Biography
Rain Parade is a highly acclaimed neo-psychedlic band that gained notoriety as part of LA’s fabled Paisley Underground music scene in the early 1980s. The band’s signature sound combines hypnotic-melodic songwriting and 60s-inspired instrumentation with 70s punk influences and a darker lyrical approach, informed by late 20th- and early 21st-century themes.
Their debut LP, Emergency Third Rail Power Trip (Enigma US/Demon UK, 1983), featuring the songwriting talents of founding members Matt Piucci, Steven Roback, and David Roback (Mazzy Star, Opal), is internationally recognized as a masterpiece. Jim DeRogatis, Chicago rock critic notes that their debut LP is “…among the best psychedelic LPs of any era.”
The follow-up EP, Explosions In The Glass Palace (Enigma US /Demon UK, 1984), recorded after David left the band, garnered the same high praise, and its reputation has only grown since. Sid Griffin, author and leader of The Long Ryders said: “We were in the Paisley Underground with Rain Parade back in the 1980s… Explosions In The Glass Palace is and will forever be the BEST recording from a Paisley Underground band, be it us, The Dream Syndicate, The Bangles, The Three O’Clock or whomever.”
Noted as an influence by the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, The Asteroid # 4, and The UK Charlatans, among many others, Rain Parade creates truly timeless music.
Last year, Rain Parade released a new LP Last Rays of a Dying Sun on Label 51 Recordings, receiving accolades from fans and critics alike. Writer Mark Deming said “this is a 21st Century version of the their trademark approach, with the nocturnal melodies, the thoughtful interplay of the guitars, the starry-eyed vocals and expert harmonies, and the gently insistent rhythms coming together with the same impact they summoned in their salad days.”
And they have been keeping busy since. Steven, Matt and drummer/percussionist Stephan Junca went to the UK in March of 2023 to play acoustically with their old pals Dream Syndicate, with Vicki Peterson of the Bangles subbing for regular guitarist Jason Victor. It was a smashing success.
In the winter of 2024, the band hit the road with like-minded psychedelicaticians The Third Mind, a super group formed around Dave Alvin of the Blasters, Victor Krummenacher (Camper van Beethoven, Eyelids) and Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter). On a West Coast tour from Seattle’s Crocodile Club to Los Angeles’ legendary Troubadour, to the desert around Joshua Tree, this was a musical match made in heaven, and the crowds seemed to think so as well.
Upon return, Steven and Matt hit the woodshed and came up with some new material, resulting in the 4-song EP Last Stop on the Underground, recorded in the same studios, with the same people and producer. It sounds even better than Last Rays. The digital single “Surprise, Surprise” drops May 10, 2024 and the EP will follow shortly thereafter.
This June, the band heads back to the Old World with 7 dates on the Continent and 6 in the UK, this time with the full complement of Paraders, storming through Scandinavia, Benelux and the UK, and ending at the massive Azkena Festival in Vitoria, Spain on the summer solstice.
After that, the band plans to return to the studio and complete work on their next full length LP. This, and their entire back catalog, can and will be found on Label 51 Recordings, with digital releases now and physical releases forthcoming throughout 2024 and into the Spring of 2025. Stay tuned!
In addition to Piucci and Roback, Rain Parade is again produced by Jim Hill, and features long-time Rain Parade guitarist John Thoman, guitarist Derek See (The Gentle Cycle, Chocolate Watch Band, Dean & Britta),and drummer/percussionist Stephan Junca (Billy Talbot Band, Jon Anderson, The Hellenes, boatclub).