Here’s the latest single from Canadian singer-songwriter Tess Parks. Now based in London, Parks wrote ‘Crown Shy’ alongside long-term band-member and collaborator Ruari Meehan. There are hypnotic, dreamy layers and the combination of Parks’ and Meehan’s voices possesses an unearthly beauty. The strings, arranged by Marco Ninni and played by Joe Butler, add to the shimmering, ethereal feel of the music and soar as the song slowly builds.
‘Crown Shy’ celebrates human connection and expresses Parks’ gratitude to her family. She explains: “This was the only song on the album that we didn’t write from far apart and inspired us to finish the album in person. Ruari sent me this song in early July 2023, literally seconds after I had said goodbye to my sister, Isabella, who was travelling that summer to Paris from King’s Cross Station. As always, Ruari’s timing was perfect and the music sounded exactly like how I was feeling. This song is my gratitude to my family – and my sister especially – for being the main reason for my sobriety from alcohol, and the happiness I felt reconnecting with my sister after a fractured few years. In a broader sense, though, it’s important to remember that everyone in the world is related. We are all family. We can all always be on the same team. When we realise our commonalities instead of our differences, when we realise and own our piece in every situation and understand that we are co-creators of our realities, our worlds can really shift and it will feel like a miracle.”
The accompanying video by Adam Carr is a beautifully-shot, cinematic visual. Artfully created, the film follows an astronaut who wakes in the early dawn light and explores her natural environment, collecting objects along the way. It fits remarkably well with the feel of the song.
The single is the second taken from Parks’ forthcoming album ‘Pomegranate’, due for release on 25th October 2024. Meehan produced the album and co-mixed the songs with GRAMMY-nominated engineer Mikko Gordon (Gaz Coombes, Arcade Fire). The album explores contrasting feelings: joy and heartbreak, pain and resilience. The completion of the album required resilience and was itself a triumph for Parks. She says of the album: “Look – there’s so much tragedy happening in the world right now. It’s so easy to feel helpless. It feels self-indulgent to be someone singing at all from their own perspective. But if anything, this album is a gift of love, our contribution to the world of something beautiful that we made amongst so much pain. It’s our message of empowerment to keep going even when life feels unliveable and unjust – having faith that this moment will pass if you can find a way to just breathe into the next moment. Believing that the future could possibly be really bright… knowing that sharing your light really does have a butterfly effect, even in a small way within your community and your family and friends, you are capable of making a greater impact than you understand. I went through a long period of feeling like I never wanted to make music again. What is the point of singing? Everything is pointless. I was taking refuge making paintings, sitting in silence for hours. There was a lot of processing to do. I am so grateful that I was given the encouragement to continue creating with sound, and that’s what Ruari has done for me. It seems only right to give back that encouragement to others.” Ultimately, this is absorbing music to uplift and transport you. Tickets for intimate release shows in London and Brighton are available here. Enjoy.
