Download Crash Parallel For Good Cause

Crash Parallel have released a new single titled "Casualties Of War" that's available for download through their website.

The third single from last year's World We Know debut is being used to highlight mental health issues. The Toronto band are encouraging those who download the track to make a donation to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

"I started writing 'Casualties Of War' to tell a story of two friends of mine who suffer from mental illness, to try and create an awareness of how seriously it can affect their lives and everyone around them," singer Tim Edwards says. "Their families had a hard time getting help for them because both of them felt they were not sick.

"As we played the song live and I shared the story, I became overwhelmed by the amount of people who approached me with their stories. I wanted to take this to a new level when I linked one main continuum with all the stories, which was if we had tried to get help earlier or if we were able to get help earlier we could have given someone the chance to recover and get better.

"The song is about letting everyone know mental illness is very real to those who have it and to those who don't, and that sometimes in life we all need a hand up. The more we can do to help provide a hand up the better. For me, it hits home when I think of my friends and the comparison with casualties of war as a metaphor for all of us when we go through battles in our lives."

Crash Parallel spent most of last fall on tour with David Usher in support of World We Know. They've lined up their own dates for 2009, and you can see Edwards, guitarist dan Saitua, bassist Gary Rugala, pianist Rob Bezanson and drummer John Vitellaro here:

Feb. 4 Charlottetown, PEI @ Hunter's Ale House
Feb. 5 Sydney, NS @ Smooth Herman's
Feb. 6 Fredericton, NB @ University Of New Brunswick
Feb. 7 Halifax, NS @ The Seahorse Tavern
Feb. 9 Saint John, NB @ The Blue Olive
Feb. 11 Quebec City, QC @ Dagobert
Feb. 12 Montreal, QC @ The Green Room
Feb. 14 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club