Mel Parsons Masterton bound

Mel Parsons will play King Street Live in Masterton on May 7 in support of her latest album, Drylands. PHOTO/G BROWNE

Tours, shows, airports and roads made summer a mirage for Kiwi folk darling Mel Parsons this year.

The 33-year-old indie singer songwriter will play at King Street Live in Masterton on May 7 as part of her nationwide Drylands tour - a 22-date circuit that follows a six-week run of snow-choked performances in Canada and North America.

Also swelling her calendar over past months was an appearance at the Folk Alliance International in Kansas City as the only Kiwi invited to perform, several transtasman dates with Fly My Pretties, and slots at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland and the Womad festival in New Plymouth.

The latest tour is in support of her third studio album, Drylands, which was recorded in September at The Surgery in Wellington in the wake of her debut Over My Shoulder in 2009 and her sophomore album Red Grey Blue in 2011, both of which were named as Folk Album Of The Year finalists at the New Zealand Music Awards.

"It's not always this hectic but definitely the past six months has been everything all on, all at once.

"I totally missed the New Zealand summer -- I don't know what I was thinking there -- but things are great all the same. I'm not complaining."

The 13-track Drylands album dropped this month and was mixed, mastered and completed before Christmas. The tour repertoire will focus on the new tunes while also including favourites from her earlier recordings.

"It's been building and it's awesome people are getting to know who I am.

"The shows are getting bigger and more people are buying the album -- this probably is one of my busiest times.

"But taking a breath when you want is not really the nature of it. When it's all go, you really have to ride it -- you can't just say, 'Awww I think I'm tired now -- time for a break'.

"But I do have a scheduled holiday at the end of this tour," she said. "In late May I'll take a few days off, hopefully a week or so. I'll go somewhere without my computer or phone and have a proper chill-out. I haven't had a rest really since -- and I don't mean to make it more dramatic than it is -- but it's been pretty full-on since September."

She was pragmatic all the same, she said, and remains on point about the market penetration for her third album and live performances.

"Once you're getting a bit of recognition it's something you have to roll with while it's happening and that's fine. I'm pretty focused."

Parsons is a seasoned international traveller and performer who lived two years in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, and a year on the fringes of the Atacama Desert in Chile after spending her childhood on the family farm at Cape Foulwind near Westport.

Her mum, Janet, was born and bred at Tinui and Parsons still has family in Wairarapa including her aunty and medal-winning Kiwi Olympian and horsewoman, Judy "Tinks" Pottinger.

Her earlier Wairarapa shows include gigs in "a couple of woolsheds" alongside comedy duo Bitches' Box and as part of the Fly My Pretties collective.

Parsons and her three-piece backing band will play King Street Live on May 7 with support from UK-based alt folk singer songwriter Christof. Tickets cost $30 apiece and are available online at eventfinda.co.nz