It’s crazy to think that it’s been three years since Nashville’s In Parallel set out to record their debut EP, Broken Codes, with an Indiegogo campaign. Timing keeps on showing us that it really is everything as today sees the release of Broken Codes, which was undoubtedly worth the wait for eager listeners.
Formerly known as Celebrity from 2002-2008, In Parallel consists of Lance Black, Ryan Parrish and Jesse Fine. While all good things often come to an end, we think it’s safe to say that great things always find a way back. With a gritter, pioneering new sound, In Parallel’s Broken Codes EP encompasses everything listeners need to hear while expressing what we can’t seem to say so poignantly.
“Walk through waves and wade where others won’t / Choose your words, say what others don’t” – a mantra for the band taken from opening track, “Bridge and Tunnel,” In Parallel has once again proved their importance within the industry and how underdogs are more qualified to save a soul better than any so-called “leader” can. Fueled by fan support and a genuine love of making music, In Parallel are heroes within their own right.
We asked the band to dive deep into Broken Codes and they delivered in this exclusive track-by-track commentary. Enjoy and don’t forget to pick up the EP now here!
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“Bridge and Tunnel”
- This was the first song we wrote together as a band in the back of a picture frame shop. We’ve always been fascinated by the term Bridge and Tunnel, and we wanted to write a song that had a Gangs of New York feel. It’s about the plight of the poor, entitlement of the rich, and the poor man’s ability to stand up and overcome. The song developed two distinct musical halves that are joined together by a singular riff that we hint to early in the song before the vocals begin.
“Birth of the World”
- This song was written about the feeling of nostalgia. Specifically, it’s about first love and the one who got away without warning. It’s definitely one of our favorite songs to play live – as it has this energetic melancholy that’s hard to pinpoint.
“The New Fire”
- This song was inspired by the end of the Mayan Calendar in 2012 and the celebration that followed in some countries, called the “New Fire” – symbolizing a new beginning. The lyrics in this song express the feeling of waking from complacency, being in love, and not wanting it to end.
“Figurehead”
- The verses in this song paint a picture of a leader that has lost his power. The chorus is about people blindly following a leader with no real power. The mention of the wall in this song symbolizes a big lie that is hidden from the followers of the figurehead. We struggled recording portions of this song, and scrapped the guitar solo section several times before landing the right take. We feel that this song matured the furthest from inception to mix down and are really happy with the results.
“Rues D’or”
- This song originally began as a live interlude that we use in between songs when playing live, as we tend not to talk a lot from the stage. We love its ambience and it just felt empty to not include it on the EP.
“Spiritual”
- The verses in this song speak to the human need for a spiritual connection. Sometimes we feel that connection when we are broken and at our lowest point. The chorus is about the struggle of spirituality from a practical perspective. How do we balance things like God, science, feelings, facts, and our own experiences? We don’t always find the answers. This is our collective favorite song on the EP – it moves each of us in a really powerful way.
“End of Roses”
- End of Roses was originally intended to be a coda to another song we recorded during the Broken Codes sessions, but we ended up liking the coda more than the original song. The majority of what you hear is the first take of us experimenting in the moment while recording. It is a happy accident that turned into one of our favorite musical moments on the EP.
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