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Parabola West (Amy Tucker West) is a Raglan-based ‘Fantasy Folktronica’ artist and performer. Drawing inspiration from Celtic and Nordic folk, Parabola West’s music is a lush soundscape of old-world folk and new-age electronica, ethereal vocals, and a dash of fantasy.

“‘Tattoos’ is about the things we show to the world versus what we keep hidden for ourselves. I think we all have tattoos on the inside – that private gallery of thoughts, memories, fantasies, and feelings kept under lock and key.” – Parabola West

“I got some tattoos on the inside, honey
They’re a gallery for me
You wouldn’t last the day in my mind
I decide what you see…”

Parabola West released her debut album Stars Will Light the Way in 2022, alongside a limited edition deluxe book of fantasy photographs pertaining to each song. Stars Will Light the Way was entirely recorded at 432Hz to generate healing frequencies.

“This is the soundtrack of Middle-Earth, mixed in with elements of Loreena McKennitt and female-fronted synth pop / indietronica” – Mista Chestaiam, Iamur.one

Amongst the many publications Parabola West has been featured in are Woman’s Day NZ, NZ Musician, Enchanted Living / Faerie Magazine, and The Big Takeover.

Parabola West is the artist name of New Zealand-based singer and songwriter Amy Tucker West. Her sound is a lush blend of folk and electronica; often piano-driven, with hints of Celtic and Norse influence – and a dash of fantasy.

To add a twist to her songs, West is a self-confessed ‘math and science nerd’, saying that she experiences music as ‘a combination of emotion, science, and math – a mixture of precise structure and imperfect elements.’ The way a parabola can be used to focus light onto a fixed point (the magnifying glass trick used to start a fire with the sun), West uses those principles to focus emotions into music, hence the name.

Think of Parabola West as mixing Loreena McKennitt with your favourite female-fronted synthpop band, and then adding a dash of Middle-earth.

Originally from the East Coast of the USA, West began songwriting on piano as a teenager, and at 21 she was recruited into the London-based trip-hop band Dreamfield when they were recording in Boston. The band split in 2003 after two critically acclaimed releases, and West relocated to New Zealand.

West then took a 10-year break from the music industry to work in the IT and engineering recruitment field, returning to her musical roots in 2013 as solo artist Parabola West. She took the step of moving ‘completely off-the-grid’ to a rural spot on New Zealand’s rugged West Coast where she currently resides and works.

Through her utterly unique style, Parabola West has gained fans the world over, including 24k Facebook followers. In May 2015 her track ‘Fire’ was selected as NZ On Air’s Wildcard Funding recipient, and she has released two EPs, Did You Hear? (2014) and Purity of Weakness (2017). Her recent single ‘Hannah’ was selected for NZ On Air‘sDecember NewTracks collection.

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