Diving deep into the mind of a travelling musician with Troi Parker-Roth

Troi Parker-Roth is a nomadic folk singer/songwriter living in a van with her two cats. She travels around the UK playing festivals and gigs and is currently showcasing her upcoming album ‘Let The Wild Things Grow’, full of free spirited, nature inspired songs.

Was your decision to live alternatively a sudden realisation or a build up of moments over time?

The desire to live freely and alternatively has always been inside of me but the real change began after I went on a 6 month solo trip around South East Asia in 2023. When I was there I saw so many people living in different ways, I found a deeper connection & trust with myself and realised there were more ways to live in this world than climbing a career ladder. When I came back I couldn’t go back to a 9-5 job after experiencing the freedom and liberation I had so I chose to get a van instead. I felt it was a good way to keep travelling and also allow me peruse music seriously and hoped it would open up doors for me as I would expand my reach and gig opportunities by being on the road.

How do you approach making major life decisions?

I listen closely to my body which is usually telling me exactly what I do and don’t want. Sometimes it is unclear so I try and experiment with things to see what works and trust that in time my body will gather enough information to help bring me clarity and lessons, which it always does but sometimes it’s scary to trust the process when I want the safety of knowing the outcome. There have been many times though that my body feels very strongly about something, I feel an intense urge, passion and fire to move towards something, or away from something and I have no choice but to listen, especially when it comes to major life decisions. This is something I talk about a lot through my music and lyrics. My songs Vicarious Living and Space to Sail particularly reference the idea that I have a burning fire or dream that I need to chase and that I have to block out the noise, fears and doubts and connect to my internal voice and stop at nothing to create the reality or peace I am searching for.

Have you ever made a major life decision based on the needs or opinions of someone else?

Of course. I’ve spent a lot of my life putting other people’s needs, desires and opinions before my own and I can still fall into this pattern sometimes but I’ve been on a big journey with it all. A few years ago I realised that I was very out of touch with who I really was and I had to start from scratch trying to check in with myself, practice learning what I enjoyed and needed. I had no idea what a yes and no felt like in my body without feeling overwhelmed by my head analysing everything, and I can still struggle with this today but I have done so much learning and work around boundaries and understanding what I need that my decisions are becoming more aligned and opening more doors for me.

What core values guide your decisions and actions in life?

Where do I start haha. Curiosity/authenticity/individuality and self expression are pretty high up there along with passion and autonomy. This probably links to my strong sense of fire and determination and courage when it comes to big decisions and following my dreams. I have a mug in my van that says “be the change that you wish to see in the world” by Gandhi and I guess I wish to see more people feel safe enough to freely express themselves and choose things that nurture their soul and fill their cup up so that we can share this love and joy with others. If it’s a ripple effect than I guess I’m working on being a stone who throws myself into the pond first in the hope to inspire others.

I’m also highly empathic and compassionate and feel equality & balance is important . This also factors into my decision making a lot although this can be a blessing and a curse.

Finally – Connection. Nurturing and cultivating beautiful people around me who are supportive, encouraging, inspiring and caring so that we can help each other through the waves of life and hold eac hother in our successes and our pain.

How have your values evolved over time?

I’m not sure if my values have changed that much over time but my relationship and awareness around them has. I have a lot more acceptance for myself and others knowing that we can have different values without it affecting my sense of self and it also helps guide me to people who aligns and share similar values to me, creating deeper and more fulfilling friendships.

What are your hobbies?

Writing, playing and recording music.

I’m also a massive geek when it comes to psychology. I’m constantly going down rabbit holes trying to learn about the human mind, body & experience and using the information to inform myself of ways I can continue to understand and look after myself better and experience the most out of life.

I’m also into painting these days. I love doing paint by numbers and I’ve started painting key rings for merch recently too.

And of course I love travelling, being in nature and taking my cats for walks haha.

What are you most proud of in your life so far?

I’m extremely proud of how far I’ve come with my music. This summer particularly, I’m releasing my favourite songs as part of an album whilst getting to travel to different festivals and gigs and share them with people to connect with those who resonate.

I’m also proud of my own internal journey, all the actions I’ve taken to learn about myself and find ways of living in alignment with myself so that I can feel more free, safe, loved and fulfilled.

How do you envision your future?

I take one day at a time these days. I try not to get too fixated on what my future will look like because I enjoy watching it unfold and change. It helps me to dance with life better if I’m not attached to a particular outcome. That being said, I want to travel more outside of the UK, go to New Zealand, more of Europe and other countries. Maybe I’ll get land somewhere someday but for now I’m enjoying what I have right now.

What advice would you give to someone facing a major life decision?

Whatever it is, you know what you need to do and you are strong enough to face your fears. You will learn so much about yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone and it will teach you that you are capable of more than you ever thought you were.

Where to find Troi

I absolutely love Troi’s music, we’ve been listening to it in our campervan and it’s so good on our roadtrip playlist. This is a personal favourite of mine!