The debut album from Melbourne-hailing, all-girl four-piece Parsnip, When the Tree Bears Fruit, is succinct, absurd, and playful punk. Following two seven-inches, their first full-length is just over half an hour long and chock-full of whimsy. Bass player/lyricist Paris Richens says she found inspo in nursery rhymes and children’s verse—which, though nonsensical, can often hold their own kind of wisdom.
Rounded out by drummer Carolyn Hawkins, guitarist Stella Rennex, and keys player Rebecca Liston, the group also sings about loneliness and longing, dealing in both the dreamy and the mundane.
Of “Taking Me for a Ride,” Richens shares: “The phrase ‘to take someone for a ride’—to lie, deceive or cheat—is explored somewhat literally in this tune, where a driver misleads their passenger by steering them off course. Sometimes the journey may be full of long-winded drivel and at other times short cuts will be taken to avoid having to face the blaring traffic. If they do happen to go down a road that tests the driver’s patience, there is no hesitation in projecting some old-fashioned road rage onto anyone that crosses their path!”
When the Tree Bears Fruit is out August 30 via Trouble in Mind. Listen to the single and see Parsnip’s tour dates below.
Parsnip on Tour:
MON, 9/16 — Chicago, IL -The Empty Bottle FREE MONDAY w/ Flat Worms
TUE, 9/17 — Detroit, MI – UFO Factory
WED, 9/18 — Cleveland, OH – Bister Migstuff’s
THU 9/19 — NYC -TBA
FRI 9/20 — NYC – The Footlight w/ Waist, Patio, People’s Court
SAT, 9/21 — Philadelphia, PA – Jerry’s On Front
SUN, 9/22 — Baltimore, MD -Joe Squared
MON, 9/23 — Richmond, VA -The Fuzzy Cactus
TUE, 9/24 — Chapel Hill, NC – The Nightlight
WED, 9/25 — Asheville, NC – Static Age Records
THU, 9/26 — Nashville, TN – Third Man Records
FRI/SAT 9/27 & 9/28 — Memphis, TN – GONERFEST 16
SUN, 9/29 — St. Louis, MO – The Nest
MON, 9/30 — St. Louis, MO – Pizza Head
TUE, 10/1 — Kansas City, MO – TBA, w/ Warm Bodies
WED, 10/2 — Omaha, NE – M.A.S., w/ Warm Bodies
THU, 10/3 — Minneapolis, MN – Gigs!, w/ Warm Bodies
FRI, 10/4 — Milwaukee, WI – Ground Zero, w/ Warm Bodies
SAT, 10/5 — Chicago, IL – Instore at Bric-a-Brac Records (All Ages)
