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An Interview with Jennifer Parkin of Ayria
Posted: Sunday, April 20, 2008
By: Leslie Benson
Journalist

Having transitioned from a self-proclaimed nerd in high school to a high-fashion electro-industrial diva, Toronto, Canada's Jennifer Parkin—the mastermind behind Ayria—is back with sexier, angrier songs and remixes. Alfa Matrix, who signed Parkin after falling for her vocals in former band Epsilon Minus (also represented by the Belgian label), couldn't help but support her newest project. Ayria's 10-track The Gun Song EP reflects inward aggression and social commentary in a preview of her forthcoming third full-length album. Hearts for Bullets, produced by Seb Komor (Icon of Coil, Zombie Girl), is slated for release by fall 2008. Parkin catches up with ReGen about her views on gun violence and the glamorously unglamorous life she leads.

The last time I saw you perform live it was in 2007 during your Midwest tour with Ego Likeness and The Crüxshadows. What are some ways you've updated your live performance since then?

Parkin: Well, I haven't really done anything as of yet. From the end 2007 until currently, I've just been focusing on completing the new CD. Last year was the year of touring—a whopping 53 shows in North America, Europe and the U.K., which was rewarding and exhausting—but right now, I'm not focusing on the live show at all, because the priority is to focus on the music writing and finishing the CD. Some musicians can do both simultaneously—write music on the road—but I can't. My world when I'm working on music is very personal, private and separate. Touring is the opposite. I will start planning and preparing the live show this summer when the CD is done. I love hitting the road! I'm hoping I can get something going this fall, and hopefully improve the show with a fuller stage of musicians, visuals, etc.

How have you matured as a musician in the last year?

Parkin: I'm not sure if you can say I'm maturing. I'm always evolving, because I can't write the same CD twice. There are so many musical avenues I like exploring in and outside of the electro-industrial genre. I guess my songwriting has matured, because the songs on this new CD are much more focused and tighter. This reflects in the live shows in a way, too. It's just not fun to perform the six-minute songs live all the time that I was famous for writing on Flicker. I get bored on stage, and that taught me a lesson about writing. Tighter tracks work better; they don't have to decrease the quality, while leaving lots of room to have more songs in the live set, too. Back to the actual music writing, though, my melodies are hookier on this new CD, in my opinion. I'm trying to increase my vocal ranges in the songs, as well.

You've stated that you are interested in a lot of science and math. You even have a math degree from the University of Waterloo. How do these subjects continue to influence your life, and do they bleed into The Gun Song EP at all?

Parkin: They don't really bleed into The Gun Song EP, actually. "The Gun Song" is more of a social commentary, of course, and "Six Seconds" deals a bit more with my own feelings of inadequacy and unresolved aggression. So definitely no science, like "Red Shift" and "Antigravity" in the past. I sadly didn't write any science-related songs on this upcoming CD. Shame on me! I'll have to make it up in the future. I'm proud of my background and the things—music and non-music-related—that I've accomplished. Sometimes they work their way into my lyrics, other times not.

"The Gun Song" actually first appeared on Alfa Matrix's Re:connected [2.0] in 2006, and "Six Seconds" was released on Dancing Ferret's Asleep By Dawn compilation that same year. Do you believe this is typical of electronic songs—to be written years before they are released officially on an album or EP?

Parkin: I don't think it's typical of electronic songs. I think it's typical of people in this subgenre who are creating music for the passion of it only, not to live off the money. Maybe if we all could live off music and focus on music full-time, the timing of the music releases would come out highly organized by a well-marketed machine, like pop CDs do. That song was one of the first finished, to be honest, and they needed one for a compilation. I personally have a full-time career (more related to my math degree), in addition to working on music during weekends and in my free time, and in addition to not being able to get much done when I do leave on tours, which is actually my vacation time. There's a lot of pressure to get CDs out quickly, but I just don't have all the time in the world to do this, unfortunately.

Which guest artists' remixes of "The Gun Song" track itself turned out to be your favorites, and why?

Parkin: I like them all. There is not one I can choose as a favorite, since each of the mixes moved me in different ways. I thought the Headscan version was really creative and made me sound like a guy with the vocal effects, which was cool for a change, because my voice is so girlie usually! Front 242 and Leaether Strip blew me away, because I was so happy I was getting them to remix me. They took it to another level. I thought the Angelspit and the Spetsnaz ones were both great electro-ish versions, which I absolutely love. I liked them all; I'm just mentioning a few.

Did you release your new Gun Song EP with specific social, cultural or political commentary in mind? For instance, does the title track specifically refer to any instances of youth gun violence or domestic abuse?

