The Parselmouths

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Fannish Band
Name: The Parselmouths
Type of music: Wizard Rock
Current Members:
Former Members: Elle Viane Sonnet(2004-2008), Kristina Horner (2004-2011), and Eia Waltzer (2008-2011)
Dates Active: 2004-2011; 2016
Fandom(s): Harry Potter
Links:
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The Parselmouths were a Seattle-based Wizard Rock band founded in 2004 by high school students Kristina Horner and Elle Viane Sonnet (then known by her maiden name Brittany Vahlberg). The Parselmouths are cited as one the earliest bands (potentially the second-oldest) in the genre and the first female-led band. [1][2][3]

History

Horner and Sonnet founded The Parselmouths in 2004[2] after seeing Harry and the Potters perform at University Bookstore in Seattle, WA.[4] The members decided to sing from the perspective of Slytherin girls. The band's wordpress page states:

A few other ideas tossed around included the Moaning Myrtles or the Pansy Parkinsons, but Kristina and Brittany both agreed it would be best not to confine themselves to one character. They liked the idea of being the Parselmouths because they could not only build their own characters, but they could write about virtually anything they wanted.... The premise of the band was to create and portray very real Slytherin girls because to them, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode are very two dimensional, and Kristina and Brittany wanted to try to give depth to a house that is usually slammed for just being a bunch of spoiled rich kids. They have put themselves into the Harry Potter world as silly, boycrazy, mean Slytherin girls, but the Parselmouths hope that you’ll see the deeper message in a lot of their songs. Just as Draco showed his weakness in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Kristina and Brittany of the Parselmouths try to show that Slytherins aren’t all just evil.[4]

In 2004, the band also included Charley Wright on Drums and Heather Hoganson on bass for an unknown period of time.[5] Later, in 2008, the band was supported by Nick Horner on drums and Matt Waltzer on bass. After Sonnet's departure, Alex Day also made contributions to the band.

In 2008, the duo became a trio with the addition of Eia Waltzer, a Gryffindor. Later that same year, Sonnet left the band.

The Parselmouths continued to be a active until approximately 2011 when Horner had to step back due to a diagnosis of vocal nodes[6]

The band's three primary members (Horner, Sonnet, and Waltzer) briefly reunited in 2016 at LeakyCon for a one-time performance. [7][8] Of the reunion, Kristina wrote on her blog:

But I cannot explain how it felt to be on stage again. I’d forgotten the chemistry we have when we perform. How well people know the lyrics to our songs. How much energy courses through you at a place like LeakyCon, onstage. It was incredible, and I was so filled with love and excitement, and it was a part of my life I really never thought I’d get back. I had accepted that some amazing things will only live in the past and was truly okay with that, but this felt… it just felt so real, and so right, and I’m so happy it went as well as it did.

Kristina Horner, 2016 https://kristinahorner.com/best-weekend-ever/

Discography

The Parselmouths' discography listed below was compiled from the Harry Potter Wiki and Your Wizard Rock Resource [3] [1]

Albums

  • Sssss [released October 2006, rereleased 17 September 2021]
  • Pretty in Pink (and Green) [released 7 July 2008]
  • Spattergroit [released 21 May 2009]

EPs

  • Illegal Love Potion [released June 2006]
  • Broken Hearted Slytherins [released 8 January 2008]

Compilation Album Appearances

  • "Anything We Want" (An Enchanted Christmas, Track #4) [released December 2006]
  • "Where is Draco?" (Wizards and Muggles Rock for Social Justice, Vol. 1, Track #21) [released 1 July 2007]
  • "Voldy Baby" (Jingle Spells: Leaky's Rocking Christmas 2007, Track #11) [released 10 December 2007]
  • "I Went With Draco to the Yule Ball" (Witches Wrock, Track #7) [released on 30 September 2008]
  • "Illegal Love Potion" (The Best of the 2007 Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club, Track #3) [released 24 October 2008]
  • "Who is Blaise Zabini?" (The Best of the 2007 Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club, Track #20) [released 24 October 2008]
  • "Santa Don't Judge Me" feat. Lauren Fairweather (Jingle Spells 2, Track #7) [released 10 December 2008]

Live Album Appearances

  • "Not Half Bad (live)" (Live At the Leaky Cauldron: Wizard Rock from Leakycon 2009, Tack #6) [released 25 October 2010]
  • "Never Gonna End (live)" (Live At the Leaky Cauldron: Wizard Rock from Leakycon 2009, Tack #7) [released 25 October 2010]
  • "Freaking Ask Me to the Yule Ball (live)" (LeakyCon 2011: Live at the Leaky Cauldron II, Track #13) [released 17 August 2016]
  • "This is Never Going to End (live)" LeakyCon 2011: Live at the Leaky Cauldron II, Track #14) [released 17 August 2016]

Features

  • "This Will Never Work" by Catchlove feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths (Where Do We Go From Here?, Track #10) [released 17 July 2007, rereleased 16 December 2016]
  • "Snape vs. Snape" by Ministry of Magic feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths (The Triwizard EP, Track #3) [released 9 August 2007]; this song also appeared on the compilation album One More Peaceful Day in August 2007]
  • "O Holey Night" by Ministry of Magic feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths (Jingle Spells, Track #9)
  • "Goodbye Privet Drive" by Ministry of Magic feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths (Goodbye Privet Drive, Track #2) [released 22 July 2008]
  • "Fair Fortune: A Wrock Opera" by The Butterbeer Experience feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths, Erin of The House of Black, Jason of Ministry of Magic & Christie of Hawthorn & Holly (Songs from Beedle the Bard, Track #5) [released 21 February 2009]
  • "Lily" by Ministry of Magic feat. Kristina of The Parselmouths (Magic is Might, Track #4) [released 10 December 2010]

Links

WordPress Blog

LiveJournal Community

MySpace Page

YouTube Channel

Sources and Notes

  1. ^ https://www.mugglenet.com/2016/11/wrock-spotlight-parselmouths/
  2. ^ a b https://geekfrontiers.com/the-birth-of-wizard-rock/
  3. ^ a b https://yourwizardrockresource.wordpress.com/artists-and-bands/the-parselmouths/
  4. ^ a b https://theparselmouthsband.wordpress.com/about/
  5. ^ https://theparselmouths.livejournal.com/6234.html
  6. ^ Source needed. This information is from the memory of user EllieElls98. She believes it came from one of Kristina's YouTube videos, but is not sure.
  7. ^ https://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2016/08/19/mudbloods-parselmouths-to-reunite-at-leakycon-2016-see-the-full-wizard-rock-lineup/#google_vignette
  8. ^ https://www.mugglenet.com/2016/11/wrock-spotlight-parselmouths/
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