The Artist Explains: Angela Parrish - 'Chains'
LA singer-songwriter Angela Parrish talks to us about 'Chains', the opening single from her first full length album, 'Vehicle'.
'Chains is a sentimental, metaphor-driven, love song featuring Angela's beautiful country tinged vocal, tender guitar strums, and wonderfully rich, emotive strings.
'Vehicle' will be released one single at a time, once a month, via YouTube and streaming services with a video to accompany each song. The album is titled in homage to Angela's experience transitioning from living in her car in Los Angeles to singing in an Oscar-winning film (La La Land).
Angela Parrish Explains
Where was the video for 'Chains' filmed?
The video was filmed in a loft in downtown Los Angeles in March 2017. It was conceptualized, produced, and filmed by Tamara Rhoads and Miguel Amodio of LA’s Inner Image Media, and directed by Adam Werth.
How does the video compliment the song?
The video is a dancer’s interpretation of the 'Chains' lyrics. The two dancers in the video (Reshma Gajjar and Nick Heitzeberg) choreographed the movements together, customized to communicate the central message of the song. The couple in the video has been together for a long time. They genuinely love each other, but like every couple, they’ve also had difficult moments. When things get tough, they each face the choice of giving up on the relationship, or sticking together. The song’s story is told from the female perspective, which is why you see Reshma alone at the beginning and the end as well.
Any behind the scenes stories?
The female dancer (Reshma Gajjar) and I decided to collaborate because of our connection in the film ‘La La Land.’ Reshma is the “girl in the yellow dress” you see dancing first in the film’s opening sequence, and I supplied her singing voice in the opening song “Another Day of Sun.” When we met at a screening of the movie, I loved her warm, kind spirit. She is such an incredible dancer and creative person, and I knew she would be the perfect artist to develop a dance to accompany 'Chains'.
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The two dancers relate to each other like valuable necklaces in a jewelry box that have become knotted and tangled over their time together. The tangles represent the difficulties they’ve faced. We’ve all had the experience of trying to untangle jewelry, and we’ve all faced problems in our relationships.
The scene where the characters are on their cell phones was realized by the video’s director, Werth. The phones represent distractions and isolation within relationships, one kind of conflict that can mean different things to each person who views the video.
What is the message you hope people take from watching the video?
'Vehicle' will be released one single at a time, once a month, via YouTube and streaming services with a video to accompany each song. The album is titled in homage to Angela's experience transitioning from living in her car in Los Angeles to singing in an Oscar-winning film (La La Land).
Where was the video for 'Chains' filmed?
The video was filmed in a loft in downtown Los Angeles in March 2017. It was conceptualized, produced, and filmed by Tamara Rhoads and Miguel Amodio of LA’s Inner Image Media, and directed by Adam Werth.
How does the video compliment the song?
The video is a dancer’s interpretation of the 'Chains' lyrics. The two dancers in the video (Reshma Gajjar and Nick Heitzeberg) choreographed the movements together, customized to communicate the central message of the song. The couple in the video has been together for a long time. They genuinely love each other, but like every couple, they’ve also had difficult moments. When things get tough, they each face the choice of giving up on the relationship, or sticking together. The song’s story is told from the female perspective, which is why you see Reshma alone at the beginning and the end as well.
Any behind the scenes stories?
The female dancer (Reshma Gajjar) and I decided to collaborate because of our connection in the film ‘La La Land.’ Reshma is the “girl in the yellow dress” you see dancing first in the film’s opening sequence, and I supplied her singing voice in the opening song “Another Day of Sun.” When we met at a screening of the movie, I loved her warm, kind spirit. She is such an incredible dancer and creative person, and I knew she would be the perfect artist to develop a dance to accompany 'Chains'.
Tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
The two dancers relate to each other like valuable necklaces in a jewelry box that have become knotted and tangled over their time together. The tangles represent the difficulties they’ve faced. We’ve all had the experience of trying to untangle jewelry, and we’ve all faced problems in our relationships.
The scene where the characters are on their cell phones was realized by the video’s director, Werth. The phones represent distractions and isolation within relationships, one kind of conflict that can mean different things to each person who views the video.
What is the message you hope people take from watching the video?
I wanted to convey my personal belief that a valuable relationship (comprised of two valuable people who love each other) is always worth fighting for, and that it’s worth it to stick it out when things get tough. Our problems frustrate, hurt, and confuse us, but ultimately make us stronger as individuals and as a team. You can’t ignore the tough moments. You have to acknowledge how much they hurt. But nothing is perfect. We can learn to find the beauty in the struggles and derive meaning from them.
Interview Feature by Karla Harris
Interview Feature by Karla Harris