Parkin: Of course. The song was partly inspired by all the recent tragedies on college campuses in the USA where gunmen storm the campuses and kill innocent people for no good reason. It seems to be out of control right now. There was a horrible massacre in Montreal, Canada several years ago that really stuck with me, where a gunman stormed into an engineering class, forced the men and women to line up on separate sides of the classroom and then started shooting all the women because of his perception that he was rejected from that program because of all the women they admitted. I guess the people that do this feel they've lost control in their life and the only way to gain it back is to use a weapon for intimidation and control.

Why did you decide to include a photo of yourself on your new EP with a jeweled pistol, rather than a plain grey gun? What meaning did you hope to push across in this visual message?

Parkin: It's supposed to be tongue in cheek. It's the imagery of guns as glamorous, flashy and beautiful accessories, kind of like how our society glamorizes violence. I've had a few people not getting it at all, which is funny. They are confused because I'm saying "put down the gun." Some people are so literal, it's scary!

Have you ever owned a gun? What's your opinion of gun ownership?

Parkin: Oh my God, no! Why would anyone own a gun? That's so incredibly terrifying to me. I've only seen a real gun once in my life, while in the USA. We have strict gun laws in Canada, but guns still make their way into the city I live, Toronto. We do not have the right to bear arms to defend ourselves and our property like the USA. In my opinion, guns aren't a means of self-defense; they are murder. I'm not saying anything new. I'm just feeling it in this moment, so I'm expressing it.

Your EP is a precursor to an upcoming full-length album. What's the word on the pending album? What's it called, and when will it be released?

Parkin: The upcoming CD will be called Hearts for Bullets, keeping with the gun theme. Seb Komor and I are finishing production by April. It will either come out this June or early fall, depending on how quickly we can finish everything.

How did you meet Sebastian Komor of Icon of Coil, and how has he mentored you through your new album and EP as its producer?

Parkin: We met once at an Icon of Coil show in Toronto back a few years ago, but it was really the label, Alfa Matrix, getting us in touch. I like trying new things, progressing with production and working with new people. Like Flicker, I've written all the songs myself and pass them on to Seb with my notes, examples, goals, etc. He's been good at adding great elements and making the songs come to life with good sound quality. I always learn something from people I work with, but I wouldn't say he's my mentor, since I really know what I want. So he's my producer to help me realize this, first and foremost. There's a lot of mutual respect! He's very talented. I mean, things he's brought to the CD are helping tighten my structures so the songs don't drag. Also, his vocal production is amazing! It's sounding really good.

What are some positive traits of Alfa Matrix that make them stand out amongst some other record labels in this genre of music?

Parkin: They treat me wonderfully and are very professional to work with. They are also a supportive label for females that aren't doing just goth music, too. I have a history with them now. I've been signed to them since 2002, with my old band Epsilon Minus, and I feel it's a mutual respect on my end for what they do and on their end for what I do. I probably shouldn't be sharing this, but Ayria was signed without them ever hearing a demo track. They knew what I could do with my first band. I actually convinced them that this project would be my passion and my future, and they believed in me. It was the good faith in them loving my voice already and being confident in what I was capable of doing. For those of you who think I was signed with just an image, that's not true at all either; we were signed without press photos being seen by my European label.

Does the label have U.S. representation, or do you have to constantly fly abroad to meet with executives there about your music career?

Parkin: You are making my life seem much more glamorous than it really is, sadly. We don't have meetings. I'm not flying to Europe for any other reason but tours. We e-mail and communicate like that. Sorry to crush your dreams about the subgenre of electro-industrial music, but those are the facts. We are not living large at all—well, I'm not! I'm happy in my one-bedroom and den apartment in Toronto, paid by my "real" job, but yes, we do have U.S. representation in the form of a distribution partner. That's label business, though; I don't know much about it. I sell stuff myself in Canada and the USA, too. I think people like buying from me, because they know the money is going right to me. That, and I sign the CDs.

What new directions are you heading musically, and what are some of your professional goals for the next year?

Parkin: It's hard to come up with other goals while I'm in the crunch time of finishing the CD. Once that's done, I can breathe some sighs of relief and start to plan the release. One goal is to tour again later in 2008 and 2009. Musically, the style is hard-hitting electro with a lot of hooks. There are fewer ballads on this CD, but even more catchy pop-like industrial. That may sound bad to some, but god, it's been fun making some of these songs! They are more focused and in your face. I have some angry ones on there again, but more sexy songs, too, that I've never really explored before. It's hard to explain. I feel the CD is well-rounded between catchy, melodic and aggressive music.

Do you have additional thoughts you'd like to share?

Parkin: After this CD is done, and I actually have free time, I want to start reading again! Anyone that wants to share a good book for me, feel free to e-mail me! I love science fiction and mystery/detective type stuff. Also, everyone go out and watch Flight of the Concords right now! I adore that show. Lastly, I want to thank everyone who bought The Gun Song EP directly from me, from the Web site, from MySpace, etc. I hope everyone enjoyed it and will stay tuned for Hearts for Bullets this year! Much love!