Asbury Alum Signs with Virgin Records

December 21, 2021

Abe Parker, a 2011 Asbury graduate, advanced his career in the music industry with a recent contract, signing with the record label and music distributor Virgin Records.

Parker’s musical journey began at Asbury as a soloist and band member, with participation in talent shows, concerts in the student center, and even performance slots in the highly popular Ichthus music festival.

Touching on one of his Asbury memories, Parker said he and his punk rock band “did a show in the Student Center, and we wanted to have something funny to do in the show. We thought it would be a good idea to steal two of Professor Flanigan’s gongs.”

Parker explained, “The ticket to get in was a tennis ball, and a certain point in the song, we wanted them to take the tennis ball and throw them at the gongs.” He continued, amused, “They ended up just throwing them at us the whole show.”

Parker was a part of a band formed during his sophomore year at Asbury called “Rookie,” but after the band broke up during his senior year, Parker moved onto and pursued a solo artist-centered path in his performing and artistic career.

After graduating, he transitioned into the music industry by entering a contest to win an opening performance for Andy Grammar, which Parker won. He opened for Grammar in Washington, D.C., and afterwards lived in his car and played original songs on the street in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland.

After years of ups and down in the music industry, Parker was approached by major record labels like Universal Records and Capitol Records but decided to start his career with a short contract with Virgin Records.

Parker is a verified artist on Spotify, as well as being featured in major Spotify playlists such as “New Music Friday,” “Sad Hour,” and “Chill Pop.” His discography consists of numerous singles throughout the past eight years, covers of major hit songs, a 2018 album called “Home Park,” and two of Parker’s most recent singles which have hit well over a million streams.

The Fearless Class of 2011 Asbury graduate has also worked with popular artists such as Andy Mineo, David Crowder, and Lecrae on lyric and sonic production, and is featured on the Christmas singles “We Three Kings” and “Joy” with Lecrae, along with Trip Lee and Paul Russell.

As well as working with well-known Christian music artists, Parker incorporates faith-based principles into his more secular song concepts.

“I want to reach people who don’t know the Lord,” said Parker, explaining his intentional balance between faith-based songs and non-faith subjects, “My goal is to, out of every twelve songs, to have one of them be about Jesus.”

Parker elaborated that he desires to create music that all listeners can relate to, but to also be able to integrate faith into his music so he can connect with both audiences. That, to him, is the most impactful way of sharing his faith.

Parker currently releases sad-pop songs that encapsulate difficult lessons and hurtful emotions that he had experienced in the past. He can be found on major streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube music.

“My goal is to write songs that connect with people and give them a way to describe what they’re going through,” said Parker.

He recently released a new single titled “Stupid Face,” combining with his other singles to make an upcoming extended play (EP) album. For further updates on Abe Parker and his upcoming music, visit https://www.abeparker.net/