1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:23,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Singer songwriter Arlow Parks is a compelling new voice 2 00:00:24,156 --> 00:00:27,476 Speaker 1: in music. Born in London, the twenty two year old 3 00:00:27,476 --> 00:00:29,916 Speaker 1: snagged the Best New Artist trophy at the brit Awards 4 00:00:29,916 --> 00:00:32,876 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one, in part because of her breakout 5 00:00:32,916 --> 00:00:38,796 Speaker 1: single Eugene, about an unrequited crush. Arlow's songwriting is a 6 00:00:38,876 --> 00:00:42,436 Speaker 1: vivid exploration of the euphoria and heartbreak that comes with 7 00:00:42,556 --> 00:00:45,956 Speaker 1: being young and in love. She pulls inspiration from a 8 00:00:45,956 --> 00:00:50,996 Speaker 1: diverse palette of music, including Ethiopian folk, Radiohead, and Diggable Planets. 9 00:00:51,636 --> 00:00:53,996 Speaker 1: She's found a way to expertly weave all of those 10 00:00:54,036 --> 00:00:58,356 Speaker 1: influences into her work. This month, Arlo Parks will release 11 00:00:58,436 --> 00:01:03,676 Speaker 1: her sophomore record called Mysoft Machine. She collaborated with producers 12 00:01:03,676 --> 00:01:07,716 Speaker 1: who worked with Brockhampton, Sizza and Frank Ocean, and even 13 00:01:07,756 --> 00:01:11,596 Speaker 1: produced some of it herself. The album unpacks the anxiety 14 00:01:11,596 --> 00:01:15,036 Speaker 1: of feeling lost in your twenties and navigating the uncertainty 15 00:01:15,116 --> 00:01:19,276 Speaker 1: of life with grace. On this week's episode, I talked 16 00:01:19,276 --> 00:01:22,516 Speaker 1: with Arlow about how seeing black creators pushing the boundaries 17 00:01:22,516 --> 00:01:26,756 Speaker 1: of popular music inspires her. She also explains how taking 18 00:01:26,836 --> 00:01:29,836 Speaker 1: long drives around La shaped the sound of her new 19 00:01:29,876 --> 00:01:32,716 Speaker 1: album and how she first started writing songs at just 20 00:01:32,836 --> 00:01:35,956 Speaker 1: seven years old. Plus, we'll hear Arlow play three of 21 00:01:35,996 --> 00:01:41,196 Speaker 1: her songs live from the Village Studios in Los Angeles. 22 00:01:42,276 --> 00:01:45,516 Speaker 1: This is broken record liner notes for the digital Age. 23 00:01:45,716 --> 00:01:49,476 Speaker 1: I'm justin Mitchman. Before we jump into my conversation with 24 00:01:49,596 --> 00:01:52,636 Speaker 1: Arlow Parks, let's hear a live acoustic performance of her 25 00:01:52,636 --> 00:01:54,276 Speaker 1: new song Impurities. 26 00:02:07,916 --> 00:02:17,996 Speaker 2: Yesday, my chastis buzzing like a blue bocage, laugh like 27 00:02:18,276 --> 00:02:21,836 Speaker 2: Julie up and not. She touched my leg to make 28 00:02:21,956 --> 00:02:30,316 Speaker 2: sure I'm still fair. Already like a star like a star, 29 00:02:32,516 --> 00:02:39,636 Speaker 2: already like a star, like a star. Already like a star, 30 00:02:40,316 --> 00:02:53,556 Speaker 2: like a star. When you race, so my impurity, when 31 00:02:53,676 --> 00:03:00,996 Speaker 2: you race, so my impurety find you embrace so my 32 00:03:01,316 --> 00:03:11,836 Speaker 2: impurtyes or no feel clean? Why that you threw me? 33 00:03:12,036 --> 00:03:20,956 Speaker 2: Bn was so intense that it was physical. M sure 34 00:03:21,196 --> 00:03:25,836 Speaker 2: the rainbow and myself. You notice beauty and more forms 35 00:03:25,916 --> 00:03:33,316 Speaker 2: than nos. Already a like a star like a star, 36 00:03:35,516 --> 00:03:42,156 Speaker 2: already like a star, like a star, already like a 37 00:03:42,316 --> 00:03:53,316 Speaker 2: star like a star. Yeah, find you him ride aw 38 00:03:53,516 --> 00:04:01,836 Speaker 2: my impurevidies find you him bred are my impuivity, Find 39 00:04:01,876 --> 00:04:06,876 Speaker 2: you him bred, So my impuvity enough feel clean. 40 00:04:12,316 --> 00:04:17,876 Speaker 3: Don't hide the bruce when you norm watching. May don't 41 00:04:18,036 --> 00:04:23,516 Speaker 3: hide the bruce when you norm watching. Maybe don't hide 42 00:04:23,596 --> 00:04:24,316 Speaker 3: the bruise. 43 00:04:24,836 --> 00:04:28,356 Speaker 4: I know it's hard to be a life some time, 44 00:04:32,916 --> 00:04:39,956 Speaker 4: already like a star like a star, already like a star, 45 00:04:40,676 --> 00:04:46,596 Speaker 4: like a star, already like a star like a star. 46 00:04:53,756 --> 00:05:00,396 Speaker 2: When you him bray. So my impurvities when you him raised. 47 00:05:01,076 --> 00:05:08,796 Speaker 2: So my impurvities when you him raised? Are my impurvities enough? 48 00:05:08,876 --> 00:05:09,796 Speaker 2: You clean. 49 00:05:17,516 --> 00:05:20,116 Speaker 1: Impurity. I've like listened to it, like it's a song 50 00:05:20,196 --> 00:05:22,516 Speaker 1: that I find, like I repeat like three or four 51 00:05:22,556 --> 00:05:24,796 Speaker 1: times when I listen because it's such like a feeling 52 00:05:24,916 --> 00:05:29,796 Speaker 1: of just like elation and freedom, and that emotion really 53 00:05:30,116 --> 00:05:32,356 Speaker 1: is so in that song that I just usually play 54 00:05:32,396 --> 00:05:34,796 Speaker 1: it a few times because I'm like, I love that feeling, 55 00:05:34,876 --> 00:05:38,116 Speaker 1: like if I could bottle that, you know, Yeah, And. 56 00:05:38,156 --> 00:05:41,356 Speaker 5: That's exactly how it feels to me. Like I wanted 57 00:05:41,396 --> 00:05:44,396 Speaker 5: to capture that feeling of like either you're coming back 58 00:05:44,516 --> 00:05:47,276 Speaker 5: from a night out, You're coming back from the beach 59 00:05:47,996 --> 00:05:50,596 Speaker 5: with people that you feel completely safe with and the 60 00:05:50,676 --> 00:05:53,796 Speaker 5: sun is setting and everyone's just kind of quite serene. Yeah, 61 00:05:53,916 --> 00:05:55,836 Speaker 5: and like a few people are dozing off and like 62 00:05:55,916 --> 00:05:58,676 Speaker 5: everyone is just content, And that's exactly what I wanted. 