Picture Parlour Tickets

A rare word-of-mouth sensation of the internet age, audacious retro-indebted rockers Picture Parlour gained unprecedented widespread attention before releasing any music in the world. Even Courtney Love couldn’t hide her affection for them.

Picture Parlour’s story starts in Manchester: the band’s two founding members Katherine Parlour (originally from Liverpool) and Ella Risi (who was born in Yorkshire) crossed paths after having just finished their studies in the city. Both in separate musical projects, they happened to share the same bass player who introduced the pair. Risi realised they had an immediate kinship when Parlour opened her front door with a bottle of whisky in hand. 

Bonding over shared loves of classic artists from the seventies like Patti Smith, Fleetwood Mac and T Rex, lockdown provided an opportunity for them to hunker down and write. When the world reopened, Parlour and Risi relocated to London to pursue their dream, despite not believing it was a realistic ambition. It became very real much sooner than they could have ever anticipated.

Recruiting bassist Sian Lynch and drummer Michael Nash via Facebook, the newly dubbed Picture Parlour geared up for their first show in December 2022 at the fabled Windmill Brixton in South London, where the likes of Black Midi, Shame and Black Country, New Road all cut their teeth. Allured by the four-piece’s vintage, cinematic sound and Parlour’s commanding presence – who prowls the stage like besuited Nick Cave-esque preacher – the local scene couldn’t believe it was their first gig. Several shows later, Picture Parlour seduced another, certainly more notable fan: Courtney Love. 

“Ladies and gentlemen and all stations in between, I give you Picture Parlour,” she announced on her socials, unawares to the band themselves. But their celebrity disciple helped pique interest further afield, starting a label frenzy in a race which Island Records eventually won. Accolades of ‘the next Arctic Monkeys’ followed suit, and the link was understandable given Parlour’s deep, warbling croon and the band’s penchant for noir-ish spectacle. 

Though with many female-based bands that welcome recognition almost instantaneously, “industry plant” accusations came their way, to which Parlour and Risi stood firm. “It’s close to comedy at this point,” Parlour clapped back. “You couldn’t have put the target on a more ridiculous head. Ella’s mom is a cleaner. My dad’s a retired factory worker. I don’t care how you feel about our music, but I care that you’ve erased our background and identity.”

Not allowing an unjust smear campaign to stall their momentum, Picture Parlour pressed on by releasing their debut single ‘Norwegian Wood’ in the summer of 2023. One of the first songs they’d penned after forming – while Parlour had her head in the Haruki Murakami novel of the same name – the gutsy, euphoria chasing anthem felt destined for stadiums. Enormous crowds beckoned regardless, with Picture Parlour supporting Bruce Springsteen at BST Hyde Park and The Strokes at All Points East only weeks later.

To cap off a whirlwind twelve months, in which they played their first gig and were snapped up to a major label, the four-piece released their follow-up single ‘Judgement Day’, proving they weren’t sufferers of one-hit-wonder syndrome. With their highly anticipated debut album waiting in the wings, Picture Parlour were set to perform at various festivals throughout 2024 like The Great Escape, Latitude, Dot To Dot, and Malta Weekender in support of Liam Gallagher.