The Parson Red Heads
Brave Pop Territory and the L.A. Music Circuit Family-Style

By Christopher Petro

Photos By Monica Medeiros

“The key to working in a band with so many members is finding people who don’t have big egos,” says keyboardist and proud tambourine shaker for The Parson Red Heads, Erin Way.

The Red Heads’ genesis is similar to that of many bands, where core members found one another in a college classroom (at the University of Oregon in Eugene — Go Ducks!). Players came and went and things weren’t very serious for the band until nearly three years ago, when the group relocated to Los Angeles. “It was totally positive moving from Oregon to L.A.,” recalls Evan Way, brother of Erin and leader of the Red Heads. “It definitely takes some getting used to — this city has a completely different way of life.”

Helping each other acclimate to the big transition, the members became tighter. “I’ve played with Evan for a long time and he’s always chosen people he’s great friends with, and in some cases family members,” says one of the four guitarists, Sam Fowles. Evan’s sister isn’t the only family blood in the band — Evan’s wife, Brette Marie Way, plays drums and sings backup for the Red Heads. The band has been strong for their marriage, Evan explains, “You know, with the amount of time I spend doing band activities, if I didn’t have my wife in the band with me, it would get really difficult for our marriage because she’s a fulltime student, and I work fulltime. We just wouldn’t get to see each other much.”

‘07 brought the release of The Parson Red Heads’ critically praised full-length debut, King Giraffe, an album that hums and buzzes within boundless ‘60s jangle pop. “Before we left Oregon, I really felt we hadn’t done enough stuff I was satisfied with to put onto a record,” says Evan. “I was in a lot of bands that were sort of weird, playing experimental Radiohead stuff, and for the songs on King Giraffe, I was listening to a greater variety of older bands, from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.” With nods to The Byrds and later Beatles, King Giraffe rollicks through summery fields and gives way to playful rich innocence in harmony and rolling, thickly textured melody, showcasing a roster of musicians that can peak into the double digits. It features playful keyboards, many fuzzy guitars, Evan’s charming vocals, and an unremitting upbeat attitude. “Writing songs for the Red Heads is where I really started experimenting with what many say is conventional pop music,” Evan explains. “It was me realizing that pop music isn’t bad, that the concept of pop music doesn’t just mean Britney Spears, but also means REM and The Beatles. Discovering that really opens you up in a lot of ways. People often think that being more experimental means being open-minded, but often it’s the opposite.”

Evan is the irrefutable head of the Parson family. “He’s the humblest person you’ll ever meet,” says Erin. Fowles adds, “He’s a democratic, good listener of a bandleader. Every time I put my two cents in, he treats me with an equal share and responsibility in the band.” One may find it surprising that with so many people involved, Evan handles everything. “It keeps things less confusing when one person is the point of contact,” he explains. “Not everyone has the time or opportunity to do offstage stuff. I’m lucky to have a job where I’m on a computer most of the day.” Evan adds that there’s also no risk for double booking shows, or someone saying something that misrepresents the band, and everybody else agrees.

The bandleader duties extend beyond being the band manager, as Evan is also the Red Heads’ principal songwriter. “A song starts as a skeleton, which Evan brings to the core members, and we all, through trial and error, noodle with the piece and develop our parts, helping each other when a member hits a creative block,” says Fowles. Many trios have a hard enough time writing songs for three instruments, and one would expect the difficulty to grow exponentially for the Red Heads. “With so many musicians, we have to make sure extra musicians are there for texture and not playing all the time,” Evan says. “It’s not cool to have like five guitars bang away on the same chords together, it’s not interesting. We try to have everyone do something different, but in a way that doesn’t feel congested.”

After King Giraffe, the band fulfilled its contract with Yukon Records and was set free to record independently. “A lot of bands these days are recording and releasing stuff on their own, and it seems like the perfect time to do the same. Though it does mean we all have to work a little harder,” says Evan. Brette adds, “We always knew the contract would end with Yukon, and we found while trying to shop for a new larger label, it was really off-putting to do so when we were currently signed, even though we were at the end of our contract. For legal reasons it gets complicated. So one of our goals then became to release stuff on our own, which is less scary to labels — being completely unattached makes it easier to find a new label.” So the Red Heads are self-releasing and sporting their own label, Parson Farm Records, at least for their new six-song EP, Owl & Timber, out May 20. The title of the EP was actually chosen by fans, through a naming contest the Red Heads held earlier this year on their MySpace blog. (The winner of the votes was actually “Owl Me Timbers,” now the title of track 5.)

Thanks to the studio connections of the newest Parson, guitarist David Swensen, the band was given a great opportunity to record its new EP, with Swensen producing and engineering. Deviating from dubbing the instruments as they had on King Giraffe, the Red Heads opted to record Owl & Timber live. “I definitely think the band is better represented playing live, so doing it this way on the record really makes the EP feel energized, it helps us play better and feels more natural,” says Brette. The EP also introduces new ideas in songwriting, featuring the band’s first song not written by Evan — an upbeat tune called “Don’t Hold Back,” which Fowles penned.

The Red Heads are working with other bands as well, “in a sort of collective, we book shows, work together, and inspire each other’s bands,” Evan says. Since they are a collection of close friends and family, it’s fitting the Red Heads would extend that familial philosophy outward to their friends in other bands. Ballooning to include bands like Everest, The Switch and Castledoor, the unnamed collective is cultivating a blooming L.A. fan base, playing shows throughout Silver Lake.

“We have a lot of great new songs we’re working on, and we hope to record our next full length at the end of the year,” says Evan. Whether they’ll be signed at that point or still sustaining themselves on Parson Farm, one thing is for sure — they’ll do so clad in their trademark all-white attire. Evan laughs, “You wouldn’t believe how nice it is to always know what you’re going to wear onstage — keeps you focused on what matters!”

www.theparsonredheads.com