Up to Parr
Chris Parr has always wanted to be in a band. Whether he was bopping along to The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" and The Beach Boys "Barbara Ann" as a babe, or enlisting his siblings to join his family group The Parr Four, he has always had a musical vision for how his life would play out. Cue the strings maestro.
Flash forward a couple decades and not much has changed. Parr has been the primary songwriter and leader of The Almas since founding the group with pal Trevor Fuentes in late high school. Although he still has had no formal musical training he has always had a penchant for lyrics and melody.
Throughout his secondary school years he would write new lyrics to existing songs. He was fortunate to become good friends with guitarist Fuentes on the bus to school in 9th grade which exposed him to an early love of pop punk. And in college he had another stroke of luck when he was paired with multi-instrumentalist/jazz bassist Anders Ericson in his dorm at the University of Oregon.
These early chance meetings turned out to be extremely beneficial to Chris, as they instilled in him a belief that making music was a possibility, and that he had the talent and drive to make it happen. He may not be the most seasoned or classically trained musician in the bunch, but what he lacks in technical skill he more than makes up for in heart and creative passion. He often turned to music during moments of trouble in his life, and it was in these trying times that he developed a knack for finding a clever lyric and a sonic vision well beyond his years and experience.
During Almas shows at Rock Bottom and The Mac & Cheesery, to solo stints at weddings and parties and Bob Dylan tributes, to orchestrating a homemade music festival in his backyard, it is safe to say that music will always have a strong place in Parr's life. Although he hasn't been writing as much lately, the ideas are still there. The wheels are still turning. There is no greater sense of satisfaction in his life, than finishing a song and expressing himself in music and words.
When all is said and done, it is ultimately up to Parr to decide where to take The Almas next. He may still not know where he's going, but he is damn happy to be alive. And with his love of music and friends, you can bet you will continue seeing more from The Almas and Chris Parr in the future. Remember the name. If you don't know him by now, you surely will.