About artist
Rykarda Parasol (\reh-kaer-dah\), her real name, is originally from San Francisco, but has seen the world. Like any traveling bard, she has stories to tell, using her precarious, gender-bending vocals to weave tales of identity, experience and adventure.
For a decade, Parasol has been the captain of her own musical path, writing and producing three strong full-length albums; from lyrics to voice and instrumentation to creating her unique album art. Autonomy has come to define much of her work, which is an alchemy of; literature, culture, psychology, existentialism and human interaction. Her lyrics, delivery and shadowy tone have garnered favorable comparisons to Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Jim Morrison and the like -- as well as literary types such as William Faulkner and Christina Rossetti. Yet her mode is a unique electric mix that combines vintage sounds of Murder Ballad, French Pop, Doo-wop, and even bits of Motown.
Though born in America, her worldview and experiences are eclectic. The daughter of immigrants, she grew up in a mixed-culture household. She began her music life in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. Nowadays you can frequently find her stationed in Paris, France where she avidly studies Argentine tango and of course, writes music for herself and others. Often commuting/performing throughout Poland and beyond Central Europe playing solo or with her Warsaw-based band. It is this continental experience that colors so many of her personal narratives. Equipped with a writer's sensibilities, she often delivers her tales in a unique sing-talk style. Parasol describes her own darkly-tinged sound as "Rock Noir", which much like Film Noir, is stylishly dramatic, steeped in psychological motivation, and employs the use of shadowy tones to create mystery and suspense.
Parasol's work stands apart in that she has created a body of work. Each album, though unique, is interlinked to each other and conveys a larger story about the evolution of the narrator from outsider, to rejecter, to independent, and finally opens themselves up to vulnerability. The artwork, collages created by Parasol, work to highlight this connection as well as further the depth of each individual album. Much of her work is steeped in American music of the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s - which is again is illustrated in the evolution of the narrator over a passing of each album.
