From Calgary, AB, the up-and-coming alt-pop duo ParkonRodeo releases a collection of their first creations through their debut self-titled EP, 'ParkonRodeo.' Producing, mixing, writing, and singing all their music, Neil Kingston and Jesse Carr (ParkonRodeo) strive to create their recognizable sound through their creative production and passionate vocals. Now releasing their debut EP, 'ParkonRodeo,' the duo mentioned that the project is more than meaningful to them, as it was their first attempt at creating a body of work with boundless emotion.
Opening the EP is the introductory track, "Running Man," spicing our days with warm synth melodies right off the bat. Jesse Carr makes his vocal appearance and offers a modern blend of hip-hop and pop through his melodic delivery and rhythmic flow. While singing of wishing for someone to stay by his side, ParkonRodeo turns up the sonics to deliver an incredibly dreamy and calming space. Listening to the production, Neil Kingston fueled this song with such fluid and gentle hip-hop elements that naturally sail through the piece with vast emotion and tenderness. Reaching the track's outro, ParkonRodeo offers nothing but heart and modernity.
Onto the EP's second track, "Too Bad," ParkonRodeo continues to place their soothing and dreamy production throughout the project, as we're met with wavy guitar samples, tight drum breaks, and an array of shimmering synths. Jesse Carr opens his heart once again and spills his spiteful feelings towards someone who doesn't quite understand the dedication and persistence of a music career. Neil Kingston later enters the song and offers more of a relaxed vocal approach, perfectly complementing the song's tender groove. Both Kingston and Carr obtain heavily emotional vocal stylings that blend with ease and harmony, ending the song on a transcendent note.
Making our way to the third track, "Ghosts," this time around, ParkonRodeo delivers more of a crisp and emotional vocal/sonic tone. Jesse Carr drops his enthralling vocal stylings over the track alongside Neil Kingston's. The two truly bring us into a deep state of reflection through their conceptual and passionate lyricism. While singing of an unhealthy relationship and its repetitive cycles, ParkonRodeo drenches our speakers in emotional catharsis with each melody and lyric. Once again, offering an incredible blend of pop, hip-hop, and hints of emo-pop, ParkonRodeo delivers an immense amount of heart on this haunting piece.
Spicing up the rhythm with the next piece, "Sleepless," the opening beat offers a deftly-produced and upbeat tone with each tight and rhythmic breakdown. Jesse Carr and Neil Kingston continue their emotional lyrical themes throughout this track, as they touch on realizing someone's true colors during the deep dark nights. We can't help but feel similarities to Lil Peep, not only throughout this track but also the entire EP, as ParkonRodeo offers vast emotion for listeners to find an escape. Sonically submerging us in passion while lyrically lifting us into a sensual space, we adore the versatile tones and feel of this piece.
Sonically sending us "Seratonin" through the EP's fifth track, ParkonRodeo opens this beautiful tune with tender piano melodies and sweltering hip-hop-infused sonics. We can hear similar vocal tones to Blink 182's Travis Barker throughout this piece, as ParkonRodeo delivers their reminiscent lyricism alongside tight and melodic sonics. While singing of finding serotonin and energy through a significant other, Neil Kingston and Jesse Carr take us through the emotions of heavy love and finding someone to connect with when the nights get cold. This track offers nothing but a refreshing and rejuvenating atmosphere, as ParkonRodeo inspires us to search for those who are more than worthwhile.
Landing on the EP's outro track, "No Need," ParkonRodeo delivers another heartfelt and highly melodic piano introduction. Once they begin serenading us with their tender and warm vocal stylings, the song lifts into this emotional space through lyrics like "Do you care no more, I just can't ignore." If there's one thing for certain, it's that ParkonRodeo has created this song to be incredibly cinematic and transcendent, as Jesse Carr and Neil Kingston push their saddening lyricism for listeners to hold on tight. Reaching the end of the song and the EP, we're wildly impressed with ParkonRodeo's broad sonic arrangements and heightened emotion.
Don't miss out on ParkonRodeo's debut self-titled EP, 'ParkonRodeo,' and allow the duo to move your mountains with their first in-depth body of work, now available on all streaming platforms.
Hello Neil and Jesse, and welcome to BuzzMusic. What a powerful and emotional EP you've created. When did you begin writing songs and melodies for your debut self-titled EP 'ParkonRodeo?'
Thank you! We started creating this EP about 4 months ago, only 2 months after we started making our music together. We didn't really have any idea where to begin until we put a couple of songs together. In all honesty, we feel pretty blessed with how the writing process went for the EP because it seemed like each song just flowed easily and came to us one after another. Our singles 'After 10' and 'La La' were our two most mainstream sounding songs we thought, and we released those first even though we had some songs for the EP already complete.
Did both of you share the songwriting/lyric writing process for your EP 'ParkonRodeo?' What inspired the heavily emotional themes?
Yes, we both write, produce and mix all of our own songs. The EP was a huge learning experience for us to familiarize ourselves with the music-making process as well as our own unique sound. As for the themes, we both always wanted to make music that actually means something to us and hopefully something that people can relate to. The EP feels dark and spacey at times, but then at other moments, there is a lift in emotion and pace. This contrast is intentional within our overall vision for this EP. A big inspiration for some of the darker themes within the EP comes from everyday struggles and problems that we've personally experienced or witnessed. We've also both always been drawn towards more somber-sounding songs, as we simply feel more emotional and sometimes comfort while listening to them.
Could you take us through the creative process between your duo and how you navigated the tones and sonic atmospheres for the songs within 'ParkonRodeo?'
Honestly, we just made songs that felt right. We would play around with a few beats and see how we felt about making something but in the end, the beats we chose just drew us in naturally. We believe we have a somewhat darker theme when making beats but as said before, everything we make is natural, we never try to make a beat that sounds a certain way, it just comes to us. Once we find something to work with, we try to find melodies that fit with the tone of the song, depending on what we are looking for, and go from there. In terms of our separate skills and tones we each have as individual artists, we obviously match certain parts of the song with whoever voice we feel will match it better and bring out the best in our tone of voice. We both have the same vision for a song, so the process is usually smooth. However, if we don't see eye to eye on certain things this could actually be a positive thing because we will compromise and settle on something that individually we would not have thought of.
Is there a track within your EP 'ParkonRodeo' that was the most challenging to create in terms of emotion and vulnerability? Which piece is the most personal to you?
I think one song that is closest to us emotionally is 'Too Bad'. It's a very vulnerable song for both of us as it's a song about issues we're facing as of today. It has been very popular thus far since the release and we believe it's because people can relate to the lyrics and overall feel of the song. People always go through things that can affect their lives in different ways, but in the end, the only thing you can control in life is your attitude and we believe Too Bad has a certain attitude about it that people receive and vibe with.
Since the release of your EP 'ParkonRodeo,' have you noticed any growth within your fanbase and audience? Was the EP well-received amongst your fans?
Since the release, we have totally grown as a group and the feedback of the EP has been great. We have lots of opportunities coming up that we are excited about and that we hope people are going to look out for. We want to make sure everyone who hears us gets to know us personally through our music and social media. The support this far has been crazy and something we never could have imagined, especially after only having active music out for only 2 months. We appreciate every single person that takes the time to read this and we hope you guys will join along for the long ride!