Arlo Parks in Concert

Arlo Parks is as candid onstage as she is on record, and it’s one of her many charms. Shortly after releasing her acclaimed debut EP at age 18, the singer-songwriter performed her first gig at the 2019 Great Escape Festival, an annual three-day event held in Brighton, England, that showcases some of the country’s most promising new talents. Backed by a band of talented musicians as young as Parks, she wowed the crowd with her silky croons, groovy sounds, and the maturity and confidence of an artist well beyond her years. Just a month later, she appeared on the BBC Music Introducing stage at Glastonbury Festival, and by early 2020, Parks was already preparing for her first headlining tour through Europe.

About Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks’ velvety mix of bedroom pop, indie folk, jazz, and R&B is like a warm, comforting hug when you need it most. Born Anais Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho in Hammersmith, West London, the singer/poet/producer is a powerful voice for Generation Z, as she lays out her frustrations, fears, and insecurities in poetic wordplay and wraps it all in smooth, groovy melodies. Growing up in West London, Parks was exposed to a wide range of sounds — Massive Attack, Fela Kuti, Erykah Badu, My Chemical Romance, the jazz her father played at home — and literary influences, from Sylvia Plath to Aldous Huxley. Her stage name came from two different inspirations: a King Krule interview (where she came up with Arlo) and a day at the park with a friend (hence Parks). By age 18, she had written, produced, and released her debut single “Cola,” a bass-y, lo-fi pop gem. The song landed her a deal with London indie record label Transgressive Records, which released her 2019 debut EP Super Sad Generation. Within a month, Parks was performing on festival stages, eventually making it to Glastonbury in June. Her second EP, Sophie, arrived in late 2019 and she found herself on BBC’s coveted Sound of 2020 list. She continues to live up to the hype, dropping more devastating confessions with songs like “Black Dog,” in which she tackles the topic of mental health. With Parks, the darkest subject matter is transformed into the coziest of songs.