Parenthetical Girls are set to release Privilege - the band’s new full length album - as a box set of five EPs sold separately in sequence over the next 15 months. The first, subtitled On Death & Endearments, is unleashed on 23 February.

We spoke to vocalist and song writer Zac Pennington about the EP’s lead off track ‘Evelyn McHale’, what to expect from a live performance and what the band's got in store for the next installment of Privilege. 

Individually, what do each of you bring to Parenthetical Girls?
The group Parenthetical Girls consists of a regularly revolving cast of players, who graciously orbit around the core of myself, multi-instrumentalist Rachael Jensen and producer/arranger Jherek Bischoff.

Jherek is a humbly prolific musician and engineer, and is instrumental in the recording capacity of the group. Rachael is an accomplished musician, the defacto leader of the live band, and my best friend. For my part, I write and sing the words, and operate as something of the creative director for the group.

What’s the mission for the band?
Parenthetical Girls are for all intents and purposes a pop group, and I think it might be in poor taste for a lowly pop group to purport to having something like a mission statement. But if I were feeling audacious, I might say this - pop music that doesn't suffer fools gladly. See how arrogant that sounds?

Tell us a bit about your latest single ‘Evelyn McHale’ – what can we expect?
'Evelyn McHale' is our tribute to Marc Bolan, by way of The Smiths's 'Panic'. Its namesake is a girl whose beauty in death is remembered more fondly than anything she did in life. Come to think of it, forget what I just said about mission statements - 'Evelyn McHale' is the closest thing Parenthetical Girls will probably ever come to a mission statement.

"At their best, our shows are camp-sick sub musical theatre. They're also that at their worst. To quote our favourite live review ever, 'What happens when irony multiples itself, and people lose sense of reality, self and maybe everything'."

What was the video like to shoot?
It was lovely. Also, it was terribly hot. Over 100 shadeless degrees F for two days. Also - those turkeys were awful. One of them completely destroyed Rachael's beautiful dress with its berry-stained shit. Just terrible.

Did you have much creative input into the shoot?
We worked pretty closely with our friend Judah Switzer on the concept - we've all been on a real Tarkovsky kick lately, and wanted to make something in modest homage. Very modest.

Is the single representative of Privilege, Pt 1: On Death & Endearments as a whole?
In a way, yes. It's indicative of the greater shift within Parenthetical Girls that's occurred over the few years since our last full length. 

What are you most proud of about the first Privilege EP?
Having had the balance of mind not to completely sabotage ourselves this time around. Not completely.

How important do you think it is to have a big gay following?
I think the diplomatic answer would be to say that sexual preference is as irrelevent in terms of audience as it should be in every aspect of life. That said, we do happily seem to maintain an inordinately large queer percentage amongst our fairly modest audience.   

Do you ever hit the gay clubs on a night out?
Portland is peculiar in its homo nightlife - from my vantage, it's mostly dominated by queer club nights rather than proper clubs, per se. I'm fairly misanthropic, and as such don't do much going out, but have taken them in on occasion.

"Sexual preference is as irrelevent in terms of audience as it should be in every aspect of life. That said, we do happily seem to maintain an inordinately large queer percentage amongst our fairly modest audience."   

Finish the sentence: A good night out starts with…
Low expectations.

It ends with…
As few tears as is practically possible.

What can the crowd expect from one of your gigs?
At their best, our shows are camp-sick sub musical theatre. They're also that at their worst. To quote our favourite live review ever, 'What happens when irony multiples itself, and people lose sense of reality, self and maybe everything'.
  
What would be your fantasy gig?
I've had the pleasure of corresponding a bit recently with Russell Mael of the group Sparks - I would love the opportunity to open for them. Or perhaps to perform in front of an orchesta arranged by Van Dyke Parks. But to begin with, I'd be happy to perform on a tour that broke even.

Two words:
Heroic Failure.

Can you give us a hint as to what to expect on the next Privilege EP?
Four songs. One that we're convinced sounds like Sade, but probably doesn't. We don't really know what to think anymore, frankly. We may have lost the plot.

Privilege, Pt. 1: On Death & Endearments, by Parenthetical Girls
Label: Slender Means Society
Released: 23 February 2010
ASIN: B002ZXOJMU

Buy Privilege, Pt. 1: On Death & Endearments, by Parenthetical Girls, online now and save.

Parenthetical Girls "Evelyn McHale" from judesays on Vimeo.