It began with some demanding fans who wanted Kat Parsons to record new material so badly that they helped fund her latest album, No Will Power.

She set up a pre-ordering system of "creative and hard goods," whereby a $500 contribution, for example, included four tickets to an album release party, four signed concert posters plus a song dedication of their choice during the release party performance and an invitation to sing backup on a song. For $20, an investor received a personalized, signed copy of the album, and $55 bought three. One thousand dollars immortalized a supporter in the album credits, and afforded them lunch with Parsons.

And that's kind of it. The result is an album mostly of break-up songs that explores an honestly rarely put into words, let alone music.

"I learned so much while recording this album…a lot of about the re-writing and recording process. And those are things I will take with me as I work on new
material."

"The support was wonderful," says Parsons, who was born in Austria but raised in Maryland. She grew up in a family of musicians: dad was an opera singer, mom a singer-songwriter, her brother played piano, guitar, French horn and trumpet…and the list goes on. Her grandmother was even a singer, and five aunts are into music as well.

"There is always music in my house and it has been a great tool for expression in my entire family," she says. "We even harmonize to the clock chime in our kitchen...so dorky, I know."

When she was recording the album, she was still in the midst of a relationship that later split and revealed an intensity of truth and honesty in the songs. It's that raw quality that's getting her noticed.

"It felt really great to be able to express myself in that way," says Parsons. "I could kind of tell him everything I wanted to tell him but hadn't. And I am so flattered and warmed by the response I get to the songs- at live shows, through emails, etc. the way in which people say this album has connected and helped them is the best gift of all. I know it sounds so cliché, but it's true."

Parsons is now writing new songs and touring in the Los Angeles area after a stint on MTV's show SCORE with Ryan Cabrera. And as for music, she has a few holiday must-haves of her own.

They include PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love, Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine and "anything Patty Griffin."

For more information visit: http://www.katparsons.com