Writer/Composer: Katarra Parson; Production: Katarra Parson, Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin; Mixing/Mastering Engineer: Kevin Koehler; Videographer: Loutribe Jig; Creative Advisor: Nyara Williams; Cast: Katarra, Maya “Maxa Sherrell,” Kevin Koehler, IkeZero, JerMarco, Cam Randomess Spirit, Drea Vocalz.
Seated on the patio of MoKaBe’s, Katarra Parson pointed across the street to Tower Grove Park while discussing the filming location for her first music video, “Phoenix Rising.”
On a recent Tuesday morning, life imitated art as the skies again turned dark, the leaves rustled, and plastic chairs blew into the road. The weather moved on quickly enough, but only after causing our free-ranging conversation about art, music, and identity to move indoors.
Katarra (who performs under her first name) says the song is part of a nine-song album, Cocoa Voyage, which will be released by the FarFetched collective/label this fall. For Katarra, the song is a meaningful one that documents what she describes as a “personal struggle, which is the irony of being an introvert with social anxiety, along with being an artist. The song’s about never allowing people to walk all over you, take your voice away from you. It’s about gaining your power back, regardless of what society says, and getting rid of any toxic energies going on in your life.
“People ask me about my music, about my brand,” Katarra adds. “I can’t pinpoint that. It’s literally me. That’s dangerous territory as people might not like what you do.”
To date, though, plenty of people have appreciated her approach. She lists some contemporaries with whom she’s worked among her favorite artists: Damon Davis, Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin, Tonina Saputo... She’s shared stages or a recording studio with some of the artists, consulted and written with others.
“I have a lot of material that I want to put out,” she says. “I have four albums of material lined up. I’ve been holding a lot of this music back for a long time. But I’m getting over my anxiety and putting it out now. I feel like this song’s my statement, that I’m using this video to be my foothold into the St. Louis music community.
"I feel that as I’ve been performing locally, people have been waiting [for an album]," she adds. "Now it’s OK for me to say, ‘This is who I am. This is the vulnerability that I exude. I’m going to be in this for a while, so get used to me.’ But said in the most polite way possible."
Katarra will play in a trio format at The Dark Room at the Grandel Theatre this Saturday, August 24. The show begins at 10 p.m.
