Pop group Parachute lands in Wolf Den Thursday

March 28, 2016 12:00 am • Last Updated: March 29, 2016 5:29 pm

By Rick Koster
Day Arts/Features writer

The members of Parachute, from left, Johnny Stubblefield, Will Anderson and Kit French. (Chuck Willis)

The dense cobweb called pop music is confusing. On the one hand, as per industry formulae that crank out the Mileys and Katys and Justins and Selenas, some might think the format and templates have never been more rigid or narrow.

A more parallax interpretation, though, suggests that, through cross-pollination with rap, funk, soul, EDM, world music and even metal, “pop” has never been more diverse.

For Parachute, the Charlottesville, Va., acts behind such hummable tunes as “She Is Love,” “Something to Believe In,” “Kiss Me Slowly” and the brand-new “Crave,” pop music is ... well, just pop music. It’s a radio-happy concept where bands play, write and sing with a minimum of studio wizardry, and the polished choruses and emotions have echoed consistently from Buddy Holly and the Beatles and Hall & Oates and The Cars.

“There’s a standard we have and follow that’s pretty traditional,” says Kit French, the keyboardist/saxophonist for Parachute. The band, touring behind their latest “Wide Awake” album, headlines Thursday in the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den. “We’re not going against modern pop music, and we incorporate some of those techniques. But we have a real love for classic pop, and we enjoy playing real instruments in the studio and onstage.” He laughs. “We’re heavy on the organic quality of the music.”

Parachute formed at the University of Virginia with undergrads French, guitarist/vocalist Will Anderson, drummer Johnny Stubblefield, bassist Alex Hargrave and guitarist Nate McFarland. In the tradition of a lot of groups that formed on Southern campuses — Better Than Ezra, Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, REM and Sister Hazel — Parachute used the “school days” vibe to help formulate a pleasant and infectious sound that seems relatively free of rancor or rebellion.

French says, “We actually all started music in junior high when we realized none of us could play basketball. Music was something we had the heart and instinct for. And, at Virginia, it all came together. There’s just something about that college atmosphere that’s different than maybe the traditional route to music where you jump in a van and just go. We were made aware of music’s limitations and possibilities in a different way, and we were able to hone in on that and make it work.”

After releasing an independent EP as Sparky’s Flaw in 2005, the band’s reputation grew, and their catalog expanded and grew more sophisticated. Changing their name to Parachute, they signed with a subsidiary of Mercury Records and, in 2009, their major label debut, “Losing Sleep,” came out and charted on Billboard at no. 40. Since then, with albums like “The Way It Was” and “Overnight,” Parachute established a listener-embracing sound that meant they were nice support attractions on tours with such diverse artists as Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw and the Plain White T’s.

“Wide Awake” seems to focus on what the band does best — hook-feathered harmonies, concise song structures and narratives about life and relationships. But there’s a decided maturity to the recording, both in terms of composition and lyrical tone.

One obvious difference is that both McFarland and Hargrave left Parachute, and the album was recorded as a three-piece. While the group will tour as a five-piece, the studio experience was new and revelatory with just the core trio.

“We tried to approach the process in the same way but learned there was a kind of freeing effect with less people in the studio,” French says. “It actually all came together very quickly, and the title — ‘Wide Awake’ — reflects that liberation. There wasn’t as much need for compromise, and I think that became very positive.”

Another aspect of the album’s overall mood is simply that, as humans, the musicians are getting older. Stuff that might have seemed paramount at the age of 21 might still be important but now is viewed through the prism of maturity and experiences.

“Those elements very much came into play,” French says. “Will writes a lot of the songs — he’ll come up with the skeleton of a tune and lyrical ideas, but he’s always open to suggestions and contribution — and the truth is, I think the songs now are more about honesty and are more emotionally open. I think they’re a lot less about mistakes and more about making the right decisions and choices.”