Parker Winston – Play Nice

By starrymag | February 13, 2025

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

 

 

Q) How would you best describe your sound?

A) I would say my sound has electric, euphoric and cinematic elements.

 

Q) Who are your Top 3 musical influences?

A) Lana Del Rey will always be the constant, but lately my other influences are Ethel Caine and The Last Dinner Party. All these artists are such dynamic storytellers with fearless expressionism.

 

Q) Tell us the story behind creating your upcoming single “Play Nice.”

A) “Play Nice” derives from a pattern in my life of settling and compromising for things I do not want. Although the song has promiscuous undertones, it really came from reflecting and challenging myself to be audacious. In the last few months, I’ve been growing comfortable with being loud and unapologetic, and with that sparked this song, which to me is about claiming and voicing what I want.

 

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need to have a beat before you can craft lyrics?

A) Songwriting happens anywhere and everywhere to me. I am such a diaristic writer that I could write hundreds of songs with substantial lyricism, but they won’t see the light of day because the sound isn’t calling to me. The melody is everything to me, and when I have that right I know the song needs to be brought to life. With “Play Nice,” I was in the car humming to myself when I just started to string together the lyrics. From there, I was using voice memos to keep track of the ideas and build the song. By the end of the ride (from the Hamptons to Manhattan), the song was created, minus the bridge. I couldn’t wait to get home and create a demo to send to my producer. The melody and lyrics always come first for me, and the beat always comes last.

 

Q) How hands on are you when it comes to the production side of the music that you make?

A) I would say I am pretty hands on throughout. I have a clear vision of what I want the song to sound like, but I trust the producers I work with to execute it. I explain the layout the song as much as I possibly can to them before and during the production process and am offering new ideas and notes throughout. I would love to be able to be more technically involved but unfortunately, I am inept with that kind of software.

 

Q) What do you hope fans will take away from listening to “Play Nice?”

A) I hope my listeners turn to “Play Nice” to feel indestructible and powerful. This song comes from a confident place, and I hope it energizes and sparks that into my listeners. I also hope it mutes any instinct to people please that they may have and reminds them that they have the power to call the shots in their lives.

 

Q) With the release of a new single, are you working on a potential EP or full-length album?

A) Right now I don’t want to commit or jump into an album. I am balancing Theatre and Shakespeare training right now and an album would require every facet of my attention. I really want to experiment with singles that could ultimately shape into an EP and grow an audience before telling another story prematurely.

 

Q) In addition to music, you’re also currently working on your acting career, modeling and writing your first novel. How have those creative outlets influenced the way you make music and vice versa?

A) In one way or another acting, modeling and writing are all storytelling and at my core I am a storyteller. Making music is just another extension of that. However, I think because creative direction can be limited in acting and modeling, it influenced me to take on more hats when it comes to my music. For instance, I love to create my own visuals or music videos, and it allows me the freedom to fully execute my concepts however I like.

 

Q) With your first novel, what are you able to tease it is about and when we can expect to see it hit shelves?

A) Contrary to the love songs and pop music, I am currently writing a horror novel. I really don’t want to give too much away since it’s not finished yet, but it has a lot of religious and satanic elements to it. I have always been attracted to dark stories and this book is everything to me. I cannot wait to share it.

 

Q) Are there any plans to do a book release/mini concert to promote your work?

A) Unfortunately, my book is still in development so it’s something that you’ll have to keep an eye out for down the line, but I will most definitely be playing live in London and performing “Play Nice” in these next few months and will be posting those dates as they come closer!

 

Q) If you could collaborate with anyone on a new project, who would you love to work with and why?

A) I would die to collaborate with Hozier. He is such a powerhouse in terms of vocals and lyricism and his themes and imagery are so special.

 

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of your music?

A) This is only the beginning of 2025, and you can expect a lot more music this year!