original version. There are songs that people have written you just want to climb inside of.
If you could sing a duet with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I think my voice would sound good with Greg Dulli... I would actually love to attempt doing cryptic vocals along with someone like Missy Elliot. It’s a strange idea. I just think it could be sinister if well produced. Don’t tell me it can’t be done.
As a side note, the Bellmer Dolls had me sing some crazy backing vocals throughout a song on a guerilla-style makeshift recording party at 4am. Actually, I might’ve been so asleep maybe I only dreamed it? I mention it, because I’m sort of proud of how insane my howling became, like “Gimme Shelter”. Perhaps it will make a B-side of theirs.
In one word how would you describe Rykarda Parasol and the Tower Ravens?
Fervent
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