Steve Parkin (musician)
Encyclopedia
Stephen R Parkin is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. Originally from United Kingdom
he was raised in Perth
. He has been in various bands including Autopilot and Basement Birds
. He co-wrote material for Eskimo Joe
's 2009 album Inshalla, which peaked at number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Albums Chart
. One of the tracks, "Foreign Land
", won 'Most Played Australian Work' at the APRA Awards of 2010
.
festival nationally. Parkin formed Perth based group Autopilot in 1998, whose 1999 EP Pure Gold Baby received a four-star review in Rolling Stone
magazine and has been cited as an influence by contemporary WA rock and pop acts. Autopilot released their second EP Out of the Sun in 2001.
He formed Steve Parkin & the Foreign Films and in 2005, which released an independent album Sandytown to critical acclaim. The group toured Australia to promote the album in 2005 and 2006.
During 2007 and 2008 Parkin played keyboards and guitar in studio sessions and a touring band for Kevin Mitchell
(Jebediah
) who performed as Bob Evans. Parkin has co-written for other acts, including Little Birdy
, and five songs for Eskimo Joe
's 2009 ARIA number one album Inshalla. "Foreign Land
" from the album won 'Most Played Australian Work' at the APRA Awards of 2010
.
Parkin is a member of Basement Birds
, with Mitchell, Josh Pyke
and Kavyen Temperley (Eskimo Joe). They released their eponymous album in 2010 independently, which reached No. 12 in August. Described in the press as a collaborative folk-pop "supergroup", Basement Birds toured Australia. The album was a publishing milestone, being the first in Australia to be released in bundles online through Apple's iTunes
store.
Parkin is signed to the Dirt Diamonds label (co-owned by Eskimo Joe and Catherine Haridy), and has released a solo album Mighty Big Light through Warner Music Australia on 22 April 2011 (Good Friday). His first Single Turn It Around was released some weeks prior on iTunes and has received radio play on Triple J. Undoubtably his most popular Live Performance (As faithfully requested by "Table 26") is a song from this album called California. In the lead up to the release Parkin has released some You Tube clips filmed from his home with acoustic performances of some songs off the new album.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
he was raised in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. He has been in various bands including Autopilot and Basement Birds
Basement Birds
Basement Birds is an Australian indie group composed of Kavyen Temperley , Steve Parkin , Kevin Mitchell and solo singer/songwriter Josh Pyke...
. He co-wrote material for Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
's 2009 album Inshalla, which peaked at number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. One of the tracks, "Foreign Land
Foreign Land (song)
"Foreign Land" is the first single by Eskimo Joe, taken from theirfourth studio album Inshalla. It was released on 3 April 2009 on the Australian iTunes store and was released 17 April 2009 as a digital EP and physical single....
", won 'Most Played Australian Work' at the APRA Awards of 2010
APRA Awards of 2010
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2010 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards...
.
Biography
Stephen R Parkin was born on 29 April. His first band, Vinyl, released a glam rock styled EP Lazeryouthanasia (1996) and subsequently played the 1997 Big Day OutBig Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival nationally. Parkin formed Perth based group Autopilot in 1998, whose 1999 EP Pure Gold Baby received a four-star review in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
magazine and has been cited as an influence by contemporary WA rock and pop acts. Autopilot released their second EP Out of the Sun in 2001.
He formed Steve Parkin & the Foreign Films and in 2005, which released an independent album Sandytown to critical acclaim. The group toured Australia to promote the album in 2005 and 2006.
During 2007 and 2008 Parkin played keyboards and guitar in studio sessions and a touring band for Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell (musician)
Kevin Edward Mitchell , is an Australian musician, known for his role as the vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Jebediah and also his solo work under the stage name of Bob Evans....
(Jebediah
Jebediah
Jebediah is an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. The group consists of vocalist and guitarist Kevin Mitchell, guitarist Chris Daymond, bassist Vanessa Thornton, and Kevin's brother Brett Mitchell on drums...
) who performed as Bob Evans. Parkin has co-written for other acts, including Little Birdy
Little Birdy
Little Birdy are an Australian indie rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue...
, and five songs for Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
's 2009 ARIA number one album Inshalla. "Foreign Land
Foreign Land (song)
"Foreign Land" is the first single by Eskimo Joe, taken from theirfourth studio album Inshalla. It was released on 3 April 2009 on the Australian iTunes store and was released 17 April 2009 as a digital EP and physical single....
" from the album won 'Most Played Australian Work' at the APRA Awards of 2010
APRA Awards of 2010
The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2010 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards...
.
Parkin is a member of Basement Birds
Basement Birds
Basement Birds is an Australian indie group composed of Kavyen Temperley , Steve Parkin , Kevin Mitchell and solo singer/songwriter Josh Pyke...
, with Mitchell, Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke is an Australian singer-songwriting musician.-Beginnings and Feeding the Wolves :Josh Pyke was in his first band by age 12 and played his first performance in front of 650 parents and students at his primary school graduation. Playing guitar and initial song writing efforts came aged 14...
and Kavyen Temperley (Eskimo Joe). They released their eponymous album in 2010 independently, which reached No. 12 in August. Described in the press as a collaborative folk-pop "supergroup", Basement Birds toured Australia. The album was a publishing milestone, being the first in Australia to be released in bundles online through Apple's iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
store.
Parkin is signed to the Dirt Diamonds label (co-owned by Eskimo Joe and Catherine Haridy), and has released a solo album Mighty Big Light through Warner Music Australia on 22 April 2011 (Good Friday). His first Single Turn It Around was released some weeks prior on iTunes and has received radio play on Triple J. Undoubtably his most popular Live Performance (As faithfully requested by "Table 26") is a song from this album called California. In the lead up to the release Parkin has released some You Tube clips filmed from his home with acoustic performances of some songs off the new album.