Effective creative evolution is a quality mostly recognized in the foremost artists of their time. It’s a trait strongly associated with cultural icons. David Bowie, Radiohead, Miles Davis, and Tyler the Creator have all been thought of as chameleons. Perhaps it’s a necessary process to remain vital across different eras of music. A commonality in these artists, however, is that none are ever accused of changing for the purpose of clinging to their fame.
Enter Dylan Parra. As an artist who grew up in Palm Coast and found his groove performing in St. Augustine and Jacksonville, there’s never been mass external pressure to keep up with the times. At least relative to Bowie, Parra doesn’t have a global spotlight to chase. It seems, then, that his newest single “All Over Again” is proof that the truest artistic evolution is driven internally rather than externally.
But don’t take that assumption for granted. Let Parra’s own lyricism do the talking, as the alternative and hip-hop artist takes a hard pivot to blues-tinged R&B.
“I don’t know how to pick favorites, I don’t know how to be coy. I just don’t want to be famous, while I’m looking for joy.”
Those who’ve seen Parra’s stagecraft know exactly what that second line means. Whether the 31-year-old multi-instrumentalist is drumming at Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium or playing to a dozen patrons at St. Augustine’s Odd Birds, his musicianship exudes joy. It’s a truly difficult thing for a performer to maintain their passion regardless of their exposure. In Parra’s original compositions, it’s evident that he constantly strives to fulfill his own purpose.
“When this song came about, [collaborator] Nick Bourke and I were playing a cover gig at Casa Maya in St. Augustine,” Parra said. “He started playing the riff on the bass and we just instantly started creating something while our bandmate Juan [Mallorca] was tuning for the next song.”
The song’s chorus curiously seems to contradict its own origin. “Hide out, look for the right sounds” isn’t quite indicative of the impromptu jam that birthed “All Over Again”. It suggests a meticulous search for perfection.
In its finished form, “All Over Again” invokes classic blues and soul works dating back to the 1970s. Its closest modern counterpart might be – incredibly – the more recent work of country star Chris Stapleton. Vocally, Parra scarcely exceeds a whisper as he channels Childish Gambino’s “Redbone”.
“Something about this song resonated with me so much since the day I made it,” Parra continued. “l just trusted my instincts on the depth of the song and that it would click with someone else the way it did with me.”
It’s difficult to pin down even traces of this sound on Parra’s previous work. Both as a solo artist and in the duo Flo.wav, he’s thrived much closer to the sonic lanes of Mac Miller or Twenty One Pilots. This sudden departure from that sound serves as a reminder that Parra is out to chase his own expression regardless of who’s listening.
As it so happens, Dylan Parra is about to step onto possibly the biggest stage of his life. Starting on August 23 he’ll play live drums for local band Feel Trip, opening for Third Eye Blind in Aurora, Illinois. Feel Trip will then embark on an October tour of Europe alongside New Jersey soloist 54 Ultra.
“When people are connecting and feeling something, that’s what moves me,” Parra reflects. “The size of the stage doesn’t change the impact of what the music can do. So really it all feels like a blessing when you’re up there. You just got to have fun because nothing else matters in that moment.”
