Ethereal Folk-Wave

Des Moines, Iowa

“We try to make our live performances more emotive and dynamic in range than our albums,” says lead singer Dana Halferty of the Des Moines, Iowa-based dreamy, indie-pop group Parlours. “We let our songs grow live in a way that we haven’t yet captured on an album, and it makes for a more engaging live show to have contained moments next to raw, unkempt moments.” In college, Halferty often recorded in the parlor of her dorm and, thus, labeled the songs on her computer as “Parlour Demos.” She says that most of the songs she writes are born out of a place of combining melodies, adventures and relationships into an “ethereal folk-wave” sound. After moving home in 2010, some friends helped her flesh out a batch of songs in the studio, resulting in an EP; other friends filled out her live performances. And now, the group has spent over a year touring in support of All Is Here, their debut LP. “We were young as a band when we started recording All Is Here,” she says. “I mostly wrote and arranged the songs on an acoustic guitar in my living room—we settled on directions that seemed to breathe the most life into each song.” Halferty also notes that Iowans are supportive of people’s passions in a genuine way, with openness and trust that has helped shape the band and songwriting. “I’m in love with touring,” she says. “It has its tiring aspects, but I never feel ready to come home at the end of tour.”