JamisonParker

No connection exists between this act and the actor from the 1980s series Simon & Simon; the spelling of the shared surname also differs by a single letter. Instead JamisonParker operates as a lively emo-rock pair consisting of Jamison Covington on vocals and guitars alongside Parker Case, who handles guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. The pair first crossed paths through a shared acquaintance just days before Covington relocated from California to his native Kentucky. Already acquainted with Case’s earlier group Astoria, Covington maintained contact by exchanging demo recordings through postal mail. Eight months afterward he set aside his rural Kentucky background and headed back to California, where the two formally launched JamisonParker at the start of 2003. Local performances followed, largely in front of acquaintances. A booker for the Asbury Park, New Jersey Surf and Skate Fest happened upon one of their impromptu appearances beside merchandise tables and at nearby hotels, then arranged a slot on the festival’s main stage the next afternoon. Roughly seven hundred spectators attended what counted among the duo’s earliest public outings. Interscope Records eventually signed them and released the Notes & Photographs EP toward the end of 2003. Working alongside co-producer Dave Trumfio, the recordings balanced the band’s pop leanings with their characteristic emo-inflected lyrics. Strong grassroots support on MySpace and Purevolume helped build momentum, so that by the arrival of the 2005 full-length Sleepwalker the duo had assembled a sizable audience. Throughout July and August they joined Motion City Soundtrack and An Angle on the road to promote the album. Onstage Covington and Case were augmented by drummer Jarrod Alexander and bassist Ted Vega.