Ctrl+V Highlight Dark & Dreamy “Apple Blue” from Gritty & Glossy Debut EP, Prequels
“I imagine us as a rock band, trapped inside of a nightclub,” says frontman Harry Parsons of the Newfoundland rave punk band Ctrl+V (pronounced paste). After more than a decade of being a drummer in touring bands, he began to experiment with making electronic music. Along with co-writer/producer Sweetboy Music, the songwriting soon began to flow, and the pair began shaping their sound, influenced by darkwave, hard rock, and a dash of punk.
Their debut EP, Prequels, is dark, yet optimistic. Mysterious yet fun. The bittersweet opening track, “Apple Blue,” sets the mood with a feeling of isolation and loneliness.
“The title puts me in a neo-noir film headspace. It’s like a David Lynch version of a heavy song,” says Parsons.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello! I am Harry, and I am the founding member and primary songwriter of Ctrl+V (pronounced Paste).
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our debut EP Prequels is our most recent release. It has 6 songs, which actually span the space of our entire existence so far, dating back to 2018. Some of the songs are older, some are newer. The EP has been basically ‘done’ since 2022, but I opted to release each song as a single first, instead of releasing them all at once. So now, as we had always intended to, the songs are released in one nice, cohesive ‘place’ if you will.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
I don’t have a set-in-stone process! One thing that I do, which may be a little different than others, is that I often start writing a song with a drumbeat. This comes from the simple fact that I am a drummer. I’m sure this is a lot more common in the hip-hop world, and maybe the pop world. But probably a little less common in the realm of rock music. I write most of my songs in a program called Reason. I have a couple of other programs on the periphery, but it’s mainly all in reason because I’ve literally used that program since Ctrl+V started in 2018.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
No shows yet – the next big hurdle is to get Ctrl+V onto the stage! We worked with Michael Speed to create a little series of visualizer videos that we are going to release for each song on the EP.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Many moons ago, I attended the Musicians Institute, in Hollywood. I was only 19 when I moved there, which was a lot to take in! Especially coming from a very small town on the east coast of Canada. I studied drumming there; I am a drummer. That was a pretty big moment, and I learned a lot while I was there. Doing the Artist Entrepreneur program at Coalition Entertainment was also a big time in my musical career. I learned a lot of important things there. More recently, I really think that Prequels is a huge accomplishment for me. I had some attempts in the past at taking on my own project, but this certainly feels a lot more legitimate. I am really proud of what Ctrl+V has accomplished so far, and I look forward to bringing the project to the stage very soon.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
There’s an artist that I recently discovered called JEEN. She is Canadian, maybe based in Toronto… forgive me if I am wrong. But she is incredible. Really strong song writing, and I love her style and voice. In terms of ‘up and coming” she is certainly light years ahead of me! But check her out all the same!