ROSE PARKER

In 2014 she found her way back into the studio to produce an EP of new works entitled The Long Journey Home. Inspired by the book and ABC documentary “The Forgotten Children” by David Hill, Parker crafted a song reflecting her own experience of a child growing up in foster care and making the long journey to recovery. This was a stripped back acoustic pairing of guitar, vocals and violin, collaborating with Phoebe Corke (Dave Mann, Tijuana Cartel, Hussy Hicks, Carus Thompson).

In 2018, Parker released her long-awaited solo album Under the Same Sun, a collection of west coast inspired tunes, reflecting her love of wide-open roads, childhood wheatbelt towns, family bonds and breakages, and the journeys we all take as humans sharing the same planet. Produced by David Hyams (Miles to Go Band) and engineered by Lee Buddle (Crank Studio), a smorgasbord of beautiful musicians including David Hyams, Lucky Oceans, Phoebe Corke, Roy Martinez, Dave Mann and Mel Robinson contributed to this dreamy, sundrenched, 1970s road-trip of an album.

Her sophomore album Beauty and The Ashes was recorded in the long winters of 2021 and 2022, as the world turned and changed forever with the first single Blood on The Water (released in October 2023) awarded a National Songwriting Prize from the Australian Songwriting Association in the Rock/Indie category.

Parkers longevity is fuelled by her eternal love affair with songwriting, the connection music brings to us all as humans, and the transformative power of creative expression; the magic that happens when lyrics and melody and story collide. 

A quick side project in 2024 with local indie artist, Castle Hughes is absolute testimony to that.Written in two hours in an APRA AMCOS co-writing workshop, this song is a joyful collision of like-minded women’s wisdom coming from opposite ends of the timeline and meeting in a joy-filled explosion of punk pop attitude. It’s a conversation between the older and younger versions of yourself. What you wish you had known and is for every woman who has ever dealt with self -doubt, social anxiety or imposter syndrome (very likely…all three) oh and yes, it has a language warning!

November 2024 will herald the launch of one of Parkers most deeply felt and magnificently crafted songs. Because Of You will be launched on National Thankyou Day, November 17 in collaboration with Transplant Australia and Donate Life.

It is in honour of her late brother Tim who passed in a tragic and sudden accident in 2022. Tim was a registered organ donor and Parkers family honoured his wishes. In April 2023, Parker was invited to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the World Transplant Games.

In the search for songs that would reflect both the joy-filled and deeply grateful experience of the recipients, and the grief and loss and search for healing that every donor family must walk, and with just 3 weeks as the deadline, Parker began composing on a quick trip back to New Zealand to visit her husband’s family. Up in the clouds at 30,000 feet came the chorus. A joy filled anthem expressing the gratitude that every organ recipient feels every day of their life, and the verses telling the story of the donor family’s journey. The two sides of the same story happening at the same moment in time, in different places. With just 16 days to go, the song was finished and performed at the opening ceremony by a donor family, a recipient and a first nations musician. Yes, there were tears.

Produced by Glen Sarangapany (Panda Candy/ Birds Of Tokyo) and filmed by Tashi Hall, the song was again performed at the opening of the Australian Transplant Games in September 2024.

Because of You will be launched on all digital platforms on November 17