On listening to the new single ‘Hannah’, you’ll realise that Parabola West is quite unlike any other artist creating music in New Zealand right now. Melding art with science, the past with the present, she creates something quite unique.
Parabola West is the artist name of New Zealand-based singer and songwriter Amy Tucker West. Her sound is a lush blend of folk and electronica; often piano-driven, with hints of Celtic and Norse influence - and a dash of fantasy.
To add a twist to her songs, West is a self-confessed ‘math and science nerd’, saying that she experiences music as ‘a combination of emotion, science, and math – a mixture of precise structure and imperfect elements.’ The way a parabola can be used to focus light onto a fixed point (the magnifying glass trick used to start a fire with the sun), West uses those principles to focus emotions into music, hence the name.
Think of Parabola West as mixing Loreena McKennitt with your favourite female-fronted synthpop band, and then adding a dash of Middle-earth.
Originally from the East Coast of the USA, West began songwriting on piano as a teenager, and at 21 she was recruited into the London-based trip-hop band Dreamfield when they were recording in Boston. The band split in 2003 after two critically acclaimed releases, and West relocated to New Zealand.
West then took a 10-year break from the music industry to work in the IT and engineering recruitment field, returning to her musical roots in 2013 as solo artist Parabola West. She took the step of moving ‘completely off-the-grid’ to a rural spot on New Zealand’s rugged West Coast where she currently resides and works.
Through her utterly unique style, Parabola West has gained fans the world over, including 24k Facebook followers. In May 2015 her track Fire was selected as NZ On Air’s Wildcard Funding recipient, and she has released two EPs, 'Did You Hear' (2014) and 'Purity of Wekness' (2017).
About ‘Hannah’
Caught between the physical and spirit worlds, Hannah has dabbled too much, wandered too far, and is lost. Will she lure those who search for her into the same fate?
West says, “Recorded at A=432Hz for healing frequencies [the standard frequency is A=440hz], the song features medieval instruments such as hurdy-gurdy, Nyckleharpa, and timpane, as well as modern production tricks to make it a bit spooky and darkly ethereal. I’m releasing ‘Hannah’ on the full moon of November 19th for maximum lunar power – let’s manifest it!”
‘Hannah’ is the second single in 2021 to be released release ahead of Parabola West's debut album, which will be a beautifully rendered multimedia fantasy art project that promises to be a feast for the eyes and ears of her fans.
The song was produced by Scott Newth of BLKHUS Studio and mastered by Chris Chetland of KOG Studio.
The music video for ‘Hannah’ was shot by local filmmaker Andy Duggan in West's hometown of Raglan and stars the rugged West Coast beach.
Reviews
“Her music sits comfortably in the same territory as Aurora, Eivør, CHVRCHES, Lu Flur, Agnes Obel, Loreena McKennitt, Sjón, and even Bat For Lashes. With such immense talent, it was just a matter of time before Parabola West’s music would reach American shores.” The Big Takeover
"Just brilliant... ancient folk in electronic pop dreamery. An uplifting recipe when submerged in electronica, which she has flawlessly achieved here... merges the common denominator between Irish/Scottish and Scandinavian influences, with melodies that are stuff of fantasy" – The Spill Magazine
"A sublime blend of folk and electronic influences which is taken to another level when combined with the beautiful and haunting vocals of Amy Tucker. Part Eivør, part CHVRCHES, but very much original" – AnalogueTrash
"A very accomplished and talented songwriter, with an ear for a deceptively simple but often stunning song. Extraordinary talent, both as a songwriter and performer" – NZ Musician