Graham Reid | | 2 min read
Auckland singer and songwriter Macey (Harry Parsons) has delivered a debut album The Lovers which went into out Favourite Five Recent Releases the week after we reviewed it. And we upgraded it also as a Recommended Record because the vinyl is quite special in a cover which appears to be a distressed painting from the Pre-Raphaelite period, all doomed romance and yearning.
In many ways that reflects the album which arrived about a decade after he released his first single as Harry Parsons.
It had been a tough decade but he didn't give up while studying music at university and working when he could. The album focuses on his most recent times when a relationship broke up and he lost his father.
Some of the lyrics and how he sings them reflect that (we said he has a tired voice and often defeated delivery) but also a new relationship. We said the songs reflect his pop sensibilities and concluded it was a coherent, consistent debut.
Time for him to answer some questions and you'll see his classic pop grounding.
.
The first piece of music which really affected you was . . .
Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles… I just remember how sad it made me as a small child listening in the car… and THE STRING ARRANGEMENT wowee
Your first role models in music were . . .
Billy Joel - Green Day, Bill Withers, Gerard Way - My Chemical Romance,
Lennon or Jagger, Ramones or Nirvana, Madonna or Gaga, Jacko or Jay-Z, Beyonce or Solange?
Lennon, Nirvana, Gaga, Jay-Z, Beyonce
If music was denied you, your other career choice would be . . .
Chef
The three songs (yours, or by others) you would love everyone to hear are . . .
The River, What Once Was, It’s My House
Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home…
A 1968 poster of a ‘The Doors’ concert live at the Hollywood Bowl
The best book on music or musicians you have read is . . .
Scar Tissue
If you could get on stage with anyone it would be?
Jim Morrison
The three films you’d insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are
Green Room, Mad Max Fury Road, The Notebook
The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include…).
Tango In The Night - Fleetwood Mac
Preachers Daughter - Ethel Cain
One song, royalties for life, never have to work again. The song by anyone, yourself included, which wouldn’t embarrass you in that case would be . .
It’s My House - Diana Ross
The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .
The Head On The Door - The Cure
You are allowed just one tattoo, and it is of . . .
A dagger
David Bowie sang, “Five years, that’s all we’ve got You would spend them where and doing
what?
In Tuscany working a vineyard with my lover and we would drink wine and go on bike rides and spend weekends at the sea
And finally, in the nature of press conferences in Japan, “Can you tell me please why this is your best album ever?”
Because it is my truth and MY story.
.
You can hear The Lovers at Spotify here.
post a comment