Tame Impala, a Perth band who reached international fame with their 2010 debut album InnerSpeaker, are releasing a long awaited album, Currents, this year under Interscope Records.
The Australian psych rockers have released two singles from the new album, “Cause I’m a Man” and “Let it Happen.” Keyboard player Jay Watson did hint last year that this album would be less rock and more electronic, and both songs certainly fit the bill. However their use of analog synthesizers still give the songs an organic and not over-produced feel.
Tame Impala is the vehicle for frontman/guitarist Kevin Parker’s songwriting, who also handles most of the recording for studio albums. Parker does a lot of the writing for albums alone in his bedroom/studio in Perth. However for the album Lonerism, he had his studio shipped out to a small apartment in Paris, saying in retrospect, “So there I was, in this tiny apartment, unable to move for wires, instruments, and production equipment. I was basically sleeping on the amps.”
Parker is an Australian by birth, born in Sydney and raised in Perth. His parents however, are both from Africa; his father is from Zimbabwe, and his mother is from South Africa. Parker’s parents split up while he was young, and he lived with his mother, who he claims is the more creative of the two, for most of his childhood. In an interview with CitaZine, Parker claims choosing the name Tame Impala is a nod to his parent’s African heritage.
He claims his songwriting happens in flashes, “I’d have the idea and do most of the song in about a night and spend the next two years listening to it over and over.” As a traveller and culturally s citizen, it goes without saying that Parker can draw on more experiences for artistic inspiration. Making music with people all around the world also keeps Parker’s music from getting stagnant or staying the same.
With the help of fellow Perth musicians and music fans, Kevin Parker went from a bedroom musician to an international artist featured on tracks recorded across the world. Fans not only have a new album to be excited about, but a North America/European tour as well.
