Food & Drink
Flying High With Parisalexa
A flowering new voice surfaces on Seattle’s soul scene
By Gwendolyn Elliott August 20, 2018
This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the September 2018 issue. Read more from the Fall Arts Preview feature story here. Click here to subscribe.
R&B vocalist Parisalexa is proof that hard work and confidence pay off. The 2016 Sammamish High grad (born Paris Alexa Williams) has been working on her music since she was a kid, honing her skills at Grammy and Berklee songwriting camps, in local underage music showcases, such as Sound Off! and More Music at the Moore—and skipping choir practice to write songs in the school bathroom.
“I didn’t like the structure [of choir], you couldn’t freestyle,” says the 20-year-old Bellevue resident. “I’ve always wanted to do [my own music].”
Her determination is yielding results—and lots of material. In January, she self-released her debut EP, Bloom, a collection of seven R&B pop songs that explore blossoming young love. In June, she followed up with a four-song mixtape, Flexa, recorded at Macklemore’s former studio, Ruby Room Recordings, in North Seattle. In Parisalexa’s words, Bloom is “soulful and sweet,” and Flexa is “spunky and modern,” but both releases showcase her powerfully expressive voice—a slinky, jazzy alto not unlike Beyoncé or Erykah Badu.
The albums also demonstrate a knack for songwriting that’s led to songwriting sessions in L.A. with professional songwriters for labels such as Interscope and RCA. Meanwhile, she’s nailed down a string of enviable gigs this year at Upstream, Orcas Island’s Doe Bay Festival, Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill block parties, Seattle’s Downtown Summer Sounds and her first headlining show this November at Chop Suey.
Until then, Parisalexa will be chipping away at her debut full-length album—one she hopes to release during that sweet spot in 2019 when “Best New Artists” are considered for the Grammys—and enjoying the ride.
“The music scene in Seattle is bubbling,” she says. “I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
9/1, 1:55-2:15 p.m., Fisher Stage, Bumbershoot. Single day passes start at $130; bumbershoot.com. 11/14. Time and prices TBD. Chop Suey, Capitol Hill, 1325 E Madison St.; 206.538.0556; chopsuey.com
Follow Us
Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing
Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege
In his book, Old White Man Writing, Seattle resident Joshua Gidding attempts to come to terms with his privilege. Gidding grapples with the rapidly changing cultural norms in 21st-century America while examining his own racial biases and prejudices. As Manhattan Book Review notes: “Old White Man Writing is an introspective deep dive into an eventful life…
Glacial Expressions
Local scientist and painter Jill Pelto spotlights climate change in a multi-artist show at Slip Gallery
The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…
How Taproot Theatre Survived A Financial Crisis
Theatre is planning for its 50th birthday next year
Karen Lund vividly remembers that sinking feeling she had in the fall of 2023. That was when Lund, producing artistic director of Taproot Theatre Co., first realized that the financially strapped, midsized professional theatre in the Greenwood neighborhood might not survive. The theatre had already weathered the worst of the pandemic, but costs were mounting….
Humanities Washington Fights ‘Midnight’ Cuts
Nonprofit loses previously approved federal grants with little warning
The letter came without warning, like a slap in the face from an invisible hand. Humanities Washington CEO and Executive Director Julie Ziegler had already been talking with peers in other states, and she readied herself for the blow. The National Endowment for the Humanities (think DOGE) had terminated her nonprofit’s previously awarded federal grant…