I talked to Dan, Niki, and Tom from Parks Landing about their passion for music, and their CD release party.

Q: How did Parks Landing form?

Dan: I’ve known Tom for about ten years. We’ve played together off and on. I met Niki through my brother in law. Truthfully, I kind of started the band on the whim. I was fired from my job at a marketing firm, run by Satan himself. I remember sitting in my living room trying to decide whether to look for a job, file for unemployment, or do what I love. Niki popped into my mind because we both had been wanting to play together for so long.

Niki: He sent me a text one day and said “Hey it’s Dan!” I responded “Hey, who’s Dan?” ::laughs:: We talked for about an hour over a cup of coffee and decided to start something

Dan: I had to convince her to start a band with me. I was giving her my resume..it was like an interview

Niki: I didn’t even know..had no idea what was going on ::laughs::

Dan: Soon after, we started writing together and things unfolded from there.

 

Q: Is there a story behind the bands name?

Niki: There used to be a seafood restaurant in Westminster called Parks Landing. I worked there for about seven years..that’s how I met Dan’ brother in law. We started coming up with names a few weeks before the restaurant closed. One night I said “That’s it! That’s the name of the band!” We’re carrying it on essentially.

Dan: I remember we were all in different cities when that was decided. I was in Ocean City..

Niki: I was in D.C.

Tom: Max’s Tap House.

Wait, first or second floor?!

Tom: First. Crazy I remember that.

Niki: Coming up with a band name was becoming frustrating to say the least.

 

Q: Do you guys have individual musical influences?

Niki: We all have different tastes in music which is interesting. I grew up listening to classic rock, but I love Eminem..Pop..lately I’ve been listening to a lot of 21 Pilots. Third Eye Blind is one of my favorite bands for sure.

Dan: What’s cool is that we all have different influences, but we all can appreciate them.

 

Q: When did you guys know you wanted to be musician?

Niki: I wanted a guitar one Christmas, so my parents bought me one. I think I was six or seven. I NEVER played it. They sold it at a garage sale. I picked up a guitar again when I was thirteen and taught myself how to play. I thought “Well maybe I can sing!” My sister heard me and assured me it was “OK.”

Tom: Oh, I think we need to reunite Niki with that guitar..

Dan: I wanted to be a musician when I literally knew I sucked at everything else in life.

 

Q: If you could listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Dan: I would have to say “Barbie Girl” by Aqua.

I heard that on the radio today actually.

Niki: WAIT, they still play that on the radio?!

Dan : Uh, yeah, I was the one that requested it!

Oh no!

Dan: I would have to say “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles. It’s one of those songs you can dissect forever..it’s layered.

Niki: I feel a lot of pressure with this question..

Tom: I’ll go first..well technically second.  “Rusty Cage” by Soundgarden.

Niki: I think I’m going to go with “Your Love” by The Outfield.

 

Q: What is your favorite song on the new E.P?

Dan: My favorite song is “Little Planes.” I think I just relate to it more. I’ve always been a proponent of writing shit that you want to hear.

Tom: I would have to go with “Voices In My Head” because it has a little bit of everything.

Niki: Yeah, has to be “Voices In My Head” for me too. It’s the first song I wrote that didn’t suck. I actually WANT to play it for people. It was the first song we played together.

 

Q: What was it like shooting the music video?

Dan: Aw man..we were EXHAUSTED. So when we’re exhausted, we say stupid shit. We filmed around Mt. Washington mostly and in a space near the Walters Art Gallery.

Niki: Yeah, that was such a crazy experience. I’ve never done anything like that before. It was weird singing my song 50 times in a row, but it was OK I guess..

 

Q: Are you guys excited for your release party this weekend?

Niki: SO EXCITED.

Tom: So excited..and I just can’t hide it.

Dan: This is a culmination of everything we’ve been working on. It’s been a shit load of work putting it together. It will be cathartic. We’re going to get there, play, and be serious about. But it’ll be a big party for all of our friends who have made this journey possible.

 

Parks Landing will be releasing their new CD THIS Saturday at Ottobar. Click HERE for tickets

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