The National Parks (band)

American folk pop band

This article is about the American band. For the Scottish band, see National Park (band).

The National Parks

The National Parks perform live at Provo's Rooftop Concert Series, July 1, 2016. Photo by Justin Hackworth.

Background information
Origin| Provo, Utah
Genres| Indie · folk pop · indie folk[1][2]
Years active| 2013–present
Members| Brady Parks
Sydney Macfarlane
Cam Brannelly
Megan Taylor Parks
Website| thenationalparksband.com

The National Parks is an American indie folk band[2] from Provo, Utah[3] formed in 2013. The four-member band consists of Brady Parks (guitar and lead vocals), Sydney Macfarlane (keyboards and vocals), Cam Brannelly (drums), and Megan Taylor Parks (fiddle and vocals).[4][5]

Formed in 2013,[6] their debut album, Young, reached #13 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart upon its release. Since that time, the band has released two additional studio albums and has sold out shows in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.[7]

## History

[edit]

### 2012–2014: Formation and Young

[edit]

The National Parks began as the brainchild of frontman Brady Parks. While studying advertising design at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Parks began writing a collection of acoustic-heavy narrative folk tunes. After forming a group called "Brady Parks and the IndiAnns" for a battle of the bands competition at Velour Live Music Gallery, the group recorded an album called The Mossy Mountain, which was released to iTunes and Spotify on February 24, 2012.

The success of this first release prompted them to launch a successful Kickstarter campaign for the album that would eventually become Young.

After several lineup changes, the group was renamed The National Parks and made its first public performance on March 15, 2013.[6] To advertise the performance, hundreds of flyers were circulated around Provo that offered little information other than the line, "Who are The National Parks?" A link to their website led to a video containing commentary from popular local bands and music venue owners.[8]

The group released Young in 2013. The album was recorded at June Audio[9] with producer Scott Wiley and climbed to #13 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart.[10] In January 2014 the band released the standalone single "As We Ran," which was written for the documentary film Love in the Tetons.[11] The group donated the first month of proceeds from the single to the National Parks Conservation Association.[12] The National Parks began touring around the release of Young. The online success of the album and "As We Ran" helped them find growing crowds around Utah as well as in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.[13]

### 2015–2016: Until I Live

[edit]

International attention came to the band with the premiere of "Helsinki"[14] on All Songs Considered in January 2015.[15]

The band again worked with Scott Wiley on their second album, Until I Live, which was independently released September 2015[16][17][18][19][20] and climbed to #52 on the iTunes Pop Chart and #5 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers Chart for the Mountain Region. "Monsters of the North," the lead single from Until I Live, was announced as winner of the 2015 International Songwriting Competition.[21] In March 2016, the band was named Utah's "Band of the Year" by Salt Lake City Weekly.

As part of the centennial of the National Park Service, The National Parks performed at an event with celebrated writer Terry Tempest Williams for the National Parks Conservation Association in June 2016.[22] Since their sophomore release, the band has been favorably compared to a wide variety of acts including Foster the People,[23] The Civil Wars,[24] and Mumford & Sons,[25] In addition to their own headlining shows, The National Parks has played with Andy Grammer, Peter Bjorn and John, The Lone Bellow, LeAnn Rimes, and The Moth & The Flame. The band has performed at South by Southwest, Canadian Music Week, School Night at Bardot's, Musikfest, Snowmass Mammoth Fest, and Make Music Pasadena.

### 2017–2020: Places

[edit]

In August 2017, The National Parks performed on JBTV in Chicago,[26] announcing that their third album, Places, would be released September 15, 2017.[27] The music video for the lead single, also title "Places," debuted through Impose on June 16, 2017.[28] Places features a mix of folk-pop, featuring acoustic guitar and violin, in addition to electronic influences.

On September 8, 2017, the band launched the Places Tour. The tour concluded October 27, 2017, and took the band through 19 different cities across the United States.

On March 22, 2019, band released a new single, "I Can Feel It".

### 2020–2023: Wildflower

[edit]

On June 19, 2020, The National Parks released a new album, "Wildflower".[29] To accommodate social distancing and work around venue closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they announced a more intimate tour, called "Campfire Tour", with 12 stops to promote their new album.

### 2023–present: 8th Wonder

[edit]

On March 3, 2023, The National Parks released the album, 8th Wonder.[30] On April 15, 2023, the band played a free concert to support the outdoor Arts Festival presented by Southern Utah University and the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts in Cedar City, Utah.[31]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The National Parks band". npr.band. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
2. ^ a b "The National Parks | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
3. ^ Boilen, Bob (January 14, 2015). "First Watch: The National Parks, 'Helsinki'". NPR. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
4. ^ "Artists - Teton® Guitars". Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
5. ^ "Bio | The National Parks Music". thenationalparksmusic.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
6. ^ a b "Who Are The National Parks? - SOUND Online Magazine". March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
7. ^ PROVO, Davis Blount ANALOG. "Local band The National Parks have just as many fans outside Utah as within". Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
8. ^ "News: The National Parks Ready to Rock Provo – Reach Provo". reachprovo.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
9. ^ "Home". June Audio Recording Studios. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
10. ^ Stevens, Abby (October 1, 2013). "BYU student band reaches top 20 on iTunes charts". Deseret News. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
11. ^ "Love in the Tetons". National Park Experience. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
12. ^ "Provo band promotes national parks through music". fox13now.com. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
13. ^ "The National Parks: Their Sound Stands Tall". September 17, 2015. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
14. ^ "Antti Luusuaniemi tähdittää amerikkalaisyhtyeen musiikkivideota!" (in Finnish). January 15, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
15. ^ Boilen, Bob (January 14, 2015). "First Watch: The National Parks, 'Helsinki'". NPR. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
16. ^ "The National Parks Take a Leap of Faith in "Stone's Throw" | cmtedge.com". Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
17. ^ "The National Parks - 'Monsters of the North' (video) (Premiere)". Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
18. ^ "The National Parks Take a Leap of Faith in "Stone's Throw" | cmtedge.com". Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
19. ^ "The National Parks - 'Monsters of the North' (video) (Premiere)". Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
20. ^ "Local Review: The National Parks – Until I Live". October 2015. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
21. ^ "International Songwriting Competition | The #1 Song Contest for Songwriters". songwritingcompetition.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
22. ^ "Celebrate the National Parks". Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
23. ^ "National Parks close down a brimming Skylark Lounge". The Know. July 25, 2015. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
24. ^ "The National Parks: Their Sound Stands Tall". PopWrapped. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
25. ^ "Concert Review - The National Parks grow with age". www.countrystandardtime.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
26. ^ "The National Parks Perform at JBTV - JBTV". jbtvmusic.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
27. ^ "Premiere: Passion & Perseverance in The National Parks' "Currents" - Atwood Magazine". September 8, 2017. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
28. ^ "The National Parks, "Places" - Video - Impose Magazine". Impose Magazine. June 16, 2017. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
29. ^ "Album Review: Wildflower by The National Parks | ProvoMusicMagazine.com". Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
30. ^ "The National Parks Announce Fifth LP "8th Wonder" with the Awe-Struck Title Track". FLOOD. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
31. ^ "Cedar City Community Ramps Up for Second Annual Arts Festival". SUU. Retrieved April 26, 2023.

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