63 00:05:58,556 --> 00:06:00,796 Speaker 1: Those moments, man, if you could just like freeze them 64 00:06:00,876 --> 00:06:04,996 Speaker 1: where it's like everything is like perfect. Yeah, and they're 65 00:06:05,036 --> 00:06:08,796 Speaker 1: always like moments of quiet or something for like a 66 00:06:08,836 --> 00:06:10,756 Speaker 1: big thing or a little bit whatever. It's just like 67 00:06:10,836 --> 00:06:13,836 Speaker 1: it was just like whoa, Like life couldn't get better 68 00:06:13,876 --> 00:06:14,476 Speaker 1: than this moment. 69 00:06:14,556 --> 00:06:18,076 Speaker 5: Peace. Peace. And I think the biggest thing that is 70 00:06:18,316 --> 00:06:21,636 Speaker 5: like hard about being human is that those moments do end. 71 00:06:21,796 --> 00:06:24,476 Speaker 5: But that shouldn't be a reason to like not let 72 00:06:24,556 --> 00:06:26,716 Speaker 5: them be, you know. Yeah, I think a lot of 73 00:06:26,796 --> 00:06:30,196 Speaker 5: it is just accepting that even the most beautiful moments 74 00:06:30,236 --> 00:06:33,836 Speaker 5: and the most painful ones, like at some point they 75 00:06:33,876 --> 00:06:34,356 Speaker 5: will end. 76 00:06:34,476 --> 00:06:36,156 Speaker 1: It's all transient, it really is. 77 00:06:36,476 --> 00:06:36,676 Speaker 2: Yeah. 78 00:06:37,396 --> 00:06:40,436 Speaker 1: I had no conception really how old you were beyond 79 00:06:41,796 --> 00:06:43,996 Speaker 1: just knowing, Like when I first heard your music, which 80 00:06:43,996 --> 00:06:47,156 Speaker 1: I guess was twenty eighteen, Yeah, but I was like WHOA. 81 00:06:47,116 --> 00:06:49,596 Speaker 5: Like I was seventeen then? Yeah, I literally was seventeen. 82 00:06:49,876 --> 00:06:53,236 Speaker 1: I mean not to stereotype what the art young people make, 83 00:06:53,636 --> 00:06:56,596 Speaker 1: but it sounds very mature, you know, I think we formed. 84 00:06:56,716 --> 00:06:59,356 Speaker 5: I think honestly, it's just because I spent so much 85 00:06:59,436 --> 00:07:02,596 Speaker 5: of my life when I was growing up just practicing 86 00:07:03,356 --> 00:07:07,356 Speaker 5: like it just what, just practicing writing, practicing, like just 87 00:07:07,436 --> 00:07:09,676 Speaker 5: being a student of what I was seeing around me, 88 00:07:09,836 --> 00:07:12,876 Speaker 5: and like making a lot of really bad, silly songs. 89 00:07:13,476 --> 00:07:16,036 Speaker 5: I just at a very early age decided to dedicate 90 00:07:16,116 --> 00:07:19,316 Speaker 5: my life to like the practice of writing and expression, 91 00:07:19,396 --> 00:07:22,276 Speaker 5: not necessarily singing, but just like storytelling. And I would 92 00:07:22,316 --> 00:07:24,676 Speaker 5: write every single day. So by the time I put 93 00:07:24,716 --> 00:07:27,436 Speaker 5: out a song from the age of like seven or eight, 94 00:07:27,476 --> 00:07:30,676 Speaker 5: I was like writing every day. And so yeah, I 95 00:07:31,036 --> 00:07:32,516 Speaker 5: had a lot of experience in that way. 96 00:07:32,676 --> 00:07:36,796 Speaker 1: What inspired that a seven or eight I don't know. 97 00:07:36,956 --> 00:07:39,676 Speaker 5: I was just very curious and my imagination was just 98 00:07:39,836 --> 00:07:44,476 Speaker 5: so like insane that I had. I needed a place 99 00:07:44,556 --> 00:07:46,676 Speaker 5: to put all of that. And I just got a 100 00:07:46,716 --> 00:07:48,956 Speaker 5: lot of joy from just like making up these little 101 00:07:49,036 --> 00:07:50,396 Speaker 5: like fantasy worlds. 102 00:07:50,676 --> 00:07:52,916 Speaker 1: More insane than the average seven or eight year olds. 103 00:07:53,916 --> 00:07:54,236 Speaker 2: Maybe not. 104 00:07:54,356 --> 00:07:56,156 Speaker 5: I feel like I just had that urge to put 105 00:07:56,196 --> 00:07:58,356 Speaker 5: it somewhere. I feel like a lot of people maybe 106 00:07:58,396 --> 00:08:00,836 Speaker 5: would like make up little games with their friends or 107 00:08:00,916 --> 00:08:03,436 Speaker 5: you know, it would stay quite contained. But I always 108 00:08:03,516 --> 00:08:05,996 Speaker 5: had this urge to write things down and to document them. 109 00:08:06,196 --> 00:08:08,476 Speaker 1: Was anyone in your family writing or a writer. 110 00:08:09,916 --> 00:08:13,636 Speaker 5: Everyone in my family is like like engineers and lawyers 111 00:08:13,676 --> 00:08:16,756 Speaker 5: and accountants, Like no one is really remotely creative. My 112 00:08:16,876 --> 00:08:19,796 Speaker 5: dad really likes jazz music and listens to a lot 113 00:08:19,836 --> 00:08:22,436 Speaker 5: of music, but no one is like remotely creative in 114 00:08:22,516 --> 00:08:22,876 Speaker 5: any way. 115 00:08:23,556 --> 00:08:27,676 Speaker 1: Wow, if no one in your family maybe inspires you 116 00:08:27,756 --> 00:08:29,956 Speaker 1: to do that, were you seeing art or hearing art? 117 00:08:31,076 --> 00:08:34,516 Speaker 5: I grew up with the Internet and with YouTube, and 118 00:08:34,676 --> 00:08:36,636 Speaker 5: my uncle gave me a collection of records and that 119 00:08:36,876 --> 00:08:41,996 Speaker 5: was like an interesting way into the world of records 120 00:08:42,116 --> 00:08:45,996 Speaker 5: and world building. And he had a really interesting taste 121 00:08:46,316 --> 00:08:47,796 Speaker 5: because he's French and so there was a lot of 122 00:08:47,876 --> 00:08:51,276 Speaker 5: like French music, French funk, but also like Elle Cool 123 00:08:51,396 --> 00:08:55,396 Speaker 5: J and Tupac and like Shad Yeah amazing, and like 124 00:08:55,756 --> 00:08:57,996 Speaker 5: it was such an eclectic mix of things. And I 125 00:08:58,076 --> 00:09:00,956 Speaker 5: think that started it from me because I was like 126 00:09:01,236 --> 00:09:04,316 Speaker 5: maybe like nine or ten and then growing up with 127 00:09:04,396 --> 00:09:06,396 Speaker 5: the Internet on YouTube, I could just go down these 128 00:09:06,436 --> 00:09:08,916 Speaker 5: little rabbit holes and like see you Radiohead perform at Glass, 129 00:09:09,396 --> 00:09:13,036 Speaker 5: like see people like odd Future kind of like blossoming 130 00:09:13,316 --> 00:09:17,476 Speaker 5: online and being like weird and black and like yeah crazy, 131 00:09:17,516 --> 00:09:19,676 Speaker 5: you know. I was watching that rap Caviar thing that 132 00:09:19,716 --> 00:09:22,156 Speaker 5: Tyler Creator did, like yesterday night beautiful, right, and it 133 00:09:22,276 --> 00:09:24,556 Speaker 5: was so beautiful and I feel like I'm part of 134 00:09:24,636 --> 00:09:27,636 Speaker 5: that generation because I remember seeing that, seeing the colorful 135 00:09:27,676 --> 00:09:31,036 Speaker 5: clothing and like just that sense of energy and just 136 00:09:31,156 --> 00:09:34,196 Speaker 5: these people being disruptors and making like weird stuff and 137 00:09:34,236 --> 00:09:35,196 Speaker 5: I was like, I can do that. 138 00:09:35,556 --> 00:09:37,996 Speaker 1: I don't know if they know how important that was 139 00:09:38,076 --> 00:09:40,156 Speaker 1: for so many people by that point. I was in 140 00:09:40,276 --> 00:09:43,076 Speaker 1: college at that point, and I remember feeling like, oh shit, 141 00:09:43,276 --> 00:09:45,716 Speaker 1: like these are my people finally. 