New World Warbler

About a year ago, Clay Parker took the makeshift stage at Haven Gallery with only his voice, a guitar and a capo. In a musical world where more seems to be the standard, Parker’s stripped-down approach produced a captivating, at times haunting performance. This is a sentiment often heard in relation to Parker’s music, since it stays with the listener long after the song has ended.

Comparing the singer-songwriter to early Bob Dylan would be far too easy, although it’s evident that Parker’s style in many ways mirrors Dylan’s. Amidst the glitz and glam of the music industry, he has discovered a pathway back into the heart of the American folk tradition. His particular sound results from recording on analog, evoking the sound of the 1960s and 1970s. Certainly, there’s a classic rock sensibility that comes across in every note, although his subject matter still resonates with the present.

Parker fits the mold of a “New World Warbler,” the title of the last song on his first album, The Wind and the Warble, released last fall. With a range of topics and experiences, he personifies the modern-day songbird. Songs like “First Shot Missed Him,” in which a nefarious trickster runs from the law, emanate from the heart of the American South. Others, such as “MHW Blues,” demonstrate a more personal experience—heartbreak.

Parker describes writing songs as “a game,” in that he likes to find ways to match lyrics to his rhythms. “I’m interested in how words fit together,” he says.

His lyrics ramble along with his fingers. Parker plucks the majority of his songs, and somewhere in his plucking lies a great confluence of rhythm, melody and harmony that isn’t easily found in contemporary music.

When interviewed, the Thibodaux native was planning to relocate to Baton Rouge by July. “I’ve absolutely got to do it,” he said, his accent laced with a quiet thoughtfulness. When I asked him why here, as opposed to New Orleans or Nashville, Parker explained that area musicians were behind his impetus to move.

“There’s a mutual respect that exists in the community. It’s not competition-based,” he said. “Everybody’s got something positive to say and contribute.”

Recently, Parker paired with Luke Ash and Jacob Zachary, two Baton Rouge musicians, to embark on a brief trip titled the “Highways and Airwaves Tour.” The trio visited Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina. Oftentimes, they didn’t have any gigs lined up ahead of time, and ended up stopping at dives to perform for tips.

“We weren’t what people were expecting, but they were incredibly receptive to our sounds,” he says.

As for his next step after the move, Parker plans to head back to the studio in October to begin work on his second album.