With their debut EP out now, Picture Parlour are taking the chaos that followed their introduction, and turning it into something to last.

Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett.

Few bands have experienced a rollercoaster ride quite like Picture Parlour. The London-based quartet, forged from the creative partnership of Katherine Parlour and Ella Risi, and completed by bassist Sian Lynch and drummer Michael Nash, burst onto the scene last year with a whirlwind of buzzy shows, high-profile support slots, some big looks in the music press, and a co-sign from the legendary Courtney Love. But amidst the hype, they also faced baseless accusations of being "industry plants", a storm they weathered with grace and determination.

Now, as they prepare to release their new EP 'Face In The Picture', Picture Parlour are ready to refocus the narrative on what truly matters: their music. Speaking from Nashville, where they're currently writing and recording, Katherine and Ella reveal they're "living out [their] Johnny Cash and June Carter dreams" and "unlocking a whole new part of the Picture Parlour world."

Looking back on the chaos of the past year, Katherine and Ella remain undaunted. "Last year was madness," they proclaim defiantly. "Since then, it's just been go-go-go, and we love it. We're just rocking it out and pinching every opportunity that comes our way."

The creative process behind 'Face In The Picture' was a blend of old and new, with some songs dating back to the band's earliest days. "Half of the songs on the EP were written years ago, so it's been cathartic to track them and finally share them with the world," they explain.

"It's also really funny because while recording the EP, we were writing all of these new tracks that we are desperate to record and release, but it felt like an important part of the journey to release the songs that we've held so closely to us for years. These four tracks are an integral part of the Picture Parlour lore and history."

The EP's title cut, 'Face In The Picture', delves into the haunting nature of the past. "The inspiration came from a theme that seems to run through all of our music, and that's the haunting of the past," Katherine reveals. "I guess the idea came from thinking about how so much changes over time, yet the memories, emotions and faces we store never seem to grow as we do. There's a sense of nostalgia, a longing for what once was or even a fear of how things used to be. 'Face In The Picture' is a reminder that things change in life, but they never truly leave us."

For the EP's visuals, Picture Parlour collaborated with duo Will and Ed Reid, creating videos for all four tracks. "We were so buzzing to have those guys on board," they enthuse. "We didn't initially plan to have visuals for all four tracks as we didn't think we'd be able to do that in the limited time we had, but the vibes were so good that it just happened organically. The guys did the project so much justice and added a whole new dimension to the EP."