142 00:09:45,476 --> 00:09:48,756 Speaker 5: You know, like yeah, exactly, And that's always what has 143 00:09:48,876 --> 00:09:50,756 Speaker 5: kind of inspired me. And I think growing up, I 144 00:09:50,796 --> 00:09:53,396 Speaker 5: always did have a sense that the music that I 145 00:09:53,676 --> 00:09:58,476 Speaker 5: liked was an interesting kind of pod of music, everything 146 00:09:58,516 --> 00:10:01,676 Speaker 5: from ambient music to like my Bloody Valentine, and then 147 00:10:01,716 --> 00:10:04,316 Speaker 5: I also really loved like Diggable Planets, but I also 148 00:10:04,476 --> 00:10:08,836 Speaker 5: loved like jazz music and like Ethiopian folk music. Like 149 00:10:09,116 --> 00:10:11,756 Speaker 5: I just had this world of things and I was like, Okay, 150 00:10:12,356 --> 00:10:14,796 Speaker 5: maybe I can distill this, Maybe I can create a 151 00:10:14,876 --> 00:10:17,556 Speaker 5: kind of little collage almost of all the things that 152 00:10:17,636 --> 00:10:20,076 Speaker 5: I like, because I didn't feel like anyone else had 153 00:10:20,116 --> 00:10:21,716 Speaker 5: that specific taste. 154 00:10:21,836 --> 00:10:25,116 Speaker 1: I'm trying to imagine what listening to Tupac in England 155 00:10:25,756 --> 00:10:28,196 Speaker 1: and you're like nine or ten years old and it's 156 00:10:28,276 --> 00:10:30,596 Speaker 1: like two thousand and nine, twenty ten and you're hearing 157 00:10:30,716 --> 00:10:33,116 Speaker 1: pac Like, what was you know? I think a park 158 00:10:33,156 --> 00:10:35,476 Speaker 1: I grew about here and I was like six when 159 00:10:35,516 --> 00:10:37,596 Speaker 1: he was killed, so like that's that's my memory is 160 00:10:37,636 --> 00:10:39,276 Speaker 1: like it was it was a bunch of chaos and 161 00:10:39,316 --> 00:10:41,316 Speaker 1: then he was killed, and it was it was like, oh, 162 00:10:41,596 --> 00:10:44,236 Speaker 1: you know, it was like almost scary. I just trying 163 00:10:44,236 --> 00:10:45,316 Speaker 1: to imagine that vibe was. 164 00:10:45,356 --> 00:10:48,636 Speaker 5: Like for you, I think for me it was. Yeah, 165 00:10:48,676 --> 00:10:51,076 Speaker 5: it did feel like a world that was very alien 166 00:10:51,156 --> 00:10:52,516 Speaker 5: to the one that I was living in. But I 167 00:10:52,676 --> 00:10:55,676 Speaker 5: loved the fact that even though I hadn't lived any 168 00:10:55,716 --> 00:10:57,876 Speaker 5: of the experiences that he was talking about, I could 169 00:10:58,036 --> 00:11:01,156 Speaker 5: picture it, like it was so vivid the storytelling, and 170 00:11:01,796 --> 00:11:04,276 Speaker 5: I think I've kind of carried that forward, that sense 171 00:11:04,316 --> 00:11:07,436 Speaker 5: of like the spoken word and feeling like someone is 172 00:11:07,716 --> 00:11:11,036 Speaker 5: telling you their truth, and that sense of rhythm and 173 00:11:11,156 --> 00:11:13,836 Speaker 5: also just how that can kind of really bring communities 174 00:11:13,916 --> 00:11:16,716 Speaker 5: together and move people. And yeah, I think I was 175 00:11:16,796 --> 00:11:19,516 Speaker 5: just moved by the way that he painted these really 176 00:11:19,596 --> 00:11:22,596 Speaker 5: vivid scenes of like a place that was so far 177 00:11:22,676 --> 00:11:24,236 Speaker 5: away from where I was as a kid. 178 00:11:24,596 --> 00:11:27,036 Speaker 1: Yeah, there is a lot of that in your songwriting. 179 00:11:27,116 --> 00:11:29,076 Speaker 1: Like I know you're gonna play Eugene for us. That's 180 00:11:29,116 --> 00:11:31,876 Speaker 1: the song in particular. Hmm that I When I hear 181 00:11:31,956 --> 00:11:34,716 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh man, that's like that's really laying it 182 00:11:34,796 --> 00:11:35,156 Speaker 1: out there. 183 00:11:35,236 --> 00:11:39,956 Speaker 5: Like definitely, definitely that song is like I feel like 184 00:11:39,996 --> 00:11:41,876 Speaker 5: it's the first time that I was really kind of 185 00:11:41,996 --> 00:11:45,156 Speaker 5: like stripping myself bare in that way. But I think 186 00:11:45,836 --> 00:11:49,196 Speaker 5: that the way that the song kind of traveled in 187 00:11:49,276 --> 00:11:53,196 Speaker 5: the world and the kind of queer experience that it captured, 188 00:11:53,716 --> 00:11:55,396 Speaker 5: I think it's kind of like what you were saying before, 189 00:11:55,476 --> 00:11:58,876 Speaker 5: where I felt like it was an experience that only 190 00:11:58,996 --> 00:12:00,556 Speaker 5: I had gone through, and then when I put it 191 00:12:00,636 --> 00:12:03,956 Speaker 5: out into the world, people were just like holding up 192 00:12:03,996 --> 00:12:06,116 Speaker 5: mirrors to themselves and being like, Wow, I this is 193 00:12:06,156 --> 00:12:07,996 Speaker 5: what I lived, whether it was twenty years ago, well, 194 00:12:08,036 --> 00:12:09,876 Speaker 5: this is what I'm in now. So I think that 195 00:12:10,036 --> 00:12:13,436 Speaker 5: fear kind of melted away once I just started getting 196 00:12:14,556 --> 00:12:18,916 Speaker 5: a reaction from people. But yeah, it's scary. It's always scary. 