The National Parks
The National Parks is a folk/pop band comprised of five members: Brady Parks (Denver, Colorado – guitar and lead vocals), Sydney Carling Macfarlane (Kaysville, Utah – keyboards and vocals), John Hancock (Sacramento, California – electric guitar), Cam Brannelly (Draper, Utah – drums), and Megan Taylor Parks (Draper, Utah – violin). The group was formed by front man, Brady Parks, with original band members Sydney Carling, and Paige Wagner, in Provo, Utah, in early 2013, with 15 March 2013, marking the band’s first public performance. They produced their debut album Young through Kickstarter under the name of the founder and front man, Brady Parks but was eventually released under the name The National Parks on 3 September 2013. The album was recorded at June Audio with producer Scott Wiley and climbed to #13 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart.
In January 2014, they released “As We Ran,” a standalone single which was written for the documentary film Love in the Tetons. The first month of their proceeds was donated to the National Parks Conservation Association. The online success of the album and “As We Ran” helped them find growing crowds around Utah, as well as, in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. International attention to the band began with the release of “Helsinki,” which premiered on NPR’s All Songs Considered in January 2015.
The band’s second album, Until I Live, was released independently in September 2015 and reached #52 on the iTunes Pop Chart, #5 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Chart for the Mountain Region, and boosted Spotify streams beyond 2.5 million. The two albums and the standalone single combined have amassed more than 13.2 million Spotify streams and garnered praise from press outlets such as NPR’s All Songs Considered, CMT Edge, Baeble Music, and Pop Matters. Following their sophomore release, the band has been favorably compared to a wide variety of acts including Foster the People, The Civil Wars, and Mumford & Sons, and has sold out shows in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
The National Parks self-booked tour began in the summer of 2014. By 2016, the band was filling clubs in every region in the country while also performing at SXSW, Canadian Music Week, School Night at Bardot’s, Musikfest, Snowmass Mammoth Fest, and Make Music Pasadena. The group has also performed with acts such as Andy Grammer, Peter Bjorn and John, The Lone Bellow, LeAnn Rimes, and The Moth & The Flame.
In March 2016 City Weekly magazine named them Utah’s Band of the Year. The following month, “Monsters of the North” – a lead single from Until I Live – was announced as the winner of the International Songwriting Competition for all unsigned artists.
The National Parks is currently working on their third studio album Places. The lead single was released as a lyric video on their YouTube channel on 16 June 2017 via Rock Love Magic Records. Please visit the tour page on their official website for their upcoming concert dates.
Follow The National Parks
Recent Posts
David Archuleta Announces New Christmas Album, Tour, and Special Edition Four-Song Spanish Holiday EP
Winter is in the air – well, not quite. However, American Idol alum, David Archuleta is already gearing up for the season. On 4 September 2018, the world-renown singer-songwriter and entertainer revealed to Billboard.com in an exclusive article that he will be...
Madilyn Paige’s New Album, “Anymore,” Teaches Powerful Lesson That Self-Esteem Not Perfection is the Goal
Madilyn Paige, the 21-year-old former contestant on the sixth season of NBC’s The Voice, recently released her album, Anymore, which was produced by Shadow Mountain Records. Speaking to Deseret News about the album that was almost three years in the making, she said,...
Through Music and Story, the Lyceum Philharmonic at American Heritage School Shares a Message of God’s Amazing Grace
In time for National Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August 2018, a group of Latter-day Saint teen musicians partnered with The Other Side Academy to share a message of the hope and love that is available to everyone because of God’s Amazing Grace. It is their sincere...
Herriman Utah Community Joins Alex Boyé in Creating Music Video about Suicide Prevention
The topics of suicide and suicide prevention need to be discussed openly in homes, in schools, and in churches. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death for 10- to 24-year-olds. The organization also reports that one...
Flash Mob Surprises Crowd at BYU Food Court with New Version of “I am a child of God”
On 12 October 2018, a new documentary drama directed by Chantelle Squires, portraying the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and societal racially discriminatory practices, will debut in limited theaters. It is the story of two powerful...
Millennial Rapper Lil Yachty and 60s Heartthrob Donny Osmond Create Unforgettable Chef Boyardee Jingle Remix
Meet 20-year-old (born 23 August 1997) Miles Parks McCollum. He is an American rapper and singer who is professionally known as Lil Yachty. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his singles “One Night” and “Minnesota” from his debut EP, Summer Songs. In March...