Parker Barrow is a high energy, blues-infused southern rock ‘n’ roll band led by husband-and-wife duo Megan Kane (lead vocals) and Dylan Turner (drums). Their name is taken from Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow; the infamous American bank robbers during the early 1930’s Great Depression.
A chance encounter brought Kane and Turner together in 2019, when Turner was searching for a new singer for his band. The pair immediately hit it off, and within two weeks they were on the road together in full time pursuit of a mutual musical dream. The couple have been riding the highs and lows of rock ’n’ roll road life ever since.
In 2023 Parker Barrow expanded with the full-time inclusion of guitarist and musical director Alex Bender. At the foundation of Parker Barrow’s sound is the heavy-handed groove of Turner’s drumming, with Kane’s soulful and electrifying vocals soaring up over the top. The pair’s dynamics are brilliantly stitched together by Alex’s creative riffs and spirited playing throughout the songs.
Parker Barrow’s compelling vintage sound contains elements of rock, southern rock, blues, and soul; but the band’s brand of music is unmistakably and distinctly their own.
The band commands an impressive mix of old and new influences threaded throughout their distinctive sound, including the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, Blackberry Smoke, Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, Tedeschi-Trucks, Whiskey Myers, and Led Zeppelin.
Line-Up
Megan Kane – Vocals
Dylan Turner – Drums
Alex Bender – Guitar
Bo Howard – Bass
Will Tipton – Guitar
Eric Safka – Keyboards
“Novocaine came from an idea Alex, our guitarist, had in his back pocket for some time,” says Parker Barrow’s founding member and drummer, Dylan Turner. “At the time he showed it to us I had recently written some lyrics with no real melody or “song structure” in mind, but I immediately realized the riff he brought to us was perfect for the lyrics I had just written.”
“The soft minor intro to the exploding guitars was the perfect combination of soul and heavy! After taking it into the studio our producer, Stephen McKnight had an idea to change the intro riff to a Rhodes style piano and from there we were off to the races. The drum track was played on a beautiful Bucks County drum kit that sounded amazing in the studio! Novocaine is a track full of energy, passion, and power. We hope it will leave the listener anything but numb after listening.”
“Novocaine was derived from an idea I had saved from a jam a few years ago,” explains Parker Barrow’s guitarist, Alex Bender. “It was a swung, sixteenth note chromatic riff that when paired with certain accents from the drums, created a bluesy almost seductive feel that was perfect for a verse. Originally written on guitar, our producer, Stephen McKnight, heard the riff and had the idea to transfer it and feature a Rhodes electric piano. This added even more character to the darker mood of the track. We felt dynamics were very important, so we used different instrumentation to achieve a wide dynamic range.”
“There were acoustic guitars used for rhythmic textures throughout the song. Most of it was tracked on a Gibson Les Paul, doubling any necessary parts with a Gibson SG. The guitar solo for Novocaine, was enjoyable to develop. It was played on a Les Paul that was running into a Wah effects pedal. The Wah allowed me to be even more expressive with the notes and the way I approached the solo. My favourite bit of the song is the chords our producer created to support the riff in the pre-chorus. It has a descending bass line that utilizes some augmented harmonies over top that sneak in and create a moment of dissonance before the eventual resolution in the powerhouse chorus.”
Continues Alex, “Novocaine allowed us to explore new song-writing territories with different feels but in a way that is still Parker Barrow. Soaring vocals, hard-hitting drums and plenty of guitar help to drive this song while still maintaining a level of restraint to let the track breathe when needed. Like a temptation we cannot resist, Novocaine satisfies all the desires we love, without any of the guilt.”
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