197 00:12:19,516 --> 00:12:23,876 Speaker 5: It always feels very i don't know, just exposing, but 198 00:12:23,956 --> 00:12:25,556 Speaker 5: I'm kind of used to it now because I'm doing 199 00:12:25,556 --> 00:12:26,196 Speaker 5: it all the time. 200 00:12:28,276 --> 00:12:30,236 Speaker 1: Here. When I knew we were going to do this, 201 00:12:30,316 --> 00:12:31,796 Speaker 1: I was like, man, I should think of like what, like, 202 00:12:31,956 --> 00:12:35,316 Speaker 1: what is it that attracted me to your music? I 203 00:12:35,356 --> 00:12:37,036 Speaker 1: think there's a lot of things, but one of the 204 00:12:37,116 --> 00:12:40,596 Speaker 1: main things was I realized was the writing. You know, 205 00:12:40,796 --> 00:12:44,916 Speaker 1: people who are like songwriters, it can be obtuse and 206 00:12:45,036 --> 00:12:47,476 Speaker 1: that can be cool, but it's like it and there's 207 00:12:47,476 --> 00:12:49,236 Speaker 1: some mystery, so I think what you're writing, but there's 208 00:12:49,236 --> 00:12:52,076 Speaker 1: also like some of it's really evocative, you know, like 209 00:12:52,276 --> 00:12:54,636 Speaker 1: just even like on your first song, like your Coca 210 00:12:54,676 --> 00:12:58,276 Speaker 1: Cola eyes. You know, I think I've thought about that 211 00:12:58,476 --> 00:13:00,996 Speaker 1: phrase meaning three different things since the first time I've 212 00:13:00,996 --> 00:13:02,116 Speaker 1: heard it. You know, the first time I heard it, 213 00:13:02,156 --> 00:13:04,396 Speaker 1: I interpreted that one way was very vivid. It made 214 00:13:04,396 --> 00:13:07,236 Speaker 1: me think of like a Coca cola bottle and like 215 00:13:07,756 --> 00:13:09,316 Speaker 1: being like this person's like wide eyed. And then I 216 00:13:09,396 --> 00:13:11,636 Speaker 1: was like, oh, it's like a person on cocaine. Yeah, 217 00:13:11,796 --> 00:13:14,796 Speaker 1: but it's such an evocative line. And even your new 218 00:13:14,916 --> 00:13:17,796 Speaker 1: song and Purities, there's there's some evocative stuff in there too. 219 00:13:17,916 --> 00:13:20,436 Speaker 1: And the way you reference people. 220 00:13:20,356 --> 00:13:20,996 Speaker 2: Like I love it. 221 00:13:21,236 --> 00:13:22,396 Speaker 5: I can't stop myself. 222 00:13:22,836 --> 00:13:25,836 Speaker 1: I love when you reference people, you know, Gerardrey Claire 223 00:13:25,996 --> 00:13:27,916 Speaker 1: Dane's juliette Venot. 224 00:13:27,956 --> 00:13:30,556 Speaker 5: Shit, it's like, oh wow, I don't know why I 225 00:13:30,716 --> 00:13:32,476 Speaker 5: have the instinct to do that. I think when it 226 00:13:32,516 --> 00:13:34,316 Speaker 5: comes to my taste in writing, it's something that I 227 00:13:34,396 --> 00:13:38,156 Speaker 5: really can't explain, Like I guess it is just a 228 00:13:38,236 --> 00:13:41,756 Speaker 5: mixture of my favorite writers and my favorite influences. I 229 00:13:41,836 --> 00:13:43,276 Speaker 5: think a lot of it is just like a love 230 00:13:43,356 --> 00:13:44,716 Speaker 5: of a film. 231 00:13:45,116 --> 00:13:46,236 Speaker 1: When did you start loving film? 232 00:13:48,236 --> 00:13:50,476 Speaker 5: I think, honestly, it was a little bit later in 233 00:13:50,596 --> 00:13:54,236 Speaker 5: my life, I mean my short life, so probably when 234 00:13:54,276 --> 00:13:56,996 Speaker 5: I was like in my late teens, I really started 235 00:13:57,076 --> 00:14:00,716 Speaker 5: like throwing myself into film, especially like international film, like 236 00:14:00,836 --> 00:14:04,676 Speaker 5: I never really explored like Brazilian film and Iranian film, 237 00:14:04,716 --> 00:14:07,596 Speaker 5: and just actually really spreading out into different cultures in 238 00:14:07,636 --> 00:14:10,476 Speaker 5: the way that they approach storytelling. And I think that 239 00:14:10,636 --> 00:14:14,276 Speaker 5: really bled into the work because there was this sense 240 00:14:14,316 --> 00:14:17,756 Speaker 5: of wanting to paint these scenes as they were unfolding 241 00:14:17,836 --> 00:14:20,756 Speaker 5: in front of my eyes and picking out these specific details. 242 00:14:21,276 --> 00:14:23,796 Speaker 5: And you know, the people who are listening to my 243 00:14:23,916 --> 00:14:27,196 Speaker 5: music aren't like living my life, and maybe they weren't there, 244 00:14:27,676 --> 00:14:31,076 Speaker 5: but there is something about like detailing, like the eyelash 245 00:14:31,156 --> 00:14:34,116 Speaker 5: on somebody's cheek, or like what exact song was playing 246 00:14:34,156 --> 00:14:37,196 Speaker 5: on the CD when this happened, and the exact tone 247 00:14:37,236 --> 00:14:39,436 Speaker 5: of brown of the floor. Like I really love that 248 00:14:39,596 --> 00:14:43,076 Speaker 5: sense of detail, and I think that happens so naturally. 249 00:14:43,356 --> 00:14:46,316 Speaker 1: The details, little details really create like a point for 250 00:14:46,436 --> 00:14:48,236 Speaker 1: like the for me as a listener to really all 251 00:14:48,276 --> 00:14:50,636 Speaker 1: of a sudden be transported, you know, like yeah, it 252 00:14:50,756 --> 00:14:52,356 Speaker 1: does like the hard work of getting me in and 253 00:14:52,396 --> 00:14:54,676 Speaker 1: then like all the other things that are maybe a 254 00:14:54,716 --> 00:14:57,116 Speaker 1: little more open for interpretation or whatever can kind of 255 00:14:57,276 --> 00:14:59,876 Speaker 1: like now I'm like in a frame of mind where 256 00:14:59,876 --> 00:15:02,116 Speaker 1: I can really interpret those things in an interesting way. 257 00:15:02,156 --> 00:15:04,076 Speaker 1: You know, when you say like Claire Danes and it's 258 00:15:04,116 --> 00:15:06,356 Speaker 1: like you're automatically like I know, I just it's like 259 00:15:06,396 --> 00:15:08,956 Speaker 1: a shortcut. It's like I know what you're saying, Yeah, 260 00:15:09,196 --> 00:15:11,916 Speaker 1: shorthand for like this feeling. You know. 261 00:15:12,236 --> 00:15:15,116 Speaker 5: I think it's interesting to have also that balance right 262 00:15:15,236 --> 00:15:19,836 Speaker 5: between those really clear anchors that are so specific and 263 00:15:19,916 --> 00:15:22,716 Speaker 5: can't really be interpreted in any other way, and then 264 00:15:23,756 --> 00:15:26,236 Speaker 5: parts of it that feel more fluid and that are 265 00:15:26,436 --> 00:15:29,596 Speaker 5: just open. And it's like, you know, when you embrace 266 00:15:29,636 --> 00:15:32,196 Speaker 5: my impurities and I feel clean again, like there's maybe 267 00:15:32,836 --> 00:15:35,476 Speaker 5: a more obvious way to interpret that, but then it 268 00:15:35,556 --> 00:15:38,716 Speaker 5: can like blossom into a million different ways of thinking. 