In the time between Parachute releasing its third and fourth albums, the band shrank from a quintet to a trio. And the fact of the matter is, a lot can happen in two-and-a-half years.
“They got married and had kids,” lead singer Will Anderson responded when I asked what happened to former members Alex Hargrave and Nate McFarland. “It’s been a bit of a transition but it was just time, and the three of us have been friends since high school so we were obviously going to keep going.
“It was a very un-dramatic, sort-of exit. We’re still friends with them.”
When I inquired if this meant that no wedding bells would ring in the near-future for the band mates, I was quickly alerted to keyboardist Kit French’s nuptials, which apparently happened a while ago.
“It’s not for everyone,” French said of the balance between marriage and band life, before Anderson jokingly added, “Kit’s a very mature guy.”
Along with drummer Johnny Stubblefield, Parachute is currently touring behind “Wide Awake,” its fourth LP and first on Vanguard Records. While the label is independent, it’s owned by Concord Bicycle Group, which counts Paul McCartney and the catalog of Frank Sinatra among its roster entries.
Anderson revealed that the band worked primarily with Nathan Chapman on its latest release. Chapman is perhaps best known for his work with Taylor Swift, counting three GRAMMY wins to his credit for “Fearless” and “1989.”
“He was my main go-to,” explained the lead singer. “We talked a lot about this stuff.”
It makes sense given Anderson’s relationship with Swift; back in 2013 he told me the two were “great friends.” When we spoke at the time, he would not confirm what many “Swifties” believed: that the lead singer was the “nice guy” the songstress spoke of in the track “Begin Again.”
“It’s also fun because she can give me advice on anything our band can possibly be going through; she’s already done it. Even though she’s a little bit younger than us, she’s the biggest artist in the world right now,” Anderson told me during Parachute’s promo run for the band’s third album, “Overnight.”
Do they still keep in touch?
“Distance separates us,” the lead singer said, noting Swift’s New York City apartment and Parachute’s roots in Nashville (although Swift owns property there, along with a slew of other locations). “But she’s great. She’s always been supportive of our band and we love getting advice from her.”
Considering Swift is still one of the biggest artists in the world, who wouldn’t?
