Paralandra at Jergel's Rhythm Grille

From the beginning, hard rock band, Paralandra, decided to concentrate on creating pure, heartfelt music, no matter how it came out. They have not wavered from this approach, and continue to strive to provide a product that is a sincere and unique expression of themselves, both lyrically and musically. The band started in the summer of 2013 as, Casandra Carson (lead vocal and guitar), decided to create a band to perform the songs she had begun writing. Everything clicked when reunited with Casandra’s former high school friend, Nick Gray, who also had been writing and wishing to perform in an original rock band. Within less than 2 months, the newly formed band began playing live and recording. Paralandra’s first 12-song CD, Rise Up, was released in June of 2014, and reorders were a necessity to keep up with demand from sales at live performances. Paralandra is known for their high energy while on stage. They have created an intentional and orchestrated show for all viewers to enjoy, not only to listen to, but to watch. Each song, transition, key, tempo, and crowd interaction is carefully thought out and designed to create an entertainment experience that will never be forgotten. They soon began to enjoy more widespread and high profile shows, including opening for Fuel, Hinder, Scott Weiland, Wayland, Art of Dying, Lacey Sturm, TRAPT, and more, as well as playing to local crowds as large as 7,500. They have also been invited to numerous showcases across the country, including playing in David Ivory’s (multi Grammy winning producer of Halestorm, The Roots, and more) showcase at the Millennium Music Conference in 2015 and SXSW in Austin, Texas in March of 2016. They have been blessed to receive many appreciated accolades in their still fresh musical journey, such as being nominated “Best Original Band” by the readers of 417 Magazine, “Best Musical Performance” on the late night talk show, The Mystery Hour, “Year's Best Band Performance” by Ozarks LIVE! on KOZL, a CBS television network, #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart, as well as consistently holding a top-10 spot on the Reverbnation Rock Charts. Paralandra formed in the summer of 2013 when Casandra Carson and her dad, Paul Carson, began writing songs together to play a one-time event at their local county 4th of July celebration. The response was so positive, and they enjoyed it so much, they decided to continue booking shows and writing songs. They recorded and released a homemade CD titled Rise Up; which sold over 1,000 copies at local shows. Shortly after, friend and local musician, Sawyer Rikard, joined the band on bass guitar in 2015, bringing their stage sound and performance to another level. In March of 2016, they released a follow-up EP, All Fall Down, which debuted #1 on the BIllboard Heatseekers chart. They soon began touring and being invited to festivals such as Rocklahoma, SXSW, Rockfest, Dirtfest, Loud in Lima, etc. In 2018, they joined forces with Legend Recordings, and released another EP, Ascension, which became their biggest release yet with singles “Back to Life” and “Killer Queen” landing on the radio. Shortly after, they added local powerhouse drummer (and childhood friend of Sawyer), Dakota Watson, to form the rhythm section Casandra, Paul, and Sawyer had always dreamed of. In 2019, they recorded standalone single, Love Will Win, with producer/videographer, Jake Jones, which gained even more radio play, and placed them on numerous national tours; supporting artists such as Tantric, Saliva, Yngwie Malmsteen, Dokken, and being added to the KISS Kruise and NAMM Show. The band continued to write, record, livestream, and perform wherever they could during the 2020 pandemic, and only continued to gain traction and fans from all over the world. Reaching out on a whim, they won over the attention of renowned producer/songwriter, Elvis Baskette, and shortly thereafter, entered the studio to record their first professionally made, full length album, Street Magic, in 2021. This release proved to be a monumental success, skyrocketing their audience with over 5 million views and streams across all platforms. Radio singles from this release alone include For the Record, Despicable, Repeat Offender, Can’t Quench the Fire, and Only Human. This momentum raged into 2022 as they continued performing across the country on multiple headlining tours, as well as opening for legendary names like Lita Ford, Warrant, Firehouse, and Last in Line, and adding stops at festivals like Rocklahoma, Rock Fest, and Inkcarceration. In the spring 2023, they re-entered the studio with Elvis Baskette to record their second full length album “The Body Electric”, and this time recorded 10 songs. They spent the rest of the year touring nonstop, headlining from the northeast all the way to the West Coast, including headlining at Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip. They continued to add shows with bands such as Warrant, Last in Line, and Liliac along the way, and in their downtime, began filming music videos to help promote the release of “The Body Electric”. 2024 has arguably been Paralandra‘s biggest year to date. They began with the release of “Dirty Love”, the first single off their new album, which was paired with an epic and highly entertaining music video in classic Paralandra fashion. They promptly hit the road, headlining the Winter Heat Tour which lead them down to Key West, FL, where they performed at RokIsland Fest alongside bands like Winger, Brett Michaels, Night Ranger, LA Guns, Mr Big, and Stone Temple Pilots, and jamming with musicians from bands like Trixter, E’Nuff Z’Nuff, and Wigwam. They released follow up singles “Love of My Life” and “Look At Me Now”, as the anticipation and album release grew nearer. Each single generated overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and press alike, which led to the milestone of releasing “The Body Electric” on April 4, 2024. They would later would release a music video for follow up single “Give Me A Reason”, which was filmed at their hometown album release show in Springfield, MO. Paralandra continued to book larger headlining tours across the country, hitting familiar markets and visiting new ones, while simultaneously opening for acts such as Lita Ford, Warrant, Vixen, Tantric, Lynch Mob, and Sevendust, making 2024 their busiest and largest touring year to date. Without investing into radio promotion, and without the help of a record label, Paralandra independently generated over half a million streams on “The Body Electric” alone by the end of 2024. In 2025, Paralandra is slated to hit the road January-March as direct support for Lynch Mob as they embark on their Final Ride Tour. Paralandra shows no signs of slowing down as their streaming numbers continue to climb, tours continue to be booked, and new music continues to be written.