The culture and history of the metro Atlanta area has been a frequent source of inspiration for generations of artists. In the case of Georgia-born singer-songwriter-teacher Parker Smith, the locale has fueled three full-length albums of music. “Well, it’s three so far,” he said recently. “But I have enough ideas for plenty more.”
Smith creates an engaging brand of laid-back, rootsy music, presented with tinges of blues, jazz, folk, classic rock ’n’ roll and R&B. “My stuff always includes a little bit of everything, which is probably why the city has been significant to my overall sound. It has such a cool mixture of ingredients. I guess I’d call it ‘hyperlocal,’” he said.
Credit: Photo by Alex Glustrom
Credit: Photo by Alex Glustrom
Labels aside, his catalog is stocked with choice slices of southern-flavored storytelling, independently distributed on its own terms. “Garden Hills” (2010), “Underground” (2021) and his latest, “Short Street” (released June 7), offer a number of real and imagined vignettes, all somehow informed by scenes from his stomping grounds.
“Even though I was born here, there’s always new things to explore in Atlanta, such a rich history to discover. My wife and both of my parents all grew up here, too — so you just naturally hear these incredible stories of life around this place. Whether it’s seeing the Allman Brothers play in Piedmont Park or hearing things about [legendary musician] Bruce Hampton, I love all that stuff,” he said.
“I enjoy learning of the days of [the Atlanta-based alternative tabloid] the Great Speckled Bird and how Midtown used to be this really colorful, character-driven hippie enclave,” continued the 38-year-old musician. “At my age, I must say it’s pretty hard to imagine that world now, just from hearing about what a cool scene it used to be. Personally, I’d kinda like to see Atlanta get back to some of that less-corporate way of life.”
One of Smith’s more recent artistic impressions of the city is a rollicking tribute to Cabbagetown’s annual Chomp and Stomp Festival. The sights and sounds of the funky November event inform the basis of the title track of “Short Street,” which also serves as the featured “single” from the new collection.
“I’ve actually played there a couple of times and I think one of my songs was on one of their sampler CDs. It’s usually on the weekend of my wife’s birthday, and my daughter was conceived during that weekend a year ago. All of those things went into the song — either directly or indirectly.”
Credit: Photo by Mia Murray
Credit: Photo by Mia Murray
His enthusiasm for the area even extends to the new album’s cover art. The package features a vintage Cabbagetown photo by the late Oraien Catledge, the “Picture Man” best known for documenting the old cotton mill neighborhood. “I just reached out to his estate a while back, and they were cool to let me use one of his pictures.”
It’s all part of Smith’s ongoing appreciation of the city, stemming from his early days in the Morningside area as a music-obsessed child. “I started playing guitar when I was about 10 years old but I really got serious about it by the time I was in high school at Paideia.”
He added that his first guitar teacher had a major impact on his initial musical direction. “Charles Williams took my playing to the next level,” Smith says of the Bonaventure Quartet member and one-time Bruce Hampton sideman. “He still teaches at Maple Street Guitars and we keep in touch. He was active in the scene and encouraged me to find my own voice.”
Smith’s high school career also included a short stint in a band called Nevada Gaming Commission. “We played around town around 2004, just anywhere we could. There weren’t a whole lot of places for kids under 21 to play, but we found some gigs at the Somber Reptile and the Brandy House. The drummer for that band, Daniel Platzman, went to Paideia too. He’s actually the drummer for Imagine Dragons now.”
Brief forays to Miami and Austin followed, as Smith earned a master’s degree in music and human learning. “Then I came right back to Atlanta and started playing music again.”
Currently performing as Parker Smith and the Bandwith — featuring Brandon Marsolo (guitar), Chris Case (keyboards), Clarke Chadwell (bass) Brandon Kunka (drums) and Nichelle Young (vocals) — the group is readying for an album release show on July 12 at the Eastern.
“It’ll be a full evening of our music,” he said. “We’re planning two sets on the rooftop to really make a connection to the listeners.”
Credit: Courtesy of Parker Smith
Credit: Courtesy of Parker Smith
He’s been directly inspired by the way fellow singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins clicks with his audience. “Whenever he plays, it feels like there’s a complete connection happening,” he said. “It’s like he’s talking right to you, instead of at you. That’s always my goal.”
Smith also applies his fondness for hands-on interaction to the music school he owns in Kirkwood. “I started Guitar Shed nine years ago. Back then, I was the only teacher and we only had four students. Now we’ve grown to 30 teachers and a ton of students. But I still teach there because I love to pass along the joy of playing music. It’s contagious.”
The educational process at the Shed is purposefully all-inclusive. “I’m a big believer that anybody can play if they really want to do it. Once I personally realized, ‘OK, I guess I don’t have to be a Jackson Browne, Paul Simon or Bob Dylan to be heard,’ it all made sense. With those guys, their voices are unique, and they own their sound. That’s what I think anyone should be able to do, just be yourself — write and sing about what you really know and love. In the end, it’ll serve you well.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
An Evening with Parker Smith
8:30 p.m. July 12. $12 advance, $15 door. The Eastern, 777 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. www.theeartenatl.com.
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