No '80s television fans, JamisonParker has nothing to do with the Simon & Simon star. Besides, he spells his first name with an "E." Instead, they're a sprightly emo-rock duo made up of Jamison Covington (vocals, guitars) and Parker Case (guitars, bass, drums, vocals). Covington and Case met through a mutual friend a few days before Covington was moving from California back to his homestate of Kentucky. Covington had already been a fan of Case's onetime band Astoria, so the two kept in touch and traded demo tapes via snail mail. Eight months later, Covington left behind his country boy roots and returned to California to officially form JamisonParker in early 2003. The band played around town, mostly for friends. Then the promoter of the Asbury Park, New Jersey Surf and Skate Fest caught one of JP's "guerilla" sets (they were playing by the event's merch booths and at offsite hotels) and invited them to play on the Skate Fest stage the following day. Seven-hundred people witnessed one of the band's first shows. JamisonParker eventually connected with Interscope Records, which issued the band's Notes & Photographs EP in late 2003. Co-produced with Dave Trumfio, it reflected both JamisonParker's pop sensibilities and their lyrical emo tinges. The duo did well with the MySpace and Purevolume nations, and by the 2005 of their full-length Sleepwalker they'd developed quite a following. That July and August JP toured with Motion City Soundtrack and An Angle in support of the album. Live, Covington and Case were joined by drummer Jarrod Alexander and bassist Ted Vega. ~ Christina Fuoco
