Parader have something to say with their debut EP, Something the Dreamers Dream: they’re not giving up on the sounds they grew up on, and they’re not giving up on the dream they’ve all been chasing, collectively and individually, for most of their lives. Formerly known as Lion in the Mane, Parader, comprised of frontman Jon Masters, lead guitarist Dmitry Libman, bassist Zach Falkow and Broadway star Gerard Canonico on drums, is out to cement the return of rock music with a sound uniquely theirs.
Jon Masters’ wistful romanticism and self reflection pervades every lyric, and the combination of his words over Dmitry Libman’s sweeping musical arrangements comes together to create a rollercoaster of an EP, evoking everything from exuberance to heartbreak to defiance in under 30 minutes. With over a decade of history writing together, Masters and Libman navigate a delicate balance of old and new sounds that go together seamlessly.
While not sonically comparable to emo and pop punk’s new wave or the synth driven dance-pop dominating the charts, familiar musical elements from first generation emo heroes like Jimmy Eat World and Copeland as well newer acts like AJR, Coin and The 1975 combine with frontman Jon Master’s Adam Duritz-esque lyricism and sensibility to create a body of work that’s both brand new and instantly recognizable.
Parader managed to record, mix and master their forthcoming EP in complete isolation during the pandemic. With various personnel spread across 10+ different states, including industry powerhouses behind the mixing and mastering boards, they pulled off a 5 song EP without ever being in the same room with each other or their production team. The band also called on a few friends from over the years to lend their talents while in quarantine, including Warped Tour alums like ex The Dangerous Summer drummer Ben Cato and Spitalfield’s Mark Rose on “Alive and True,” and drummer Andrew Marshall (Billie Eilish) on their current single “Whiskey and Water,” released in the fall of 2021.
“I’m still kind of in disbelief that we managed to pull off an EP with so many moving parts the way we did,” says bassist Zach Falkow. “When we were tracking it, it was pre vaccine and none of us were ever in the same room, or even in the same state for that matter. Everyone was shooting sessions back and forth via Dropbox instead of the traditional “go into the studio and crank something out” model. I’m pretty sure we had at least a quarter of the US covered between everyone involved.”
The band’s next single “Save My Place,” due out on March 18th, showcases Masters and company at arguably their most raw and rocking. Mixed and mastered by producer/Acceptance drummer Nick Rad (Misterwives, Andrew McMahon, Sheryl Crow) and legendary mastering maven Chris Athens (Coldplay, Machine Gun Kelly, Beastie Boys), the song is an epic soundscape that begs to be played in an arena.
“‘Save my place’ is my favorite song on the record. It’s Gerard’s first song playing drums with us and I loved what he did with it,” Masters reflects.”Lyrically, I’m proud of the song because I was in a crazy place when I wrote the words. To me it’s about wondering if you could ever feel an emotion stronger than anything you’ve ever felt before. To me it’s about wondering if you could ever feel an emotion stronger than anything you’ve ever felt before. Could be good, bad, happy, sad, funny etc.... and just looking back and being happy that some of the bad is out of the way and hoping to not act that way again, but also wondering if you’d ever experience something again that could get you that worked up and emotionally involved. It’s like a hopeful and helpless call to someone to save my place for all the shenanigans I’d assume I bring to the table.”
Armed with poppy hooks, decades of experience, and a stubborn determination to finally break out, Parader is poised to be the modern arena rock answer to the second coming of emo. “We’ve all been in the industry a long time, and together for the better part of it,” adds Falkow. “It’s never possible to tell for sure whether things are going to pan out, and most of the time it doesn’t. But with this EP, all of us agreed that we were going to take every ounce of energy and drive we had left in us and swing for the fences.”