Mercury Records' newest alt-rockers Parachute just released their first single, "She is Love" on iTunes, set to be on their forthcoming debut album. The band is currently wrapping up a US tour with Jon McLaughlin. I caught up with frontman Will Anderson to see what all the buzz is about.
You're from Charlottesville, VA.. it's a cool area surrounded by a beautiful area... how has your location factored into the kind of music you make?
It's definitely uh... the sound of Virginia is eclectic. We wanted our band to sound like a band. We didn't want it to be overproduced. We kept all that in mind when we recorded. It's a very 'live show oriented' scene out there, so that's how you have to make it is on stage. We cut our teeth on the stage and that made its way into the recording.
So you just changed your name at the beginning of the year. I get the impression that you had been operating as Sparky's Flaw for many years. WHY you changed the name seems kind of obvious, no offense, but has it been difficult to move your many fans into the Parachute camp?
There's always some resistors. There are some old fans of ours that I had to sit on the phone and have a long conversation with about the name change. There are some nostalgic fans that are annoyed they bought the t-shirts when the name changed. We're really happy with it though and I'd say the fans are, too. They've stuck by us no matter what, so that's cool.
How did that Nivea commercial come about?
Nivea came to us with a commercial. They heard our song and wanted to use it. We saw the commercial and thought it was a good fit. We didn't think too much of it at the time, but it's been really good for us. The ad did the song justice. It was very unexpected and we were very pleasantly surprised.
Tell me about getting the record deal. How did that process work?
We got signed at the end of our third year in college. It took that whole summer to get the papers signed and that kind of thing. They told us to finish school which put the brakes on recording. We had to do it on weekends, mostly. Our management, Redlight, they cover some huge bands and like experience is really important to them. They let us take our time and focus on the record. The day we were done with classes, we flew out to L.A. and immediately to finish the album. The ball is rolling now and we couldn't be happier.
With the industry as it is today, you really have to go big or go home. There's no 'almost making it.' You guys are clearly making a run for the big time... are you nervous?
Of course! I had a dream last night that we were the next Edwin McCain. [
laughs] Of course we're nervous. We're scared of having to get day jobs. This is a dream come true and we don't want to let it go. Either you make it or you don't, so we have to make it. We want to make the next record. We're going at it like this is our one shot. It can be very fleeting, so we're enjoying it.
Do you guys think you're better live than you are on the album...or just as awesome? [
laughs]
To really get a feel for any music, you have to experience it live. I think that's true for any band. The live show for us is one of the most important parts. The songs were written to perform. I think the live experience is better than the record.
How has the tour been going, so far?
It's been fun. We were just down at SXSW and we were on tour before that. We're excited to play live again. We had to do some promotional stuff for the last couple weeks, so down in Austin it was great to get on with the full band and pick up the electric guitar and rock out. The fans have been receptive.
In press releases, you guys have been described as 'alt-rock,' but I'm not sure if that really applies. When I think 'alt-rock' I think 90s. What do you call your style of music?
Organic... uh... rock... with soul... uh... piano-based... natural sounding... that's a really hard question. Instrumentation defines us.
That was a pretty... vague genre. Would you be at all opposed to 'Vagina Rock'?
[
laughs] I'm not sure if my mother would appreciate it.
Well 'vagina' is the medical term. It's not offensive. Plus, chicks like your music. So do dudes with vaginas. [
laughs]
[
laughs] Or the dudes who want to get with vaginas. Yeah, we'll have to think about that one.
When is your album coming out?
May 5th. My birthday. Cinco de Mayo.
You have mentioned before that you appreciate well-written songs, no matter who is performing them. Does that mean your new album will be absent any filler tracks? They'll all be single-worthy?
No, we're not that cocky to say every song is gonna be a single. I genuinely enjoy every song on the album, though. There were some songs we took off. It's 10 songs long. We could have had more, but we just wanted the best. I don't think they're all smash singles, but I think they're a good representation. It's the 10 best songs we've written.
You're not the first artist to write about things that happen to them in their lives, but I gotta wonder if you ever seek out crazy stuff just to make the song happen?
I don't think I seek it out. You just gotta look out for it. If it comes, it comes. If you meet someone that has an interesting story, as a songwriter you're aware of those things and make note of them. I don't think, "Today I'm gonna find a crack head on the street so I can write a song about it!"
Let's say you woke up tomorrow and Parachute was the biggest band on the planet... are you ready?
To be that famous? Probably not. To play in front of a bunch of people? Yes. We're not shy about our intentions. I don't know if tomorrow, but it's definitely been a good learning process so far. I think we're on our way.
What were you hoping I would ask you today?
What our favorite song on the album was.
Do you want me to ask you, or...
My favorite song is a song called
Ghost. SO FAR. It could change. Nate is sitting here and he said it's his favorite, too.
Very well. Good luck with everything, Will! Take care. Parachute on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads 
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Say No More interview 18/4/08
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Q & A Interview: Will of Parachute
