Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaac Parker.
Hi Isaac, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started writing music when I was 12 as a creative outlet, and I’ve continued to do so my entire life. Music has the power to help people process emotions and can be an amazing companion for any situation, which is the role that music has played in my life.
I grew up as a middle child in a large religious family, so attention and time were already scarce, and once my parents found out I might be gay the time I would get to spend with them was usually focused on making me change who I am. I was not popular in school, and while I was very outgoing and social, at the end of the day I didn’t have very many close friends.
Growing up as something other than a perfect stereotypical Mormon in Utah can be a really difficult experience, especially when you have to do it alone. So I began to use music as a way to process my emotions, I can still remember what songs helped me through every significant moment in my life, Sugarland was there when I graduated high school, Little Big Town was there when I auditioned in LA, and IU’s Lilac album helped my feel calm enough to finally come out to my parents.
That is why I got into writing music. Because too many people feel ostracized and alone like I did. And since music was always there for me, I wanted to create music that could do the same thing for others. I keep this goal in mind with everything I create, which is how I came upon the idea to do my four seasons project last year, where I released an EP dedicated to the feelings of every season.
I am very proud of my music, especially because it’s something I have done completely independently (besides working with my producer Becky of course). Every song is written 100% by me and financed entirely by me, and so I am proud that even without any external support I have been able to make my dream come true by putting in the work. I think that is what the world needs to hear more of.
Too many people like to put others down who try something and aren’t perfect, so I think a lot of people give up before they even start. I think my story is proof that at the end of the day, you can become the person you want to be if you’re willing to work at it.
The other reason I am proud of my music is that it is an intersection of so many influences, just like me. As I said, I was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I am gay. Right off the bat, I exist as a contradiction because quite frankly neither one of those groups likes the other one. In addition, I like to see myself and my music as a crossroads between masculinity and femininity.
On a purely musical level, my influences range from K-Pop to early 2000s pop-punk to a little bit of country, so the music itself is unique and incorporates the best elements from each genre to create a completely new one which I like to call A-Pop (Americana-Pop).
My hope is that through my music people can have a place to laugh, cry, shout, and smile and that as a performer I can show other people that feel like they are stuck between two worlds that that is perfectly fine and that just because you don’t fit a specific mold does not mean you don’t belong anywhere.
Speaking just of my musical journey, I started writing music alone as a young teenager, releasing my first song as a duet with my friend as part of a charity drive in my junior year of high school. During college, I directed and performed with the Cappella group “Rifftide” from 2016 to 2020, where we placed as semifinalists in the ICCA competition.
In 2020 during the pandemic, I released my first song as a soloist, “My Wings”, which immediately gained more traction than my work with the group, so upon our disbandment a few months later I started dedicating myself to my solo career, releasing two more singles that year. In 2021, I released 4 EPs including re-recordings of two of my songs with Rifftide, totaling 20 songs.
So far this year, I have released a remix EP featuring new versions of my most popular songs, and now that the pandemic is subsided I am preparing for my first solo live concert which will be held on May 19th. I also have plans for brand new music coming in the latter part of the year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to where I am now has been anything but smooth. I am proud of where I am now, but I had to overcome significant insecurities surrounding my music and talents, which is why I didn’t release anything until I was already 22 years old.
My father constantly reminded me growing up that I could never be successful in the music industry and I was teased for my voice during high school and rejected from everything I auditioned for. Even though I have worked diligently to improve my talents and become the person I am today, I can still hear the doubting words from those people every time I sing.
In addition, the music industry is a cutthroat place. There is so much music available and so many talented musicians that trying to get your music heard is like shouting in the middle of a hurricane. Not only is the industry in general difficult to make it in, but in my current situation, I personally have to fight a lot of uphill battles. When I first started music I got interested by local fans because my music sounded like Contemporary Christian Rock and because they thought I was a perfect stereotypical Utah Mormon boy.
Since coming out and creating the music I want to make, it’s been increasingly difficult to find local fans, because many people will write me off as not “family-friendly” for not conforming to the Utah norm. This can take an extreme mental and emotional toll because it doesn’t feel like the hard work you put in as an artist is being rewarded, and the truth is it isn’t and it may never be.
