Varnaline

Crunch rock band Varnaline (rhymes with "gasoline") is the alter superego of guitarist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Anders Parker. Living in New York City, Parker, who was a contributing member of the indie rock group Space Needle, released his 4-track demos under the name Varnaline in 1996, calling the album Man of Sin. Indie label Zero Hour distributed it along with his 1997 EP A Shot and a Beer, both of which showcase the singer/songwriter's gritty punch and rough honesty. Teaming up with his brother, bassist John Parker, and Space Needle's Jud Ehrbar on drums and keyboards, the band released a self-titled full-length album in 1997. Released the following year, their third full-length album Sweet Life found the band writing more melodic and haunting songs, still keeping the heavy power that they had become known for. The unfortunate dissolution of Zero Hour Records left the band's status in limbo, and the band was no longer performing together; Parker, however, continued to record. Under the Varnaline moniker, he issued Songs in a Northern Key on Artemis Records in summer 2001.