269 00:15:38,756 --> 00:15:41,476 Speaker 5: And I think I like having that balance because I 270 00:15:41,516 --> 00:15:43,956 Speaker 5: think being specific as well makes it feel like it's 271 00:15:43,996 --> 00:15:47,356 Speaker 5: something that you know, I've really lived and it is. 272 00:15:47,636 --> 00:15:50,316 Speaker 1: Yeah, so yeah, yeah, that idea of like the personal 273 00:15:50,716 --> 00:15:54,476 Speaker 1: being general too. We all feel like our experiences are 274 00:15:54,516 --> 00:15:58,076 Speaker 1: so personal to us, but you know, human experience is 275 00:15:58,236 --> 00:16:00,916 Speaker 1: in some degree limited, so like much of what we 276 00:16:01,116 --> 00:16:03,196 Speaker 1: go through a lot of other people have gone through, 277 00:16:03,276 --> 00:16:04,436 Speaker 1: just in other variations. 278 00:16:04,676 --> 00:16:04,876 Speaker 3: You know. 279 00:16:05,276 --> 00:16:07,116 Speaker 1: It's an idea of like the personal sort of being. 280 00:16:07,636 --> 00:16:10,396 Speaker 1: The more specific and the more per all you can get, actually, 281 00:16:10,436 --> 00:16:13,156 Speaker 1: the more kind of broad appeal you're opening. 282 00:16:12,956 --> 00:16:16,916 Speaker 5: Up exactly exactly. And I feel like the songs that 283 00:16:17,236 --> 00:16:21,876 Speaker 5: have moved me and like moved the world in the 284 00:16:21,916 --> 00:16:23,876 Speaker 5: biggest sense are the ones that feel like they were 285 00:16:23,916 --> 00:16:26,756 Speaker 5: written just for you. And everyone feels that way, you know, 286 00:16:27,436 --> 00:16:29,996 Speaker 5: which is kind of impossible, but that's how I feel. 287 00:16:30,236 --> 00:16:32,636 Speaker 1: I was thinking about like Coachella's coming up. I remember 288 00:16:32,676 --> 00:16:33,756 Speaker 1: seeing Radiohead there back. 289 00:16:34,956 --> 00:16:36,636 Speaker 5: That's so funny is that that I was literally gonna 290 00:16:36,636 --> 00:16:37,396 Speaker 5: be like Radiohead. 291 00:16:37,436 --> 00:16:38,356 Speaker 1: Were you thinking of Radiohead? 292 00:16:38,396 --> 00:16:39,516 Speaker 3: Ya? Radiohead? 293 00:16:39,796 --> 00:16:41,716 Speaker 5: I mean, I just love Radiohead, so I'm always thinking 294 00:16:41,716 --> 00:16:43,036 Speaker 5: about Radiohead, but yeah. 295 00:16:43,476 --> 00:16:45,156 Speaker 1: When did you When did you get onto Radiohead? 296 00:16:45,396 --> 00:16:50,236 Speaker 5: Probably when I was about seventeen, and I just fell 297 00:16:50,316 --> 00:16:52,836 Speaker 5: completely in love. I feel like it really informed those 298 00:16:52,876 --> 00:16:55,636 Speaker 5: first few songs that I was doing those first few EPs, 299 00:16:56,116 --> 00:16:58,236 Speaker 5: because I was listening to songs like House of Cards 300 00:16:58,316 --> 00:17:01,196 Speaker 5: and Weird Fishes and Videotape and and just like the 301 00:17:01,396 --> 00:17:04,036 Speaker 5: warmth and the texture. I was like, how did they 302 00:17:04,116 --> 00:17:07,516 Speaker 5: make instruments sound like that? There is this sense of minimalism, 303 00:17:07,596 --> 00:17:10,956 Speaker 5: but everything is so intentional. Yeah, and then I kind 304 00:17:10,996 --> 00:17:13,996 Speaker 5: of like blossomed into like kid A and listening to 305 00:17:14,036 --> 00:17:17,796 Speaker 5: them uneasy I can thinking about the most electronic elements. 306 00:17:17,916 --> 00:17:20,076 Speaker 5: Honestly my favorite bound of all time. And I've never 307 00:17:20,116 --> 00:17:23,796 Speaker 5: seen them live, really never. I really really need to. 308 00:17:24,316 --> 00:17:25,436 Speaker 5: I saw the Smile in. 309 00:17:25,516 --> 00:17:28,156 Speaker 1: Copenhagen, but I haven't wanted to see them. Yeah I was. 310 00:17:28,356 --> 00:17:31,476 Speaker 5: It was so good, like Johnny Greenwood like doing his 311 00:17:31,676 --> 00:17:34,556 Speaker 5: like guitar with a bow and the bows just exploding, 312 00:17:34,716 --> 00:17:36,396 Speaker 5: and he looks like the same age as. 313 00:17:36,276 --> 00:17:39,436 Speaker 1: He always has, never change, wizard. 314 00:17:39,556 --> 00:17:40,156 Speaker 5: I love him. 315 00:17:41,156 --> 00:17:43,276 Speaker 1: We have to pause for a short break, but before 316 00:17:43,316 --> 00:17:46,436 Speaker 1: we go, let's hear Arlo Parks play Eugene from her 317 00:17:46,516 --> 00:17:48,956 Speaker 1: debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams. 318 00:18:01,676 --> 00:18:08,076 Speaker 2: I had a dream week kissed and nurse. All the 319 00:18:09,276 --> 00:18:15,636 Speaker 2: art of your eyes was fired. He hung a cigarette 320 00:18:15,996 --> 00:18:29,516 Speaker 2: between your purple. We've been buys bird since thirty. I 321 00:18:30,076 --> 00:18:37,076 Speaker 2: had your harber when you're two. I held the tackle 322 00:18:37,316 --> 00:18:43,236 Speaker 2: both and you cry over ute. He was me, he 323 00:18:43,876 --> 00:18:44,236 Speaker 2: is me? 324 00:18:46,276 --> 00:18:46,876 Speaker 1: But have. 325 00:18:49,236 --> 00:18:52,836 Speaker 2: I not been a little bit off? And last my mistay. 326 00:18:54,876 --> 00:18:57,996 Speaker 2: I kind of fell half in love and you're to blame. 327 00:19:00,556 --> 00:19:04,516 Speaker 2: I guess I just forgot that we've been made since 328 00:19:04,636 --> 00:19:12,156 Speaker 2: day car don't know what to say, And now I've 329 00:19:12,196 --> 00:19:17,316 Speaker 2: been a little bit off, and that's my mistake. I 330 00:19:17,476 --> 00:19:20,476 Speaker 2: kind of fell half in love and you're to blame. 331 00:19:22,956 --> 00:19:26,956 Speaker 2: I guess I just forgot that we've been made since 332 00:19:28,236 --> 00:19:46,236 Speaker 2: You're a dunna to say. Seeing you with him burns. 