John Parish

John Parish (born 11 April 1959) is an English musician, songwriter, composer and record producer.

Parish is best known for his work with singer-songwriter PJ Harvey.^[1] He has also worked with many other bands including Eels, Tracy Chapman, Giant Sand, and Sparklehorse. His sister is the actress Sarah Parish.^[2] Parish was born in Yeovil, Somerset and lives in Bristol.

Career

His first record release was a single "Mind Made" by the British new wave band, Thieves Like Us (1980).^[3] In 1982, he formed the band Automatic Dlamini, with Rob Ellis. The changing line-up of Automatic Dlamini included Polly Harvey from 1988 until 1991. Automatic Dlamini recorded three albums: The D is For Drum (1987),^[4] Here Catch Shouted his Father (1990 – unreleased but available as a bootleg), and From A Diva to a Diver (1992).^[5] By the time From A Diva to a Diver was released, Harvey had left to form the PJ Harvey trio with ex-Dlamini members Rob Ellis and Ian Olliver, and Parish was playing guitar with Marc Moreland's band The Ensenada Joyride.^[6]

In 1986 Parish had begun a parallel career as a record producer working with UK bands including The Chesterfields, The Brilliant Corners, The Caretaker Race and The Becketts. In 1995 he co-produced PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love", on which he also played guitar, drums, percussion and organ.^[7] He co-wrote and produced The Eels album Souljacker (2001), and played guitar on the world tour that accompanied its release. He has produced and/or played on a number of Howe Gelb / Giant Sand albums and frequently appears onstage with them.^[8] Parish produced the Giant Sand album Chore of Enchantment (2000), and a photograph of his wedding in Tucson in 1998 was used as the cover for the 2011 re-release of the record.

He also began working as a film composer in 1998, writing the score for Belgian director Patrice Toye's debut film, Rosie.^[9] Parish's score won the Jury Special Appreciation prize at the 1999 Bonn Film & TV Music Biennale. He has since scored other films and a Dutch seven part TV drama Waltz (2006).^[10]

Parish has now worked on six albums with Harvey, including two co-written albums: Dance Hall at Louse Point (1996) and A Woman A Man Walked By (2009). He played in the PJ Harvey touring band (guitar/drums/keyboards) from 1994 –1999, and again from 2009 – 2012.^[11] He co-produced and played on White Chalk (2007) and the Mercury Prize winning Let England Shake (2011).

Partial discography

^[12]

Solo

• Rosie (2000)
• How Animals Move (2002)
• Once Upon a Little Time (2005)
• She, A Chinese Original Soundtrack (2010)
• Screenplay (2013)

Collaborations

• PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love (1995): Producer, Guitar, Organ, Percussion, Drums
• John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey – Dance Hall at Louse Point (1996): Producer, Various Instruments
• Spleen – Soundtrack To Spleen (1997): Co-writer, guitar, percussion
• 16 Horsepower – Low Estate (1997): Producer, Various Instruments
• PJ Harvey – Is This Desire? (1998): Various Instruments
• Spleen – Little Scratches (1998): Co-writer, guitar, percussion
• Giant Sand – Chore of Enchantment (2000): Producer
• Bettie Serveert – Private suit (2000) : producer
• Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain (2000) : guitar, drums
• Thou – Put Us in Tune (2000): producer, mix
• Eels – Souljacker (2001): Producer, co-writer, various instruments
• Dominique A – Auguri (2001): Producer, various instruments
• Morning Star – My Place in The Dust (2001): Producer
• Sparklehorse – It's a Wonderful Life (2001): Co-Producer, Various Instruments
• Tracy Chapman – Let it Rain (2002): Producer
• Thou – I like Girls in Russia (2004): Producer
• Morning Star – The Opposite is True (2004): Producer
• Jennie DeVoe – Fireworks and Karate Supplies (2004): Producer
• Nada – Tutto l'amore che mi manca (2004): Producer
• M. Ward – Transistor Radio (2005) : drums
• Afterhours – Ballate per piccole iene (2005): Producer e guitar on Ballata per la mia piccola iena
• Dionysos – Monsters in Love (2005): Producer
• PJ Harvey – White Chalk (2007): Producer
• Tom Brosseau – Cavalier (2007): Producer
• Magic Rays – Off the Map (2007) : Producer
• Marta Collica – Pretty and Unsafe (2007) : Producer
• Afterhours – I Milanesi Ammazzano il sabato (14 ricette di quotidiana macabra felicità) (2008): Producer
• Jennie DeVoe- Strange Sunshine(2009): Producer
• This Is The Kit – Krulle Bolle (2008): Producer, drums
• Cesare Basile – Storia di Caino (2008): Producer, guitar.
• Marta Collica – About Anything (2009): Producer
• PJ Harvey & John Parish – A Woman a Man Walked By (2009): Producer, various instruments
• Maika Makovski – Maika Makovski (2010): Producer, guitar, drums, bass, banjo
• Kira – Look Up Ahead (2010): Producer
• Zender – Sunday Kids (2010): Mix
• Nive Nielsen and The Deer Children – Nive Sings (2010): John Parish: drums, guitar, bongos (on nine tracks)
• Peggy Sue – Acrobats (2011): Producer
• PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (2011): Producer, guitar, drums, vocals, keyboards, trombone
• M. Ward – Primitive Girl on A Wasteland Companion (2012): drums, percussion (also released as a 7″ vinyl single)
• Arno – Future Vintage (2012): Producer, guitars, drums
• KT Tunstall – Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon (2013)
• Jay Diggins – Searching (2013): Co-Producer with Jay Diggins, various instruments
• Mazgani – Common ground (2013): Co-Producer with Mick Harvey, various instruments
• Jenny Hval – Innocence is Kinky (2013): Producer, guitar, drums, variophon
• Rokia Traore – Beautiful Africa (2013): Producer
• Perfume Genius - "Too Bright" (2014): Producer
• Playing Carver^[13] (2014): Producer, guitar, volcals

References

External links

• Official website
• Cat On The Wall Interview
• June 2009 Interview with L.A. Record
• PJ Harvey and John Parish interview with The Guardian writer John Harris