STACK #184 Feb 2020

FEATURE MUSIC

THe 2020 TOUR DATES

come across as fishing for sympathy, I’d kind of [put] on a brave face, in that Australian, emotionless exterior way: ‘I’m not writing a song about that, f-ck you!’” he laughs. “I guess I just put it off. I’ve put references to him in my lyrics before, but I‘ve never really dedicated a whole song to it… this kind of just felt right.” When Parker and his band played the album’s first single Borderline – a rapturous gem with rolling timpani, thickly fuzzed synth, and those sauntering congas – on Saturday Night Live in March last year, you can see his glee at the slot’s conclusion. Typically understated of course, Parker turns to his band and does a little thumbs-up fist pump. ”It was the first time we’d performed it – I think I’d still been writing lyrics that morning,” he smiles.

could suggest, to certain listeners, the horror of a realisation or truth smacking you back into reality. “As much as I’d like to claim that [as an intention], it wasn’t something I was thinking about – but I do like it when that happens,” Parker explains of form mirroring lyric. “That kind of thing, for me, is the pinnacle of making music. It’s also one of the reasons why I do it on my own – because those kinds of things happen a lot more when you’re on your own. You can make the music reflect what you’re singing about – you have that power.” The album contains Parker’s most personal musical missive to date: Posthumous Forgiveness , a song directly addressed to his father who passed away in 2009 following a battle with skin cancer. It’s been 10 years since his death; why did Parker decide that now was the time for this track, which traverses all kinds of blame, guilt, and understanding? “It’s

April 18 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane (QLD) April 20 QUDOS Bank Arena, Sydney (NSW) April 23 Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne (VIC) April 25 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide (SA) April 28 RAC Arena, Perth (WA) A NOTE FROM KEVIN: “In the past few weeks I’ve been devastated to see what’s been happening with the fires at home and we want to do our bit to help, so we’re going to be donating $AUD300,000 to bushfire relief charities... I want to ensure that no charity in need during this time is overlooked and that our contribution is helpful for both human and wildlife victims, as well being used actively in climate change research and bushfire prevention.”

a good question, and I don’t know,“ he says simply. “In the years gone since he died, I probably thought it wasn’t worth writing a song about, because of a number of reasons. One of them

being, I hate to think that I’m trying to get people to feel sorry for me – I hate to

“It was probably one of the more stressful times in my life so far, the days leading up to that day. So that little gesture was a symbol of unmatchable relief, indescribable relief. It would’ve been sheer elation that nothing went wrong – live on TV!” And now we know it won’t be long until we get to experience this and the other treasures of The Slow Rush live on our shores. “I feel really bad; I see the instagram comments, like ‘Yooo, an Australian tour any time this f-cking century?” he laughs. And will they be bringing the timpani, congas, vibraphone and other assorted inconveniently- giant-but-signature-Tame-Impala instruments along? “Well, anything’s possible! We also have technological ways of bringing that kind of stuff without actually bringing the real thing,” Parker says wryly. “But I’m sure if we wanted to borrow some timpani, we could go over to the Western Australian Performing Arts Academy. Maybe we’ll do that.”

The Slow Rush by Tame Impala is out February 14 via Island Records.

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