Afterlife Parade

Afterlife Parade is a musical collective and recording project born out of the heart and mind of singer/songwriter Quinn Erwin in the wake of loss and search for identity.

Having recently relocated to Nashville, he found himself surrounded by a series of losses in his own life and in the lives of those close to him. Compelled by a desire to comfort the mourning, Erwin suddenly found himself embarking on a new direction musically – one inspired by the notion that death is a homecoming, rather than a reason for grief.

“I couldn't recall if I had ever heard any songs about death that were triumphant and celebratory,” he explains. “So I made it my mission to write one.”

That initial inspiration became a verse. The verse became a song. The song would eventually take Erwin in an unexpected direction entirely, launching the creation of a band.

Afterlife Parade was born.

True to its namesake, its sound is large and triumphant, while being quietly wise; celebrating both life's glories and its tradgedies. Like any procession, it is comprised of a rotating cast of players and personalities giving it a life of its own in expression and execution; every show is a surprise and a call for the audience to interact with the band in a unique way.

“As much as I am the voice and the heart behind it, Afterlife Parade is it's own entity because of my friends and because they've added their own touch to its sound...it's not just me,” says Erwin.

Afterlife Parade has a proud list of alumni including players like Jeremy McCoy (producer and touring bassist for The Fray), Jason Morant (producer in I Am The Actor), Jeremy Lutito (producer and drummer for Leagues, ), Dan Brigham (producer and leader of Canon Blue), Frederick Williams (producer, programmer, and touring pianist for Mat Kearney), Scott Murray (touring guitarist for Jessie Baylin), Cara Slaybaugh (Cellist for Gungor), Tony Clucas (live drummer and percussionist), Simon Gugala (live guitarist and multi-instrumentalist), Colin Henderson (live guitarist), and Jared Foldy (singer/songwriter and live bassist). This roster continues to grow and change as Afterlife Parade grows and changes.

“I think it keeps things fresh for us and the crowd because every show is so different. Some shows it's just me out there, sometimes we strip things down to acoustic instruments, and sometimes we rock out...we're just trying to be sensitive to the needs of the environments we play in, the needs of the players, and the needs of our audience,” Erwin further reflects, “In the end, AP wants to be a community cultivating organism...the audience is as much a part of the band as I am or we are...the process starts with an instrument and a voice, but it's our combined voices that make it a parade.”

Raw and deeply triumphant, Afterlife Parade is a Nashville based indie rock collective that's sound combines life's hard fought wisdom with the roar of street cadences and ticker tape. It is music that beckons hearts to march.