In Conversation With Colin: Parker Barrow

Parker Barrow are a blues infused Southern rock band from Nashville led by husband and wife Megan Kane and Dylan Turner. Drawing influences from The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers, Robert Jon & The Wreck, Led Zeppelin and The Georgia Thunderbolts, their music blends elements of rock, blues, soul, and country, creating a distinctive sound that has captivated audiences across the States; and word is spreading fast in the UK.

They have just visited England for the very first time playing three dates in Chester, Nottingham, London and also The Maid Of Stone Festival in Kent. Colin Palmer caught up with Megan Kane, Dylan Turner and Alex Bender from the band for Newport City Radio’s ‘The Rock Vault’.

The band named themselves after the infamous criminal duo Bonnie PARKER and Clyde BARROW, the bank robbing couple who plied their trade during the 1930’s Great Depression of America.

“It’s funny because while in the UK I found myself explaining it differently because I didn’t know how that lore transfers over and I didn’t know how big it is”, explains Dylan. “But in the States the infamous outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow where the name is derived from there has always been an intrigue with crime and folk-lore and we have these stories with almost mythical characters. They are real people that lived real lives but their stories became so huge even in a time where news didn’t spread like it does today it was national news back in the 1930’s.

“They are infamous for their crimes but they are also infamous because of their love story and that was tied to everything that was going on, and we felt kindred with them on how they were constantly on the run or in pursuit of something. We felt connected with that lifestyle in a way but obviously for different reasons, but again I don’t know how much of those stories make it across the pond. Originally it was going to be Parker Barrow Project, that’s what we came up with but we ended up dropping the Project part and ended up just being Parker Barrow.”

Since their formation in 2019 following a chance meeting in a bar in downtown Nashville, Tennessee between Dylan and Megan they formed a band and toured the east coast playing cover songs together, living and travelling in an RV for a few years. They both then decided to jump into the original music scene and start writing and releasing songs of their own. Parker Barrow has performed over six hundred shows, earning a reputation for electrifying live performances and gathering a dedicated following of fans.

However, the ensuing pandemic and lockdown gave the band some much needed respite from the constant touring. “I can remember specifically when we came up with the name, it was during the lull of touring in 2020”, recalls Megan. “That gave us time to come up with all the creative ideas of the imagery and band logo and we put all of our forces towards that for three or four weeks 24/7 because we were stuck in the house, we had nothing else to do.

“We sat for a long time making sure we did it right and could roll it out the way we felt inspired to, and obviously a lot of that had changed and grown in other ways but we tried to get back out there as quick as possible because we were going stir crazy by then.”

Their debut album ‘Jukebox Gypsies’ received rave reviews on its release in 2023. The lead single from the album, Count Your Dollars and the follow up single Back to Birmingham racked up over a million views on YouTube.

“Back To Birmingham really is an ode to home wherever home may be for the listener,” explains Dylan. “In this take we wrote it about Megan’s hometown, it’s a song where you’re striving for more and hoping that whatever that more is it eventually gets you back home to where it all began and we all feel that way about our families and the places we come from.”

Originally from Connecticut, guitarist Alex Bender’s characteristic style is the raw feeling he puts into each and every one of the licks he plays. He is exceptional at pouring as much emotion as he can into every single note. “We met Alex about three or so years ago”, says Megan. “That gave this band a new lease of life of where we were with the album ‘Jukebox Gypsies’. Me and Dylan were trying to figure out how to write songs for a band without really having a band in general. We had a lot of hired guns and stuff like that.”

With fellow guitarist Will Tipton also in the band Alex explains how the partnership works, “It’s a trade on or off depending on the song and elements of the harmonized stuff, it’s very constructed what we do. Sonically we know where each other are in the frequency range and all that stuff, and that allows us to make the decision of ‘okay I’ll take the lead on this one or there’s a lick on here that you can do’ and vice versa or whatever, and so it plays to the strong suits of who we are naturally as guitar players, but it’s a trade-off, it’s like a platonic dance.”

With recording sessions already underway for a follow up album and more sessions planned for later this year, the band have released two new singles in recent months.

Make It was the outstanding first single to be released this year from these Nashville based blues-infused Southern Rockers, and went down a storm with listeners. “When it comes to our live shows and our new album Alex takes the reins”, declares Megan. “Make It and Novocaine will both be included on our forthcoming album but we are more than half way done with it and we are playing most of the new songs live currently, so if you come to our shows you will definitely hear some new stuff. We also have some still in the chamber ready to see their full potential. So we are just as excited to hear those as you all are.”

The latest song to be released is called Novocaine. “This song explores some different moods and territories within our song-writing and our playing”, says Alex. “It takes us a little bit further out from what you might think a southern rock band might do but I think still very much in the realm of that sort of stuff, there’s still that groove and intensity and dynamics and it’s one that we enjoyed recording and we enjoy playing live.”

Following their brief sojourn to the UK in July, the band return to the States to complete the final leg of a sixty date tour that will see them heading for the mid-West and Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois and Nebraska before returning home to Nashville. “We are currently borrowing our keyboard player Eric’s 1982 Greyhound bus, he got it about ten years ago and turned it into a tour bus of sorts” Megan laughs as she explains about their current mode of transport between shows. “We are travelling the country right now in that and it gets us from A to B, sometimes!”

“It’s a crazy machine” continues Dylan. “It takes three of our ages to equal IT’S age. But as long as you put oil in it and remember to put gas in it then it’s a blast driving it. We’re super blessed to travel and it’s pretty comfortable and it definitely turns some heads on the motorway as you guys call it there. But it’s cool, we love it.”

Parker Barrow return to the UK later in 2025 on tour with The Damn Truth, they play Cardiff’s The Globe on November 23^rd.

Parker Barrow and The Damn Truth have both appeared as guests on Newport City Radio’s ‘The Rock Vault’.

Colin Palmer