CLINK – Sumner with Jed Parsons

Christchurch acoustic duo take the stage

Hera and Jed Parsons are a duet comprised of one very experienced singer-songwriter (with multiple albums under her belt) teamed up with another equally talented multi-instrumentalist just beginning his musical career. The music that they have written together is uplifting, yet bittersweet; charming yet not without its dark moments: It is a pleasant mixture of clever lyricism mixed with beautiful melodies and vocal harmonies; a luxury not to be missed when in a town near you.

Hera is an award-winning musician who calls New Zealand home, but hails from Iceland where she has had a gold-selling record, support slots for Joe Cocker and Nick Cave, and high-rotation radio play. Her music has taken her all around the world, even to festivals such as SXSW in Texas and the immortal Glastonbury festival in the UK. She has most recently been touring her new album with the Live and Loud Heartland tour with Sleeping Dogs and House of Mountain, a tour which has taken her all over the South Island… and even to Stewart Island.

Jed Parsons has been immersing himself in the Christchurch music scene for some time now; he first came into contact with his current musical peers when he became a winner in Mike Chunn’s Play it Strange contest, upon the success of which he met and recorded with Ben Campbell (Zed, Atlas). Fast-forward a year until now, and you will find him playing drums regularly in his band House of Mountain. House of Mountain play the dual role of being a band in their own right, and being Hera’s backing band for her more upbeat numbers. It is through this association that Hera and Jed first discovered that they were musically compatible – a fledgling, yet promising musical enterprise has been born!