Music Industry News

After delighting fans with a string of singles, celebrated Aotearoa singer and songwriter Mel Parsons today completes the picture with the release of her latest full-length album – the exquisitely crafted, Sabotage.

Sabotage sees the award-winning Lyttelton-based artist exploring darker, melancholic territory on tracks like the already released ‘Offer Down’, ‘Little Sadness’ and ‘Circling the City’. They sit alongside not yet heard songs such as ‘5432’; the gorgeous ‘Hoping For Rain’ and the brooding ‘Sabotage’, from which the album takes its name.

“I like the word, especially with its layered meanings,” says Parsons. “Sabotage comes in many forms. Self-sabotage is the main one in focus here, but leaving it open to however people want to interpret appeals to me as well.”

It all makes for a beautiful body of work, in which Parsons’ raw and intimate vocals, blended with soaring Crosby Still and Nash-style backing vocals, sit effortlessly within the haunting and nostalgic sonic landscape she’s created with producer Josh Logan.

Parsons and Logan have been chipping away at Sabotage (made with support from Creative New Zealand) for a few years now, after beginning the process of writing the album in lockdown.

“It was a different process to making previous records – a more collaborative vibe in that it was just two of us who put the whole thing together,” she explains. “We jumped around on the instrumentation – I played guitars and some drums, Josh played everything else, and together we pulled the tracks into some kind of song form.”

Helping to complete Sabotage, is the artwork of Emma Hercus – the winner of the prestigious New Zealand National Contemporary Art Award in 2022. Hercus’ artwork ‘Alone in the Boat’ graces the album’s front cover; with her piece ‘Let It Rain Who Cares’ on the back.

“Emma’s work in visual art is what I hope my music to be for other people – her works bring me joy and inspiration; make my mind wander and feel emotion, which is the state I need to be in for making my own work,” says Parsons.

Now with the album out, the countdown is on to Parsons’ nationwide Sabotage Tour – June 14 in Christchurch; June 15 in Auckland and June 16 in Wellington.

Mel Parsons – Sabotage Tour
Friday June 14 – Christchurch (The Piano)
Saturday June 15 – Auckland (Q Theatre)
Sunday June 16 – Wellington (Old St Pauls)

Get tickets for the Sabotage TOUR HERE.

Sabotage is Parsons’ sixth record and follows her critically-acclaimed album SLOW BURN, which debuted at #3 in the Official Top 40 album charts and #2 in the Top 20 NZ album charts. Previous to SLOW BURN was the album GLASS HEART, which saw her win Best Folk Artist / Te Kaipuoro Taketake Toa at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards. GLASS HEART was also a finalist for the 2019 Taite Music Prize and Top 20 finalist at 2019’s APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

Dive into the beautifully pensive sonic world of Parsons by listening to today’s release, and don’t miss the chance to witness the magic of her live show on the upcoming tour this June.

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Photo credit: Cartwright Creative