By: Staff –
Emerging Canadian folk singer-songwriter Jesse Parent is back with a video for his new track “Learning to Live Apart”, which you can watch exclusively via Aesthetic Magazine below.
The Waterloo, Ontario based musician composed and recorded the song on a sleepless night in the middle of March, while the news of the COVID-19 pandemic worsened and forced social distancing across the country. Focused on the feelings of isolation and loneliness, Parent used the warmth of the melody to share what most people are feeling while facing the new reality of distancing ourselves.
The video, and the process of making the video, also reflect the new realities of social distancing. “I had to stay home, so shooting a video wasn’t an option,” said Parent. “I wanted to find footage that conveyed the loneliness and isolation we all feel right now but also the hope that the song portrays as well. Shots of people on their own but not down and out. A feeling of worry but also of hope.”
The first thing to strike you about Jesse Parent is the voice. Warm and resonant, it immediately draws you in with its emotional authenticity. It is a voice you can trust. Then there are his well-crafted songs, sporting strong melodies and perceptive lyrics that help illuminate the human condition. Together, these skills mark the Kitchener/Waterloo-based singer/songwriter as a major talent, one to be watched closely.
Parent’s compelling artistry has been showcased on three full-length albums to date, 2015’s About Time, 2016’s Live At The Schoolhouse Theatre, and 2019’s Somedays, Tomorrows, and Best Laid Plans. With this latest release Parent finds himself at home as a folk musician.
Parent explains that much of his material features “my unique perspective on personal experiences. That is what every songwriter has, their individual experience. Everyone falls in love, has their heart broken, has money troubles etc. All I have is my own take on it, and hopefully people connect with it.”
Parent excels at writing narrative songs too, like the colourful storytelling of “Wanted In Chicago,” a highlight track on both “About Time” and the live album. “Lonely Gunman,” another evocative story song that premiered on Live at The Schoolhouse Theatre, was used in the soundtrack for a 2015 feature film, Man Vs.
Parent is also skilled in using geographic locations to help set a song’s mood, as on “Quebec City in The Rain”, and “Bon Echo”. Based on his own experience camping at the park over the years, “Bon Echo” has had a real impact. Ontario Parks had the music video linked to their website for the entire summer of 2015, and Parent performed the song at their 50th anniversary celebration that same summer.
With plans to release a studio album in 2020, Parent is focused on writing music and melodies that resonate with his fanbase and new listeners alike.
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