Tess Parks

Canadian psych-pop singer/songwriter Tess Parks arrived with considerable impact among Alan McGee’s initial roster additions to his 359 Music imprint during the first half of the 2010s. Her distinctive smoky vocals paired with tuneful, lo-fi textures aligned closely with the label’s sensibilities, and the 2013 debut album Blood Hot quickly drew international attention. Although a second solo project took time to materialize, Parks reached a broader listenership through her partnership with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, resulting in two well-received duo albums across the latter portion of the decade. Nine years after her first release, she issued her sophomore LP, And Those Who Were Seen Dancing, on the Fuzz Club label in 2022.

Born in Toronto, Parks cultivated early passions for both music and visual art. At age 17 she relocated from Canada to London to study photography at art school. While there she started composing songs and drawing notice as a solo performer, yet after setting aside her academic goals she had to return home once her visa expired. Back in Toronto she formed the backing band the Good People and, in early 2013, independently put out the EP Work All Day/Up All Night. During her London period she had connected with Alan McGee, the renowned founder of Creation Records who had shaped the paths of two artists Parks counts among her influences, the Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Upon hearing her latest material, McGee added her to the roster of his freshly established 359 Music label.

The label released her first full-length effort, Blood Hot, in November 2013. Its blend of lo-fi psych-rock atmosphere and captivating, torch-song vocals earned strong critical regard even if commercial traction remained limited. Instead of rushing into another solo session, Parks launched a collaboration with American psych veteran Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre. The pairing proved harmonious, yielding the dreamy, lo-fi pop collection I Declare Nothing in 2015, followed by the similarly exploratory Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe in 2018. Throughout these joint projects and extensive touring undertaken both alone and alongside Newcombe, Parks continued developing her own catalog.

She had accumulated material for a follow-up record over several years and, by 2019, was capturing it intermittently across sessions in London, Los Angeles, and Toronto. An injury that temporarily prevented her from playing guitar prompted a period of discouragement during which she turned to painting for creative fulfillment. In 2022 she revealed a new recording agreement with Fuzz Club and, that May, finally unveiled the long-anticipated second album And Those Who Were Seen Dancing.