Parade is an experimental pop-rock trio based out of Toronto, Ontario and featuring Stefan Hegerat (drums, compositions), Chris Pruden (synthesizers) and Laura Swankey (voice, electronics). Drawing on their diverse backgrounds in jazz, classical, and electronic music, the trio pushes the boundaries of genre and form by blurring the lines between improvisation and composition to create unique and immersive sonic landscapes.

“Do You Know Where Your Friends Are Right Now?” was inspired by the social media fueled mental health crisis. It has been extremely distressing, for Stefan‘s work as a music educator, to see how badly young people are struggling with anxiety and depression and he feels that there is a responsibility as an artist to advocate for solutions.

Their LP, Lullabies After Storms and Floods, was largely inspired by Stefan‘s work as a grassroots organizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The compositional content of the album provides both a critique of the institutions and systems which threaten our very existence, and utopian imaginings of a healing world. The hope behind Parade is that the music dwells on all we have to celebrate, while acknowledging all we have to mourn.

• What can you share with readers about your new project?

This record is the collection of a lot of ideas that were percolating during the pandemic. When music activities shut down I put all of my energy into activism. I started doing outreach work in the encampments in Toronto and got heavily involved with the racial justice movement. I have held strong anti-capitalist sentiments for many years but the failure of our governments to protect and care for vulnerable citizens and the disgusting displays of police brutality further radicalized me. The songs from “Lullabies After Storms and Floods” are documentation of my experiences working in those spaces and encapsulate my belief that we are strongest together and that it’s through community that we can survive and thrive.

• How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the
• past?

This is definitely the most overtly political music I’ve ever released (and the next one is going to take that to the next level). It’s also the first music I’ve ever released where I wrote all of the lyrics. 

• What about this single makes you most proud?

I’m proud that I succinctly name the issue, which is that social media is brutalizing our mental health. I managed to be poetic and cheeky without veiled metaphors or abstraction. 

• Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

This is the band’s first LP so that in of itself feels like a major accomplishment. Cross pollinating with artists in other mediums has always been a goal of this project and through our collaborations with visual artist Karen Augustine and Animacy Theatre Collective this was definitely accomplished!

• What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

Creation is the deepest pleasure I have ever known and it’s how I keep despair at bay when the world is at its worst. Art is resistance. It’s how I contribute to the struggle for collective liberation and I’m consistently motivated to do so by all the incredible artists and activists around the world who are fighting for a better world. 

• If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

Dead = Prince. I’m obsessed. His super bowl halftime show is the pinnacle. Even if it was SOLELY playing tambourine, I’m all in. 

Alive = Aldous Harding. She is my favourite songwriter, hands down. Even just spending time in a room with her getting to hear her voice acoustically and up close would be incredible. 

• What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

I’m listening to “Strange Mercy” by St. Vincent as we speak. It’s been a while and it’s really giving me all the feels. I already mentioned Prince and Aldous Harding but to name a few more….Rilo Kiley, Tanya Tagaq, System of a Down. 

• Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

Instagram is the best. @stefanhegerat and @paradeonparade.

• I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

Thanks for the excellent questions! Be kind to yourself and love your neighbours (even the most difficult one).

“I take a community based approach to music making and my focus with Parade is to exist in and create spaces that foster collaboration while working alongside other artists to drive positive social change,” explains Stefan. “I find it impossible to separate my music from my life as an activist and so a lot of Parade‘s music directly confronts issues of climate and racial justice.”