Luan Parle is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of 9 and upon signing with Anim Records recorded her first album at the age of 12. Some years later she signed a record deal with Sony Music and SonyBMG. Parle has won a number of awards throughout her career, including Meteor Ireland Music Award for Best Irish Female and has written and recorded with a number of other songwriters and producers including Bill Bottrell, Chris Kimsey, and Billy Steinberg. Parle signed with Elton John's owned Management Company Twenty-First Artists and, following a signing with Sony Records, released her album Free in 2007. As of 2020, Parle has released three studio albums and an EP. Her latest album Never Say Goodbye was released in February 2020. Her Top 10 hit single "Ghost" spent three months in the Irish Charts and was the most-played Irish single in the same year, also featuring on several Number 1 compilation albums.
Early life
Parle's début album, First Impressions, was released after she signed to Anim Records at the age of 12 following an appearance on The Late Late Toy Show. Around the same time, Parle also performed on The Kenny Live Show, School Around The Corner and Live at 3. Parle was offered a recording contract in Nashville at 13 but being so young her parents decided it would be best for her to return to school and continue her education.
Career
Early career
In 2002 Parle signed to Sony Music Ireland and released her first single with Sony – a Diane Warren penned cover titled "When I See You Smile" – followed by a self-penned single "More Than a Ghost". Parle later went on to re-record the song, changing the title to "Ghost". "Ghost" spent 12 weeks in the Irish Charts, peaking at number 10. Parle recorded "Ghost" in Irish, as "Taibhse", for Ceol 08 which reached number 1 in the compilation Irish Album Charts. Having signed a management deal with Twenty-First Artists, which was Elton John's owned management company, Parle joined James Blunt on his UK and Irish tour and opened for Elton three nights at London's Hammersmith Apollo. Parle recorded an album with Grammy Award-winning producer Bill Bottrell in Mendocino, California. As of 2020, the album has yet to be released. She holds the Meteor Ireland Music Award for ‘Best Irish Female’, other accolades include ‘Tatler Woman of the Year’ Music Award. In 2010, Parle released her album The Full Circle with one of the tracks "Sita" featuring on A Women's Heart Then & Now. In 2012, "The Little Match Girl", a co-write with Gavin Ralston, featured on RTÉ Radio 1's album release A Murray Christmas which went to No. 1 in the Official Irish Compilations Chart.
2013–present
"My Hero" was released in 2013. This song was written by Parle and Gavin Ralston with secondary school students during a songwriting workshop. The song topped the iTunes charts and reached No. 7 in the Official Irish Charts. It went viral on several entertainment news sites and made the top stories that year. Paddy Power was taking bets for a Christmas No. 1. In November 2014, Parle released "Day Is Done" taken from Parle's EP Roll the Dice. Further single releases "Roll the Dice" and "You’re Not Here" followed, which all topped the iTunes Chart; "Day Is Done" peaked at No. 8 in the Irish Radio Airplay Chart reaching an audience of almost 8 million listeners. In February 2017, Parle released "Give Me Shelter" from her Songs From The Vault Collection. "Give Me Shelter" was the first release from a series of monthly digital releases and topped the iTunes Chart on the first day of release. During September 2017, Parle returned to the classroom alongside IMRO to deliver a songwriting workshop to the students of Coláiste Chill Mhantáin. The resulting song, "Your Love Still Guides My Way", was released through Parle's own label LPR Records and was launched by Minister for HealthSimon Harris. All proceeds were donated to the Irish Heart Foundation and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. "Your Love Still Guides My Way" went straight to No.1 in iTunes and No. 10 in the Official Singles Downloads Chart on Friday 29 September 2017. During 2019, Parle presented a songwriting series for IMRO & RTÉ's Ireland's Favourite Folk Song in which Parle interviewed other Irish singers/songwriters. Ireland's Favourite Folk Song was launched on The Late Late Show in January 2019 where Parle joined a line up of Irish artists, including Eleanor McEvoy and Paddy Casey to perform a rendition of On Raglan Road. Parle joined the Elaine Show panel on Virgin Media One in March 2019. She has been on the IASCA board of directors since its inception in 2009. After spending a number of years touring with guitarist Clive Barnes in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ireland, Parle returned to the studio to record her fourth studio album Never Say Goodbye, released 7 February 2020. The album features 10 original tracks including two co-writes with Dire Straits guitarist Hal Lindes. "My Something Beautiful", the first single from the album, was released on 17 January 2020, kicking off Parle's 2020 tour.