333 00:19:46,396 --> 00:19:50,116 Speaker 2: I feel it deep in my throat. You put your 334 00:19:50,316 --> 00:19:54,436 Speaker 2: hand in a shirt, you play him records? I should 335 00:19:55,036 --> 00:19:59,036 Speaker 2: you read him sill you play? I thought that that 336 00:19:59,436 --> 00:20:03,716 Speaker 2: was often, you know. I like you like that. I 337 00:20:03,956 --> 00:20:10,156 Speaker 2: hate that son of a We've ben bars birds since thirty, 338 00:20:11,636 --> 00:20:18,876 Speaker 2: but that don't change the things. I oh when I 339 00:20:19,196 --> 00:20:26,236 Speaker 2: see smile your teeth, that you chee yere I could do, 340 00:20:28,956 --> 00:20:33,716 Speaker 2: but hey, I'm not been a little bit off and 341 00:20:33,916 --> 00:20:39,116 Speaker 2: that's my misstay. I kind of fell half in love 342 00:20:39,356 --> 00:20:44,836 Speaker 2: and you're to blame. I guess I just forgot that 343 00:20:45,116 --> 00:20:51,876 Speaker 2: weeping May. Since day, I don't know what to say. Hey, 344 00:20:54,276 --> 00:20:57,876 Speaker 2: I'm not been a little bit off and that's my mistake. 345 00:20:59,916 --> 00:21:03,116 Speaker 2: I kind of fell half in love and you're to blame. 346 00:21:05,596 --> 00:21:11,236 Speaker 2: I guess I just forgot that weeping May since day. Yeah, 347 00:21:11,476 --> 00:21:12,556 Speaker 2: donna to. 348 00:21:12,756 --> 00:21:39,316 Speaker 1: Say, we're back with more of my conversation with Arlow Parks. 349 00:21:40,756 --> 00:21:42,436 Speaker 1: What was the first music that felt like your own 350 00:21:42,516 --> 00:21:45,516 Speaker 1: music that like you kind of discovered and felt like this. 351 00:21:45,676 --> 00:21:50,476 Speaker 5: Is That's interesting. I think I think the first people 352 00:21:50,556 --> 00:21:54,876 Speaker 5: that I really clung onto were actually like sing a songwriter, 353 00:21:55,156 --> 00:21:58,676 Speaker 5: like listening to like Carrion Lowell by Sophie Stevens, listening 354 00:21:58,756 --> 00:22:02,036 Speaker 5: to Either Or by Elliott Smith, listening to Blue by 355 00:22:02,156 --> 00:22:06,396 Speaker 5: Joni Like just these really kind of like emotional, especially 356 00:22:06,436 --> 00:22:08,756 Speaker 5: when you're like fifteen and you're like going through it 357 00:22:08,876 --> 00:22:12,796 Speaker 5: all for the first time. Emotions exactly, big emotions, Like 358 00:22:12,916 --> 00:22:16,036 Speaker 5: everything felt on like such a massive scale, even if 359 00:22:16,116 --> 00:22:18,156 Speaker 5: in the ground scheme of things, it's like a tiny 360 00:22:18,316 --> 00:22:22,556 Speaker 5: minor inconvenience, and I feel like I really aligned with that, 361 00:22:22,836 --> 00:22:25,556 Speaker 5: and I think that's something I've always kind of taken 362 00:22:25,676 --> 00:22:29,156 Speaker 5: with me, that sense of being really like emotional and 363 00:22:29,356 --> 00:22:34,196 Speaker 5: like you know, open heart surgery. Those lyrics always come 364 00:22:34,276 --> 00:22:37,036 Speaker 5: from this really deep place and it's everything is kind 365 00:22:37,036 --> 00:22:40,996 Speaker 5: of overflowing and brimming, and I think I've always taken 366 00:22:41,116 --> 00:22:43,516 Speaker 5: that element into my music and then maybe moved away 367 00:22:43,556 --> 00:22:46,716 Speaker 5: from it sonically, but always having that thread through like 368 00:22:46,876 --> 00:22:48,436 Speaker 5: how I write, meaning like. 369 00:22:48,476 --> 00:22:52,036 Speaker 1: You feel like the songs as you write them end 370 00:22:52,116 --> 00:22:55,276 Speaker 1: up sounding very different from what the record sounds like. 371 00:22:55,756 --> 00:22:58,716 Speaker 5: Yeah, no, I mean more that when listening to people 372 00:22:59,276 --> 00:23:02,116 Speaker 5: like Elliott Smith or Joni I try and kind of 373 00:23:02,236 --> 00:23:05,316 Speaker 5: carry that essence in terms of how they write, but 374 00:23:05,436 --> 00:23:07,956 Speaker 5: the actual kind of sonic world always like moves in 375 00:23:08,036 --> 00:23:08,996 Speaker 5: a million different directions. 376 00:23:09,316 --> 00:23:12,436 Speaker 1: You got you. That's really interesting. Also interesting that those 377 00:23:12,436 --> 00:23:14,516 Speaker 1: are two LA transplants. 378 00:23:14,756 --> 00:23:16,436 Speaker 5: Yeah, that is true actually. 379 00:23:16,676 --> 00:23:18,676 Speaker 1: Which I guess you've just recently moved to LA, right. 380 00:23:18,716 --> 00:23:20,676 Speaker 5: Yeah, no, I have. And there is something about like 381 00:23:21,316 --> 00:23:23,876 Speaker 5: reading like Joan Diddyon when you're in California, like how 382 00:23:24,036 --> 00:23:26,196 Speaker 5: you know just everything alignes. 383 00:23:26,476 --> 00:23:28,796 Speaker 1: I'm from California, but still It's like reading Joan Didyon 384 00:23:28,876 --> 00:23:35,596 Speaker 1: in California or listening to Joni Mitchell. Listening as I'm driving, 385 00:23:35,716 --> 00:23:37,556 Speaker 1: you know, I have to any time I drive, like 386 00:23:37,676 --> 00:23:39,436 Speaker 1: up Laurel Canyon, I'm like, I got to think about 387 00:23:39,516 --> 00:23:42,196 Speaker 1: Joaning and think about you know, the mamas and the 388 00:23:42,236 --> 00:23:45,676 Speaker 1: papas or something like that. It's that effect, even though 389 00:23:45,716 --> 00:23:47,836 Speaker 1: I've lived, jim all like it's never gone away, Like 390 00:23:47,916 --> 00:23:49,516 Speaker 1: this is a magical place still, you know. 391 00:23:49,796 --> 00:23:50,276 Speaker 5: I agree. 392 00:23:51,116 --> 00:23:52,956 Speaker 1: Was a lot of your writing for your new record 393 00:23:53,036 --> 00:23:53,676 Speaker 1: done here or was it? 394 00:23:53,916 --> 00:23:56,316 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean that's kind of how I really got 395 00:23:56,396 --> 00:23:59,476 Speaker 5: to start knowing LA. I was coming back and forth 396 00:23:59,556 --> 00:24:03,516 Speaker 5: for sessions. So in London, I was working with Paul Atworth, 397 00:24:03,516 --> 00:24:06,956 Speaker 5: who's like one of my oldest collaborators. But in LA 398 00:24:07,116 --> 00:24:09,596 Speaker 5: I kind of started building this little community out of 399 00:24:09,636 --> 00:24:12,076 Speaker 5: people who I really loved and trusted for the second record, 400 00:24:12,556 --> 00:24:15,316 Speaker 5: and I started just having so much fun with my music. 