It is not an equal payout for the amount of effort put in, but at the end of the day music is subjective, and just because someone may not listen to your music it doesn’t mean you are any less valid or talented. I would say that is the biggest struggle I’ve had to overcome with my music career. I’ve had to learn how to push through when the rewards are not instantaneous, and when even the people close to you try and drag you down.
Speaking aside from music, my life has been a series of struggles as well, but you know what they say all the best art comes from pain! As I touched on earlier, I grew up as a gay Mormon and was constantly being told I was unclean, unworthy, and needed to change something I had absolutely no control over. From the age of 13, I was told I was a broken human being unworthy of love, both explicitly and through people’s actions.
I’ve always been a little bit more feminine than the average guy, but not so much that other feminine men liked me either. Which caused a lot of tension because I felt like I had to change to be either more masculine or more feminine in order to fit into at least some group. I was never popular and it wasn’t until my final year of school that I actually found a group of friends.
While dealing with my own personal issues, my mother also was diagnosed with breast cancer, so the end of my childhood was cut short. She was always sick, my oldest sister was on a mission, my other older sister would take care of my mom, and my dad would work extra jobs to make money for the bills, so I was left to be there emotionally for myself and my younger siblings when they couldn’t be.
After graduating from BYU, I decided to come out as gay, and because of this decision, I have lost family members and friends who can’t imagine someone being different than them.
But while the road has been anything but smooth, It hasn’t been all bad. My first single of 2021 “Blooming” I dedicated to my friends and my two youngest siblings who have helped make it smoother. While I have put in the work independently to create what I have.
I would not have been able to do that if I didn’t have those select few who helped me open up and who kept me afloat in the stormy seas of life. Which is another reason why I try and make all of my songs upbeat and fun. I think that life is hard enough as it is, and it is important to feel sad when necessary, but overall, people need more reasons to smile.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think I answered this question in my other responses but I will go into detail here as well.
I am an independent musical artist. I am a solo singer-songwriter who specializes in creating fun and uplifting songs with unique sounds and vibes. I work in my own genre which I like to call “A-Pop” which is short for Americana-Pop.
My music is influenced by my love of Country music, Pop Punk music, and Korean Pop (K-Pop), with elements of each genre appearing throughout my music, which is where I came up with that name. Just like K-Pop, it is upbeat and fun and very exciting with the production, but with Americanized influences as well.
I would say I am most known for the conceptualization of my music. Every release has a significant theme, and I dedicate myself to that theme entirely. For example, during my summer album “Strawberry Days” promotions everything I posted was color coordinated to the songs with summery visuals and desserts tied to each one.
I know many people who don’t personally love my genre of music, but love to see the creative visuals and ways I compliment and promote each album. I would say those two things are what set me apart from other musicians.
My musical style is very unique, especially among local UT musicians, and my dedication to the visuals and supporting elements is very rarely seen among independent artists, and even some mainstream artists as well!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I started music during the COVID-19 crisis, and I think that the most important lesson I learned from that experience is that people need entertainment. When the social world was shut down it was incredibly difficult for extroverts like me who draw their energy from being around others.
So during that time what kept me motivated was knowing that some of my favorite artists had new music coming out so I would look forward to that music, which I think influenced my decision to make promoting my music just as important as the creation itself. Creating an experience around the music gives people something to look forward to.
However, the best thing I learned is to never take anything for granted and to be ready to ride whatever wave comes your way. The crisis came rapidly, and people were largely unprepared, but immediately, I was amazed to see all of the unique ways people were able to make the best of a horrible situation.
The worst part of working during the crisis was that you could set everything up, like I did with a music video for my group Rifftide, and have it all crash in an instant, which happened when several members of the group contracted COVID and it had to be canceled.
Everything was so fragile during that time that I began to develop contingency plans which is a great way to live life. I think the best way to enjoy the moment and live life with a smile on your face is to already have a plan in place for if something goes wrong so that nothing ever goes too wrong.
Pricing:
- Tickets for my show – $10 (isaacparkermusic.com/tickets).
- My CD – $19 (isaacparkermusic.com/store).
Contact Info:
- Website: isaacparkermusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/isaacparkermusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/isaacparkermusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/isaacmcparker
- Youtube: youtube.com/isaacparkermusic
