Q&A: PARK RD
Indie-pop 5-piece from West Auckland, PARK RD, have sold out multiple shows around the country, played NZ festies Rhythm and Vines & Soundsplash, and most recently they’ve announced they’re heading on tour with Aussie indie treasures Spacey Jane this month! We caught up with PARK RD’s vocalist Tom Chamberlain to hear all about the making of their latest EP ‘Stupid Stories’.
HEY TOM! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT TO US! FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID THE BAND START MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER?
We started making music in high school. Our school was pretty small and there wasn't heaps of option socially so the band was a cool way to find that connection.
HUGE CONGRATS ON YOUR INCREDIBLE SOPHOMORE EP 'STUPID STORIES'! WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES YOU'VE WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE EP, AND HOW DID YOU LAND ON THE NAME OF IT?
Thank you so much! All the songs on 'Stupid Stories' are about different stages of falling for someone for the first time. In the time period of writing this EP, it had been the first time I had gotten past the crush stage with someone and everything I was feeling felt to heightened.
ONE OF OUR FAVES ON THE EP IS 'I GOT YOU' - SUCH AN ANTHEMIC TRACK WITH STUNNING MELODIES & VOCALS! WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS SONG?
‘I Got You’ was written about the start of 2021 where we played our first festival and I was hanging out with this person that I had the biggest crush on. I was consumed by the crush and it felt euphoric spending time with them in those initial stages. Angus's guitar solo really incapsulates those feelings.
WE ALSO THINK 'SKIN' IS A REALLY SPECIAL ONE, AND THE PERFECT WAY TO ROUND OFF THE EP. WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE FOR WRITING THIS TRACK?
We came up with ‘Skin’ while jamming under a tree in our front lawn. We then ran up to the studio and Leo produced a demo of the song. It was towards the end of the last big lockdown and Leo and I were feeling a little blue about our romantic lives. The vocal takes felt real so we decided to keep the original takes for the verses and the bridge from the demo.
AMAZING! WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR MAIN HIGHLIGHTS WORKING ON THE EP?
We had heaps of fun working with our producer Josh Edmonds on this project. Josh has mentored us, co-written with us and helped us become more professional not only with our sound but with our visuals too, shooting the music video for ‘I Got You’. Another highlight was simply writing the songs and hearing them come together, being the studio and dancing round to something we'd just made.
PLUS, YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THE EP LIVE RECENTLY! WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING ABLE TO PERFORM THIS RECORD FOR THE FIRST TIME?
Playing the songs live was awesome! It was the first time we had played in 6 months because of red light. It was really special hearing people sing along and seeing everyones faces. Some of the songs were a little different than the old ones so it was cool trying some new things.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE NZ ARTISTS RIGHT NOW AND ARE THERE ANY SONGS IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU ESPECIALLY LOVE?
There have been a lot of awesome releases recently. To name a few of our favourites, we've been loving There's a Tuesday's new EP. Daffodils have also just released an epic EP. George Barney Roberts and Brody Leigh who opened for us at the ‘Stupid Stories’ Release show. Rita Mae, The Butlers, Haven, Masaya, Casper - there's too many to name.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT NEW ZEALAND?
The New Zealand music community is pretty small but pretty much everyone has been super lovely along the way. That's something I really like about New Zealand.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR, AND WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER ARTISTS OUT THERE?
I might sound cheesy but one of the biggest lessons we've learned is to stay true to ourselves and be confident in our originality. We have also learnt a lot about friendship and have a brotherly kind of bond within the band.
INCREDIBLE! LASTLY, WE END EVERY INTERVIEW WITH THIS QUESTION - IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING TO EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
As PARK RD, we are about making people feel something and bring light into the world. We are keen as to get out there, play many more live shows and create more music that will allow us to do this. Thanks for reading and all the support :)
THANKS SO MUCH! MAKE SURE TO KEEP UP WITH PARK RD ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SPOTIFY OR APPLE MUSIC, AND CATCH THEM AT ONE OF THEIR UPCOMING SHOWS AROUND AOTEAROA.
