Tell us about your career, including your history, where you are from and how you started?
My father first introduced me to music and music history when I was very young. He firmly believed in musical development and knowledge within children was fundamental. As a born-and-bred Londoner, a substantial amount of the history conversations included events that occurred within the city.
My favourite story I recount is when Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter in London, dating back to February 1968. I’ve always found their love story to be beautiful. Through these stories, a desire to play transpired and by the time I was five, I was literally begging to be in piano lessons. Without hesitation my father enrolled me into lessons and that was the true beginning of my musical development. My father encouraged musical education solely for its developmental benefits, nothing more. Furthermore, my desire to become an artist was still yet to come.
On Christmas break of my eleventh year, through a powerful moment, I encountered an internal awakening and the desire to become an artist was born. I immediately told my dad I needed to learn guitar and that music was my purpose.
Through a long history of creative endeavours, I narrowed my artistry and come to terms with, that at my best, I am a singer-songwriter. This has been a rather recent revelation, however, long overdue. As I do believe this is my final form so-to-speak, I also strongly believe that to be an artist, a true artist, an element of reinvention has to be constantly occurring. Artists live artistically and creatively, not stagnant, and among many other things, I think that is what it means to inherently be an artist.
How did you come up with your artist name?
I developed my artist’s name through the death of Sylvain Sylvain of The New York Dolls. The date he passed, it was late at night and I was reading the London Free Press article on his life. In my mind, I always associated The Dolls with a local band, 63 Monroe, and that was due to a story my dad told me when I was young. When I finished reading, I left to take a shower and put on music from my favourite band, The 1975. The word ‘Monroe’ wouldn’t leave me alone and eventually, I realized why when The 1975’s song “Paris” started to play. I put the two together and that’s how I discovered my artist name.
Do you have any recorded music available for fans?
Yes! Earlier in the year, February of 2022, the debut Paris Monroe EP, Champagne & Cigarettes was released. To follow that project, a fan-favourite single titled “High” was also released, accompanied with a music video. All of my material is available on all digital streaming platforms for anyone who would like to listen.
How would you describe your music?
The best adjective I could think of to describe my artistry is dynamic. The only constant that exists within my music is that aesthetically, it is all acoustically based. I don’t write music on a computer, I write on a piano or guitar. I create music this way because that is how artists like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, etc., created their art. I personally believe it is the most human way to create. No matter how far technology progresses, there will always be a humanistic desire for one person and the guitar/piano. It is the perfect artistic marriage between soul, connection and earnestness, which is what I think we’re all longing for anyway.
Artists like themselves are the individuals I’m trying to close the gap on between myself and them. Furthermore, I believe human beings are dynamic. We are not one thing and one thing alone. That is why within my creation, I write pop, country, folk, emo, rock, alternative, etc., and if you decide to listen, you’ll completely understand what I’m saying.
What makes your music stand out from the others?
The best way I could answer this question is to explain my philosophical approach to creation. I have a strong emphasis on artistry, integrity, and vulnerability when I am songwriting. One of the ways I explain songwriting is to shine a flashlight on the things you are most afraid of.
My personal mantra is “music for the moments that matter.” I believe every kind of song has its purpose, but I write music for the times when you’ve lost a loved one, walking down the aisle, finding your faith again, falling in love, even for when you’re feeling suicidal, I write music to be there for people in those moments. I believe using that mantra as a compass for creation will only lead me and my art to have a special place within people’s hearts.
What do you like to do outside of music that contributes to their music?
I have many things within my life that contribute to my music such as friends, family, nature, politics, psychology, science, literature, movies, pop culture, and many more.
However, outside of music I have two fundamental passions; distance running and faith. I have been competitively competing in cross country and track and field for the last eight years. The characteristics and disciplines I have learned from training, racing, diet, recovery, team dynamics, work ethic, etc., I believe have all directly correlated to how I treat my career in music. Running has taught me so many things, but one of the most important is the significance of living a healthy lifestyle away from vices and indulgences, which is something that becomes a downfall for many musicians. I’m so grateful for the principles and values it has instilled within me and I believe it will lead me to a positive, fruitful, and positive career.
