2014 is looking to be an very big year for the band, recently receiving the highest of musical nods, a Grammy nomination amongst the likes of Vampire Weekend, Nine Inch Nails and Arctic Monkeys, whom they’ll be touring with in May next year after performing at Big Day Out. But with their well-deserved growing global love, is there anything that they miss about the way of life back in Perth and does their growing success give them more or less creative freedom? “That’s the thing about going through the stages,” Parker explains. “As one door opens, another door closes. (The small pub stages) can’t really happen again.” Does the notion of success and perhaps being a by-product of his own lonerism further alienate him? Parker adds, “In a way, but I don’t like to think my life is a slave to it.”
A brilliantly lush and synth laden album delving into the psyche of a self-confessed loner over poppier melodies, Parker admits that thematically Lonerism only took shape halfway into the album’s fruition.
“(Lyrically) from the beginning I didn’t know what I was doing, putting words and phrases and emotion that fit the music – there was no master plan in the start and halfway I realised what was the running theme.” Whilst some (including myself) would interpret ‘lonerism’ as although alone, one does not feel lonely, which Parker clarifies is in fact the opposite – that feeling of loneliness amongst a room full of people.
Whilst experiencing the album and soaking it all in is one experience, Tame Impala live is another. It feels incredibly personal watching them re-create these incredibly huge multi-layered psychedlic grooves and enchanting melodies delving into realms of sonic explosions live, which positively isolates a listener to make them feel as if they’re playing just for you. Having spent over six months mixing the album himself and the overall production being a two-year process, he recalls the moment that makes him happiest about touring the album.
“When we’re on tour and there are fans, you can just see it on their face that you’ve really got them attached. You realise that it’s affected them in a deep way. To see the result your music that is has is the pinnacle of what it’s about.”
When asked what the album has taught him most about himself, over a year since its release, Parker says, “It’s taught me that whilst it’s therapeutic, it won’t fix your problems. It’s like taking Panadol. At the time it seems like it’s fixing a problem.” He also adds, “I’ve become more free and open to expressing my emotions.”
Whilst Tame Impala are well known for their many equally brilliant side-projects which fall under the psych-inspired umbrella (Pond, GUM, Allbrook-Avery) that really showcase the individual band members’ musical abilities as multi-instrumentalists, Parker has already got a new project in the works.
“I’m currently working on another band I’ve started like a weird super repetitive Kraftwerk, but with disco”. Having previously stated that he is an unashamed lover of sugary pop, could we ever see Kevin Parker taking a leaf out of Sia’s book, and writing hits for some of the world’s biggest pop stars, amongst the plethora of music he creates, performs and produces?
“That’s my fantasy. That’s the dream, writing super pop hits after doing the hard yards. You’d just observe them being performed by others and watch the songs grow like they’re your children”.
BY MIMI VELEVSKA
