Parade (group)
| Company type | Girl group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Defunct | 2013-02-11 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Key people | Emily Biggs, Lauren Deegan, Bianca Claxton, Jessica Agombar, Sian Charlesworth |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Parent | Asylum Records (until 2011) |
Parade was a British girl group previously signed to Asylum Records. The lineup featured Emily Biggs, Lauren Deegan, Bianca Claxton, Jessica Agombar, and Sian Charlesworth. The group officially disbanded on 11 February 2013 after Claxton's exit.
Pre-Parade
Prior to forming Parade, Biggs was a member of the girl band Hope, Charlesworth performed with City Girls, and Agombar appeared in the film St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.
2009–2011: Debut album Parade
Their first single, "Louder", achieved a peak position of number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. This was followed by the release of "Perfume", which reached number 38. The group's eponymous debut album was released in November 2011 but did not meet commercial expectations, peaking at No. 171 in the UK and failing to enter the top 100 despite having a top ten single. As a result, Parade was dropped by Asylum Records. During this period, they also acted as ambassadors for women's football, Clean and Clear, and the self-tanning brand St. Tropez.
2012: Work on second album and dissolution
In 2012, Parade began creating their sophomore album, collaborating with UK producer Tim Powell, noted for his work with Girls Aloud and Sugababes, including on the track "Light Me Up". They also partnered with writers and producers such as Ed Drewett, Fred Ball, MNEK, K-Gee, Jamal Hadaway, and Tre Jean-Marie.
On 11 July 2012, "Light Me Up" was made available as a complimentary download through their official blog.
On 11 February 2013, Parade announced via Twitter that following Claxton’s departure, the remaining members decided to disband. They confirmed that from 2012 until their split in 2013 they were no longer signed after being dropped in 2011. Their announcement highlighted that Parade was defined by its five members and expressed gratitude towards fans for their ongoing support while indicating plans for individual solo projects.
After the breakup, several unreleased songs appeared on SoundCloud including "Lose It," produced by RedOne and sampling Reel 2 Real’s "I Like To Move It". Other unreleased tracks intended for their second album Chaos included "(Come) On The Double," "Puppet Master (Dance For Me)," and "Throw It Up In The Air," which they performed during their UK tour supporting The Wanted.
Live performances
Parade supported high-profile artists such as Shakira and Alexandra Burke, and accompanied Shayne Ward on his "Up Close and Personal" UK tour in March 2011. They also opened for The Wanted during their "The Code" UK arena tour in 2012. Festival appearances included the Isle of Wight Festival 2011 and Isle of MTV 2011 held in Malta. Additional significant support slots involved performing with the Black Eyed Peas at their concert at Alton Towers, as well as touring alongside Westlife and Boyzone, including shows at Lytham Proms and the Inverness Show.
Aftermath
Following Parade’s split, members Agombar and Claxton embarked on solo ventures. In 2014, Agombar released singles "Bam Bam" and "Bam Bam Pt. 2", followed by her debut EP in 2015. She later established a successful career as a songwriter, co-writing hits such as "I Love You's" for Hailee Steinfeld, "What a Man Gotta Do" for Jonas Brothers, and "Dynamite" for K-pop sensation BTS, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and international rankings. Claxton released her debut EP Hi-5 in May 2015 and competed to represent the UK at Eurovision 2016. She has worked extensively as a session and backing vocalist for artists including Leona Lewis, Kylie Minogue, and Cher. Additionally, Claxton has contributed songwriting to performers such as Paola Lezzi (Paola & Chiara) and Swedish group Dream Beats, notably writing 'End Before We Start' for Claire Richards.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Album Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| Parade |
|
171 |
Singles
| Release Year | Single Title | Highest Chart Rankings | Associated Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | SCO | |||
| 2011 | "Louder" | 10 | 41 | 7 | Parade |
| "Perfume" | 38 | — | 36 | ||