Who is Jennifer Parkin?

She's a girlie-girl, she's a woman yet she's also one of the guys. She's tough, she's vulnerable. She's angry about so many things but tender. She's completely silly yet also shy. Most importantly, she's a super normal girl from Toronto, Canada with a normal 9 - 5 job making music when she can since it's the only way she seems to be able to express herself and get out her inner demons. Wow! That felt silly writting but it was fun! ;)


Why did you start Ayria?

To achieve world domination through music of course ;) I needed to start a new project after my first project ended  for me. I needed an outlet to express my lyrical ideas. I love singing and I had a lot of ideas for songs, so I continued on. I created a project that I was in control of and where I began collaborating with others. I didn't care if it went anywhere. I just wanted to sing.


Where do you get inspiration from for your songs?

My own life, my own imagination, the media, politics, world events, books, science. Life really. I think I touch on some subjects that are personal and serious to lots of people and some of my other songs are pretty vague on purpose. People take what they want from it of course.


When you were younger, what music did you listen too?

Depends how much younger you mean? If you mean when I was a kid, I used to love the 80's pop and even new wave (at a very early age). I use to love girl pop acts of the 80's and I wanted to be like them. I know it's silly. They just looked so sexy and happy and it took until until my early teens to discover how fake and on the surface all of that was. I also grew up hearing all of my parents music thats all what's now called "Classic Rock" like Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and bands like that. My dad was really into music and thaught me how to play the guitar when I was 17. When I was a teenager, I was really into New Wave, Grunge/ Alternative and the riot girl movement, as well as the Industrial of the time like Nine Inch Nails, Nitzer Ebb, Front Line Assembly ect.


If you could organise a festival with every artist, dead or alive who will play on it?

Don't laugh at me but The Police is definitely one of the bands I would love to see live. I just used to love them since childhood and it would have been so fun to have seen them in their peak. Ok, well add in there: The Smiths, Nitzer Ebb, MIA, Depeche Mode (because I like them live),
I AM X, The Cranes, Nervana (never got to see them when I was younger) and Curve. Not alot of new bands in there. I've been having a harder time discovering new bands that I love. I'm not sure why. Mabye it's because I haven't had a lot of time lately to just sit and discover new music. I love lots of songs, but not full album like I used to. But I'm sure it's just a phase.


What is the funniest thing that ever happend during a concert of you?

An Ayria "mosh pit" broke out in San Francisco once. I thought that was highly entertaining. I suck, I can't think of anything right now! I'm also distracted since I'm getting on a plane for Frankfurt in a few hours. If my interview answers make no sence, I blame it on that!! ;)


Who influenced you the most in life and what way?

Oh god. That's just too broad of a question. It's never been just one person. There are so many people and in so many different ways.


You will come to Europe for a tour. What do you expect of it?

Well, nothing can shock me at this point. I just got back from playing Japan which was a huge culture shock for us. I don't think that Europe will be as big as a culture shock to us ( I've never been). I'm really excited for every part of the tour. We have dates lined in Russia, Scotland, Belgium, Germany and of course ending in the Netherlands! I've been lucky, we've always have great audiences that seem to enjoy what we do. I'm used to people dancing a lot at our shows so, I'm hoping Europe will embrace us as they have with lots of other Canadian Industrial bands before us. I guess, all I'm hoping for is that people will come, and enjoy themselves. I'm looking forward to meeting alot of new people too!


What's the worst nightmare you ever had?

Well, I had a dream dream that I lost someone who was really close to me and I woke up so shattered, it felt so real but it wasn’t.  On a more humourous note, I sometimes have anxiety and dreams about upcoming shows.  Once I dreamt that we got to a gig and the stage was made of logs, that were rolling.  We had to play on it somehow.  It was terrifying and hilarious.