401 00:24:15,476 --> 00:24:17,876 Speaker 5: Like I just felt infused with this new energy when 402 00:24:17,876 --> 00:24:20,396 Speaker 5: I was here and just driving around and like going 403 00:24:20,436 --> 00:24:23,356 Speaker 5: to the beach, going to Big Bear, making weird little 404 00:24:23,396 --> 00:24:26,156 Speaker 5: bands with my friends for the day, and just like 405 00:24:26,356 --> 00:24:28,956 Speaker 5: really enjoying the process of making my second record. I 406 00:24:29,116 --> 00:24:31,676 Speaker 5: suddenly felt like LA was an adventure that I needed 407 00:24:32,196 --> 00:24:36,316 Speaker 5: to have, and I kind of made the leap quite randomly, 408 00:24:36,476 --> 00:24:38,596 Speaker 5: And I feel so happy here. I feel so at home. 409 00:24:38,956 --> 00:24:41,236 Speaker 1: Did you like set out to move here or was 410 00:24:41,276 --> 00:24:42,036 Speaker 1: it did it just sort. 411 00:24:41,876 --> 00:24:44,756 Speaker 5: Of it happened like gradually. Yeah, I just realized. I 412 00:24:44,876 --> 00:24:47,956 Speaker 5: was like, I'm here all the time, but I still 413 00:24:48,036 --> 00:24:50,676 Speaker 5: tell everyone that I absolutely don't live here, So maybe 414 00:24:50,756 --> 00:24:51,396 Speaker 5: I should just. 415 00:24:51,716 --> 00:24:54,676 Speaker 1: Be yeah, how did you find your community here? I 416 00:24:54,676 --> 00:24:57,516 Speaker 1: feel like that's something that people oftentimes say that they 417 00:24:57,556 --> 00:24:58,076 Speaker 1: struggle with. 418 00:24:58,356 --> 00:25:01,076 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, I guess I have an easy route 419 00:25:01,116 --> 00:25:03,996 Speaker 5: in in terms of music and just being a fan 420 00:25:04,076 --> 00:25:07,636 Speaker 5: of music before anything. And for example, like with Rameil 421 00:25:08,196 --> 00:25:11,796 Speaker 5: from Brockhampton, I just loved his production and I loved 422 00:25:11,836 --> 00:25:13,716 Speaker 5: all the references that I had kind of seen him 423 00:25:13,756 --> 00:25:15,676 Speaker 5: pull from. And I knew he loved the Beatles, and 424 00:25:15,796 --> 00:25:18,596 Speaker 5: I knew he loved like the Neptunes and pop music 425 00:25:18,716 --> 00:25:21,396 Speaker 5: but also like folksy music, Like he just had this 426 00:25:21,636 --> 00:25:25,396 Speaker 5: really intense love of music, and I could tell, and 427 00:25:25,556 --> 00:25:27,436 Speaker 5: so I just said, like, do you want to just 428 00:25:27,516 --> 00:25:29,596 Speaker 5: get in the studio? And the first day we met, 429 00:25:29,636 --> 00:25:32,836 Speaker 5: we made impurities and I could kind of feel that 430 00:25:32,916 --> 00:25:35,596 Speaker 5: we had this synergy and it kind of just branched 431 00:25:35,636 --> 00:25:38,236 Speaker 5: off from that, like the same with Buddy, Like his 432 00:25:38,436 --> 00:25:41,316 Speaker 5: chords on all the Frank Ocean stuff are absolutely beautiful, 433 00:25:41,916 --> 00:25:44,196 Speaker 5: and I was like, hey, like I'm here, now, do 434 00:25:44,236 --> 00:25:46,556 Speaker 5: you want to do something? And it happened like that, 435 00:25:46,836 --> 00:25:47,716 Speaker 5: just so organically. 436 00:25:48,196 --> 00:25:50,516 Speaker 1: Wow. So Impurities was the first session. 437 00:25:50,756 --> 00:25:52,596 Speaker 5: Yeah, Rama, yeah, exactly. 438 00:25:53,076 --> 00:25:54,396 Speaker 1: Can you walk me through the creation. 439 00:25:54,996 --> 00:25:57,836 Speaker 5: It's funny because with Ramil we always kind of make 440 00:25:58,076 --> 00:26:00,396 Speaker 5: We always hang out and then like make music in 441 00:26:00,476 --> 00:26:02,956 Speaker 5: the background almost. So we were just chatting for like 442 00:26:03,116 --> 00:26:07,716 Speaker 5: five hours, driving around getting coffee, like listening to J Paul, 443 00:26:07,756 --> 00:26:10,316 Speaker 5: and then he kind of pulled up this little sample 444 00:26:10,396 --> 00:26:12,116 Speaker 5: and I was like, oh, I like that, and I 445 00:26:12,236 --> 00:26:14,276 Speaker 5: sang over it, and everything just kind of came out 446 00:26:14,356 --> 00:26:15,996 Speaker 5: and then we just went back to hanging out. Like 447 00:26:16,116 --> 00:26:19,836 Speaker 5: it was just this like our little pool of magic. 448 00:26:20,116 --> 00:26:22,716 Speaker 5: And I think I always know when I can really 449 00:26:23,436 --> 00:26:27,356 Speaker 5: trust somebody, like the first session, if something that profound 450 00:26:27,796 --> 00:26:30,276 Speaker 5: comes out, it means that we do have a genuine bond, 451 00:26:30,316 --> 00:26:32,996 Speaker 5: because it does take a lot of vulnerability and trust 452 00:26:33,076 --> 00:26:35,036 Speaker 5: to kind of allow someone to witness you in that 453 00:26:35,596 --> 00:26:40,196 Speaker 5: like very soft and inward space. So I knew immediately that, yeah, 454 00:26:40,276 --> 00:26:42,036 Speaker 5: we were going to make music together for a long time. 455 00:26:42,396 --> 00:26:44,636 Speaker 1: When you heard that sample and you started singing over it. 456 00:26:44,676 --> 00:26:47,796 Speaker 1: Were you singing the words as they turned out to 457 00:26:47,796 --> 00:26:49,956 Speaker 1: be on the record, or you just so I sang. 458 00:26:50,196 --> 00:26:54,636 Speaker 5: It always happens where I hear the chord or the sample, whatever, 459 00:26:55,196 --> 00:26:58,036 Speaker 5: and then a melody will come to me, and I'll 460 00:26:58,116 --> 00:27:02,156 Speaker 5: kind of voice note what I hear, put it into sections, 461 00:27:02,276 --> 00:27:03,396 Speaker 5: like structure it out a bit. 462 00:27:03,396 --> 00:27:03,956 Speaker 2: In my mind. 463 00:27:04,356 --> 00:27:06,836 Speaker 5: And then I have my notebook, which is just like 464 00:27:06,956 --> 00:27:10,956 Speaker 5: a collection of phrases and text and references and just 465 00:27:11,076 --> 00:27:14,116 Speaker 5: things that I want to say, and then my heart 466 00:27:14,276 --> 00:27:16,796 Speaker 5: just gets drawn to whatever's on that page. I'm like, okay, 467 00:27:17,716 --> 00:27:22,076 Speaker 5: Like I just had written down something like impurities, clean 468 00:27:22,716 --> 00:27:25,156 Speaker 5: like escalade, laugh like Juliet, but not like all of 469 00:27:25,236 --> 00:27:27,396 Speaker 5: these little notes and then they just kind of the 470 00:27:27,476 --> 00:27:28,556 Speaker 5: fragments form. 471 00:27:28,396 --> 00:27:32,316 Speaker 1: This whole that's beautiful. So so just so I understand, 472 00:27:32,436 --> 00:27:35,196 Speaker 1: So you'll kind of structure out just like a melody, 473 00:27:35,276 --> 00:27:39,156 Speaker 1: So not even necessarily words could be just scatting or whatever, 474 00:27:39,276 --> 00:27:42,356 Speaker 1: like yeah, vocals or whatever, you know, like, but you 475 00:27:42,516 --> 00:27:44,876 Speaker 1: come up with what you feel like the verse. If 476 00:27:44,876 --> 00:27:47,196 Speaker 1: there's a bridge Bridge of course. So it's almost like 477 00:27:47,396 --> 00:27:50,876 Speaker 1: then you find what in you're writing in your book connects. 