Faith is the foundation of who I am. I recognize that faith in our post-modern society is very uncool and not trendy, however, faith has been paramount within my life.
When I read and analyze the scriptures and doctrines, or listen to the spiritual testimony of others, I am moved tectonically within my soul. On a daily basis, I write and practice my music within a chapel, I can’t articulate elegantly and poetically how it makes me feel, but I truly feel acknowledged, heard, and saved when I play my music there. It simply just feels right.
One of the current songs I am working on is entitled “Highway Back To Him” and it is entirely about my mistakes, vices, regrets, and how I am putting away worldly things and putting myself on the straight and narrow. I believe within the depths of my inmost being, that my purpose is music and I must use this privilege for good.
Name your two biggest musical influences and why?
This is a very, very difficult question to answer for me. For more than half my life, I have studied and learned the musicians I gravitate to until I know everything there is to know. My dad used to say, lightheartedly, that I would make a good journalist.
Furthermore, the artist that inspires me the most is Matthew Healy, the frontman of The 1975. I can’t even begin to articulate who Matty is in my life, but his philosophy, intellect, perspective, and approach to music was something else entirely to me. The 1975’s music has changed my life and I would be happy if I was half as good as they are.
The second biggest influence is a complete toss up, but I will have to say, The Beatles. Specifically, John Lennon & Paul McCartney. The best way I can describe my admiration for John & Paul, is that they are the standard of excellence I strive to be as a songwriter and musician. I credit those two as the best songwriters to have ever lived. I truly love their story of simply being best friends who constantly pushing each other to be better. They contrasted each other perfectly. Their story began so humble and ended up being so monumental.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?
I write all of my songs. The only person I collaborate with in songwriting is my brother, Daxton Moerman. As I mentioned in the last question, he’s the person in my life who would be my John Lennon. I have always been very protective over my personal art (I’m not when I’m collaborating on someone else’s work), because the songs are so personal to me. I thought they couldn’t come from anyone else but me, until I met him. He is the one person on this earth who understands me more than anyone, and we contrast beautifully. He’s literally my twin flame, brother, & I will love him and his family eternally.
The main topics I write about are love, loss, faith, sex, family, trauma, internal dilemmas, my fears, and self-discovery. However, to summarize and conclude it better, I write about my life and what it all means to me.
What has been your biggest challenge as an artist?
Three weeks ago, August 5th, my father passed away. It was the most traumatic experience I have ever had in my entire life. I will spare the details, but it was unexpected and graphic. My mother was never present in my life due to mental illness and addiction issues. At the age of 22, I am parentless. The thing with losing my father, is that I don’t have any family really. I have my half-brother who lives far away, my aunt and her husband who are elderly and suffer from disabilities.
With that being said, I was told once that losing loved ones is like losing limbs, but my father wasn’t a limb, losing him was like losing my torso. He was the one who taught me what it means to be a man and I owe my entire life to him.
In July, I auditioned for the London Arts Live program and I was fortunate enough to be accepted onto their roster. When my father passed, there was so much uncertainty with everything (and still is), but I know within my inmost being, that he would tell me it is important that I would get myself out there and play every show I have been offered, continue my writing, recording, performing, and advancing my career in the best way I know how to, regardless of anything. I want to live every day of my life knowing that when I end my day and put my head on the pillow, he would be proud of who I was and what I did that day. There are mountains of uncertainty in regards to all aspects and optics of my life, however, I promised him I would pursue and finish all the projects we started working on together, and this one started at five years old when he took me to my first piano lesson. I am going to miss him coming to my performances, showing him all the new songs I write, mixes of new songs, first drafts of music videos, among so many things. However, I’ve realized that now, I’m not singing to him, I’m singing for him, and I can’t think of a better reason than that for me to pick up the guitar and try my best.
www.parismonroe.ca
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