On August 29, 2008, Joseph Parsons released his 7th studio CD, ‘Heavens Above’.
Made in the inspired musical cities of Philadelphia and Paris, Parsons has delivered his
most ambitious work to date.
Followers of Parsons' recorded music will notice some changes this time around as the
collection hues closer to the intensity and honesty of his live shows. After a year of
emotional chaos: burying his father & leaving his American homeland to live in Europe,
Joseph realized that these specific songs needed to be recorded. “Most of these are
newer songs I thought would never see the light of day,” says Parsons. “These are
songs that in the past I would have been afraid to record for some reason or another.
Songs that leave me feeling very exposed.”
Parsons reflected on his previous work and felt it was time to make an unambiguous
artistic statement. “For years, I have messed around, production & song - wise, as a
way to avoid the simple truth that my songs may not be as mainstream or as widely
accepted as I and some people around me had hoped. And finally, I am comfortable
with that. These new songs are from the heart and at this time in my life, that's what
matters most.”
It is a fearless record.
Parsons goes on to say, “I had gone as far as I could go in terms of producing my own
records. After ‘The Vagabond Tales’ (2005 Blue Rose Records) and ‘The Fleury
Sessions’ (2006 Blue Rose Records), I realized I could not produce this new record
alone and needed some additional production talent to gain some emotional distance
from the songs. I wanted to make a deeper, more honest record so I brought Devin
Greenwood (Norah Jones, Amos Lee) in to help me ‘translate’ the songs. He’s an old
friend and I trusted him from the first take. And that's exactly what I needed to feel”.
Returning to mix and master the record is Grammy Award winner Phil Nicolo (John
Lennon, The Hooters, G-Love.)
Parsons explores his personal challenges and, in so doing, takes his character studies
to a whole new level on ‘Heavens Above’. One of the standout tracks, the REM
influenced title track 'Heavens Above', follows a roughneck during hurricane Katrina in
New Orleans, back into the city to find his family and reflects the chaos he found.
‘Dume Room’ is from a Zuma Beach biker bar that tells the story of a Southern
Californian 'troll' (a vagabond with a mysterious aura). ‘Anyone’ is a reflection on
losing someone who you grew to rely on as totem or moral guidepost, and how it
affects your ability to be the person you are or to become.
If you’ve enjoyed recent albums such as the soundtrack to the movie “Once”
(Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova), “The River In Reverse” (Elvis Costello & Allen
Toussaint) or the work of Sufjan Stevens or The Lilac Time, this collection is for
you. These are songs that reveal themselves upon repeated listening.
- Sean Timmons, Artistic Director, Appel Farm Festival
Joseph Parsons’ music is available in Europe on Blue Rose Records, as well as world
wide on iTunes. Additionally, Parsons is a founding member of the collective bands ‘4
Way Street’ (Sanctuary Records) and ‘Hardpan’ (Blue Rose Records) and currently
splits his time between Europe & Philadelphia.
For more information, please visit www.josephparsons.com
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