Anders Parker

Americana singer/songwriter Anders Parker has recorded as the alt-country act <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a> and played in the experimental band <a href="spotify:artist:7wRVPv8Iq4r6WkwTGQPbxL">Space Needle</a> as well as going under his own name. He's also collaborated with such artists as Kendall Meade (<a href="spotify:artist:6E7eSTMcjVECK7ri3cvbjN">Mascott</a>) and <a href="spotify:artist:4tPRMBm25eaPJaceUBPqTK">Jay Farrar</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:7AhDVqsNA5q46WKsRPXvoe">Son Volt</a>). Based in Brooklyn, Parker grew up on an old farm in New York's Hudson Valley listening to <a href="spotify:artist:74ASZWbe4lXaubB36ztrGX">Bob Dylan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0LcJLqbBmaGUft1e9Mm8HV">ABBA</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4KWTAlx2RvbpseOGMEmROg">R.E.M.</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4WPY0N74T3KUja57xMQTZ3">the Replacements</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:16bN8mhtDFdegWbg0z3s10">Hüsker Dü</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3yY2gUcIsjMr8hjo51PoJ8">the Smiths</a>. He began releasing records as <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a> in 1996, starting with Man of Sin on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Zero+Hour%22">Zero Hour</a>. The following year <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a> included Anders' bass-playing brother John Parker and drummer Jud Ehrbar, who convinced Anders to play in Ehrbar's band <a href="spotify:artist:7wRVPv8Iq4r6WkwTGQPbxL">Space Needle</a>. After the folding of <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a>'s record label, Anders relocated to North Carolina and signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22E-Squared%22">E-Squared</a>/<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Artemis+Records%22">Artemis Records</a> and issued Songs in a Northern Key in 2001, which was mainly a solo effort under the <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a> name. The solo album Tell It to the Dust followed in 2004. In addition to a collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:4tPRMBm25eaPJaceUBPqTK">Jay Farrar</a> called <a href="spotify:artist:4urNBE8q5xkh85r88PgHgh">Gob Iron</a>, Parker released a self-titled album in 2006 under his own name on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Baryon+Records%22">Baryon Records</a>. He recruited Adam Lasus, who co-produced the second <a href="spotify:artist:4zX1MXvdipg82DqjdSsdOm">Varnaline</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7wRVPv8Iq4r6WkwTGQPbxL">Space Needle</a> records (as well as <a href="spotify:artist:6BV1QOFqWihVnBllS5naPh">Clem Snide</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7mefbdlQXxJVKgEbfAeKjL">Helium</a>). The album featured Ken Coomer (<a href="spotify:artist:2QoU3awHVdcHS8LrZEKvSM">Wilco</a>) on drums, Eric Heywood (<a href="spotify:artist:7AhDVqsNA5q46WKsRPXvoe">Son Volt</a>) on pedal steel, Jennifer Condos on bass, and <a href="spotify:artist:2mGMLrUAyyjjTvPxEqO39W">Kirk Swan</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:14hvfAZ8KxXOpAyw4x5yGx">Dumptruck</a>) on guitar. In 2011, Parker hooked up with <a href="spotify:artist:4tPRMBm25eaPJaceUBPqTK">Farrar</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:43O3c6wewpzPKwVaGEEtBM">My Morning Jacket</a>'s Yim Yames, and <a href="spotify:artist:3eKN3A1F9LHWa2fHo3m1rd">Centro-Matic</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:0GkLlslI4LMVTTuUkyQp57">Will Johnson</a> to record an album of previously unrecorded <a href="spotify:artist:4rAgFKtlTr66ic18YZZyF1">Woody Guthrie</a> lyrics. New Multitudes was released in early 2012 by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rounder+Records%22">Rounder Records</a>. ~ Kenyon Hopkin, Rovi