Although he's a key member of
Arcade Fire's core lineup, Canadian singer/songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist
Richard Reed Parry is also part of
Bell Orchestre and New International Standards, as well as a collaborator with contemporaries like
the National,
Sufjan Stevens, and
Islands. As part of the Grammy-winning
Arcade Fire since their start,
Parry is known for his on-stage energy and passionate performances. As a solo artist, he released the instrumental epic
Music for Heart and Breath in 2014 and the two-part
Quiet River of Dust in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Born in Ottawa,
Parry was raised in a family of musicians deeply rooted in the local folk music community (his father was in the Toronto-based collective Friends of Fiddler's Green). He studied literary arts and later electroacoustics and dance at university. In the early 2000s, the seeds for two separate bands were planted.
Bell Orchestre, which included future
Arcade Fire bandmates
Sarah Neufeld and
Tim Kingsbury, formed in 2002. They released a trio of efforts, including 2009's As Seen Through Windows, which won a Juno for Best Instrumental in 2011. Around the same time
Bell Orchestre formed, the original incarnation of
Arcade Fire came into being, with
Parry's role as studio hand blossoming into a full-time membership in the group. After releasing the
Arcade Fire EP in 2003, the band's roster was revamped, with
Parry recruiting
Bell Orchestre bandmates
Neufeld and
Kingsbury, as well as
Jeremy Gara of other side project New International Standards.
Arcade Fire's critically acclaimed debut
Funeral arrived in 2004.
Parry handled electric guitar, synthesizer, organ, piano, accordion, xylophone, percussion, and double bass, as well as tackling engineering and recording duties. A string of Canadian and U.S. chart-toppers followed, along with multiple Polaris and Juno Award nominations and an Album of the Year Grammy for their third album, 2010's
The Suburbs.
In 2012,
Parry contributed a handful of solo works to various compilations and soundtracks, including a
Talk Talk tribute album. Two years later, in between
Arcade Fire double-album
Reflektor and the dance-friendly
Everything Now,
Parry released the instrumental
Music for Heart and Breath on Deutsche Grammophon. A sweeping orchestral epic, the album was recorded with
yMusic,
Kronos Quartet,
Nico Muhly,
Nadia Sirota, and
Bryce and
Aaron Dessner of
the National.
In 2018, as promotion for
Arcade Fire's fifth LP,
Everything Now, wrapped up,
Parry released
Quiet River of Dust, Vol. 1, which was inspired by Japanese folk myth, British folk music, and his experiences on a trip to Japan in 2008. Recorded with his father's former colleagues, the set featured the delicate, atmospheric single "On the Ground." The following year saw
Parry issue
Quiet River of Dust, Vol. 2, which was recorded at the same time as its predecessor, and explored more interior themes. ~ Neil Z. Yeung