Yorkshire, UK guitarist Henry Parker is a flourishing singer-songwriter and has recently hit his stride with Lammas Fair, his second album, following on from 2019’s Silent Spring.
He was also entrusted by Tompkins Square label owner, Josh Rosenthal, to curate a compilation – Imaginational Anthem Vol. XII: I Thought I Told You – dedicated to the much-missed guitarist Michael Chapman.
“When I got to 10 years old I realised the guitar was something I really enjoyed doing,” he tells us of how his guitar journey started. “By the end of primary school I was listening to bands like Saxon and Iron Maiden and I’d really caught the bug.”
To the other side
It was several years later that Henry moved from his early metal interests to more folk-based music.
“I was at uni studying popular music broadly,” he explains. “As a teenager I kept up the heavy metal infatuation – and I still like lots of it, but I’m more picky now. I thought then that folk music was just G, C and D strumming, but then I heard Martin Simpson and thought, ‘Wow! I didn’t realise you could be a virtuoso folk guitarist.’
“That really caught my attention, so I got into it from the guitar playing side; now, it’s just this huge rabbit warren of discovery. The Bert Jansch and Nick Drake period feels like a real heyday of steel-string players.”
In praise of Davey Graham
When it comes to influential albums, Henry is quick to mention one in particular: “I’m constantly going back to Davey Graham’s Folk, Blues And Beyond,” he says. “It’s one I got into really early, one of the first folk albums I really listened to. It’s amazing what he was doing and I feel he is massively neglected as an insanely creative player.
“For me, he’s like Jimi Hendrix and I think all of his stuff should be written out and analysed in forensic detail. I’ve learned a couple of Davey Graham tunes, like Leaving Blues; I was learning loads from transcribing that and it was only a few months ago. I was slowing down the recording and learning lots about how he does things.”
Folk meets psychedelia
As for Henry’s own work, his second album, Lammas Fair, sees the guitarist take a leap forward from Silent Spring as he brings a more psychedelic edge to his sound.
“I really enjoyed discovering the interweaving happening in 60s London,” he smiles. “Bands like Pink Floyd, The Incredible String Band and Soft Machine. It was folk meets prog meets psyche, which is the well I want to draw from. I like to do stuff that’s traditional folk that morphs into something more leftfield and psychedelic.
“With my first album, you could hear the Nick Drake and Ryley Walker influences. But on Lammas Fair, it feels like my sound and the music I’m writing now is maintaining that.”
Tuned in
Upon flicking through the Lammas Fair liner notes, it’s clear Henry is a fan of the classic album information; his notes include song explanations and, importantly, tunings.
“I always enjoyed that on records, and I try to make albums that I would find interesting,” he nods. “As for tunings, I’ve explored DADGAD the most and know it almost as well as standard now.
“But I’m not a player who thinks DADGAD should be played in any key; I’m only going to play it in a key of D, whether it’s major or minor. I don’t see the point of chasing some Bb major key. I like to make the most out of the resonant strings; it brings out the best in the guitar.”
Imaginational Anthem Vol. XII: Fellow Yorkshire artists pay tribute to Michael Chapman
The passing of beloved Yorkshire guitarist Michael Chapman in 2021 left a dent in the folk and acoustic music world. Tompkins Square Records decided a compilation was in order and put Henry in charge of the track choices, resulting in a cracking varied set in Imaginational Anthem Vol. XII.
“It’s good to see it come together – it’s been a year in the making,” he says. “I thought it would be really nice to have it Yorkshire-focused and I’ve played gigs with nearly everyone on there [including Katie Spencer, Bobby Lee and Dean McPhee], so there’s a nice communal feel to it.”
