Today XS Noize is pleased to premiere ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ by Logan J Parker. Logan J Parker takes her cue from early influences like Memphis Minnie and Screaming Jay Hawkins. These days she might still throw the occasional blues cover into the mix but her set-list is mostly drawn from a deep well of highly original songs – epic tales of love, loss and betrayal.
Whether performing solo with her beloved Gretsch or working in the studio with her regular wrecking crew of A-list musicians, Logan has a knack of crafting addictive hooks that tend to lodge in the recesses of an unwary brain. And in a music industry where the number of ‘writers’ involved in each major hit currently averages nine, she is that rare thing: a 100% rights owner and a fierce defender of her art.
Her voice is singular too, like an unusual instrument… by turns raw and restless when required, switching to a subtle caress at unexpected moments. Logan J Parker’s much-anticipated debut album is due for release later this year. In the meantime, the first single is about to hit, a feature film is in the offing and if you’re quick you might be lucky enough to catch her at an intimate live showcase before such events become a distant treasured memory.
And… in her own words:
“I was born and raised by the sea. Learned to surf before I started to walk. My parents were my music gurus, they played me and my siblings the most amazing records one can only imagine, from T Bone Walker to Leonard Cohen. When I look back at my childhood I recall vinyl everywhere, long walks on the beach, endless sunny days, laughter and tears. Music was a natural state of mind. It was my safe place and so, while growing up, it became an essential part of me.
But I ended up working in a bank. Why? I don’t know why. Human beings like to harm themselves sometimes and maybe that was what I did back then. I found myself so creatively restricted and stripped of all my hopes and dreams, to the point that I got really ill. One day I collapsed in the bank and at the hospital, I was first diagnosed with leukaemia but which thankfully turned out to be chronic anaemia. The shock helped me realise that life is precious and we can’t waste time living an unhappy and unfulfilling life. Since that day, I decided to choose music…forever. Like Bukowski says: You have to die a few times before you can really live.”
So what I do now as an artist is bound up with who I am as a person. I practice what I preach. I support the Extinction Rebellion movement so I make my records in a fully solar-powered studio. And I believe in artist empowerment, especial for women, so I do everything through my own independent company, all my copyrights, everything. If the industry wants to deal with me then they can deal with my company. Otherwise, they can fuck off. It’s outrageous that music artists are still forced to sign their lives away for a pittance – look at Taylor Swift, all her copyrights now owned by her worst enemy!”
Listen to ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ – BELOW:
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