478 00:27:50,516 --> 00:27:53,956 Speaker 5: To what this song exactly exactly, And I think it 479 00:27:53,996 --> 00:27:56,796 Speaker 5: didn't always happen that way around, but just with this record, 480 00:27:56,876 --> 00:28:00,516 Speaker 5: I started finding this almost like I know, it felt 481 00:28:00,596 --> 00:28:02,836 Speaker 5: cosmic the way that melodies were coming to me, and 482 00:28:02,956 --> 00:28:06,156 Speaker 5: it always came first, so I kind of started like 483 00:28:06,316 --> 00:28:09,596 Speaker 5: weaving the words into what I had melodically to create 484 00:28:09,676 --> 00:28:10,156 Speaker 5: a story. 485 00:28:10,436 --> 00:28:13,676 Speaker 1: Did you do as much driving home in London? 486 00:28:13,756 --> 00:28:13,796 Speaker 3: No? 487 00:28:13,916 --> 00:28:15,156 Speaker 5: Because I learned to drive here. 488 00:28:15,676 --> 00:28:19,316 Speaker 1: So has driving impacted so much? Because you're saying that 489 00:28:19,356 --> 00:28:21,996 Speaker 1: you were driving around five hours talking and then it 490 00:28:22,116 --> 00:28:23,636 Speaker 1: sort of came to you like. 491 00:28:24,236 --> 00:28:26,476 Speaker 5: For there was when I think about it, a lot 492 00:28:26,556 --> 00:28:30,756 Speaker 5: of this record came to life in cars because there's 493 00:28:30,756 --> 00:28:34,156 Speaker 5: a song on the record called Devotion, which is kind 494 00:28:34,196 --> 00:28:36,876 Speaker 5: of inspired well, the name was inspired by the Mary 495 00:28:36,916 --> 00:28:40,196 Speaker 5: Oliver collection of poems, but the actual music was like 496 00:28:40,316 --> 00:28:44,636 Speaker 5: smashing Pumpkins, like Yola Tango, Deftones, my Blade, Valentine, Like 497 00:28:44,756 --> 00:28:49,396 Speaker 5: I wanted to create something heavier, but I was going 498 00:28:49,516 --> 00:28:53,076 Speaker 5: in and like, but then we're also listening to seventeen 499 00:28:53,196 --> 00:28:55,716 Speaker 5: Days by Prince and I just loved the like drama 500 00:28:55,916 --> 00:28:57,276 Speaker 5: of it, and I was like, I want to create 501 00:28:57,356 --> 00:29:01,556 Speaker 5: something that's like so dramatically romantic with the backdrop of 502 00:29:01,796 --> 00:29:04,796 Speaker 5: like these heavy, like smashing guitars, and we were just 503 00:29:04,876 --> 00:29:07,276 Speaker 5: driving around and it just all came together and that's 504 00:29:07,316 --> 00:29:07,876 Speaker 5: what we made. 505 00:29:09,556 --> 00:29:09,676 Speaker 2: Day. 506 00:29:09,756 --> 00:29:11,956 Speaker 1: That's the greatest. That's I mean, there's it's so hard 507 00:29:11,996 --> 00:29:14,196 Speaker 1: to pick up, but severn the days, it's consistently I 508 00:29:14,276 --> 00:29:15,716 Speaker 1: think the greatest print. 509 00:29:15,636 --> 00:29:18,236 Speaker 5: Song in my mind is so special, so special. 510 00:29:18,516 --> 00:29:20,236 Speaker 1: I just loved the groove he gets locked in. 511 00:29:20,396 --> 00:29:23,356 Speaker 5: Have you heard the demo version that he has on piano? No, 512 00:29:23,716 --> 00:29:27,516 Speaker 5: it's online and it's amazing, Like he's just like ripping 513 00:29:27,636 --> 00:29:28,076 Speaker 5: the piano. 514 00:29:28,236 --> 00:29:30,236 Speaker 1: I just got to hear that. I gotta hear that. 515 00:29:30,436 --> 00:29:30,956 Speaker 2: I love that. 516 00:29:31,556 --> 00:29:34,396 Speaker 1: It's interesting too, though, like it doesn't sound like this 517 00:29:34,516 --> 00:29:37,316 Speaker 1: record's not necessarily like a dramatic departure. It feels like 518 00:29:37,476 --> 00:29:40,596 Speaker 1: distinctly its own thing. It feels separate from the first album, 519 00:29:40,676 --> 00:29:43,236 Speaker 1: but it doesn't feel like, oh, like clearly this was 520 00:29:43,876 --> 00:29:46,796 Speaker 1: the first album written in the UK. Different thing, and 521 00:29:46,956 --> 00:29:49,276 Speaker 1: like this is like, oh, this is an LA you know, 522 00:29:49,476 --> 00:29:52,796 Speaker 1: this second album LA album, Like there's a lot of 523 00:29:52,836 --> 00:29:55,156 Speaker 1: continuity between the two, and it's like all the things 524 00:29:55,276 --> 00:29:57,236 Speaker 1: that I feel like I love from the first carry over. 525 00:29:57,756 --> 00:30:00,116 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think I wanted. I definitely wanted to have 526 00:30:00,236 --> 00:30:04,676 Speaker 5: that blank slate approach, but then also still recognize the 527 00:30:04,676 --> 00:30:07,596 Speaker 5: fact that there are things about me that I do 528 00:30:07,796 --> 00:30:09,636 Speaker 5: want to keep as a thread in terms of the 529 00:30:09,716 --> 00:30:12,796 Speaker 5: way that I speak and the way that I kind 530 00:30:12,796 --> 00:30:15,836 Speaker 5: of choose to tell stories about love or loss. But 531 00:30:15,996 --> 00:30:19,316 Speaker 5: I did instrumentally just want to have complete free reign 532 00:30:19,796 --> 00:30:21,516 Speaker 5: and you know, be able to really put more of 533 00:30:21,556 --> 00:30:24,676 Speaker 5: my references into the music. Like I feel like people 534 00:30:25,316 --> 00:30:28,516 Speaker 5: don't really know how much I love like IDM music, 535 00:30:28,556 --> 00:30:30,796 Speaker 5: how much I love AFX men and Bards of Canada 536 00:30:30,876 --> 00:30:34,676 Speaker 5: and ambient music, or you know, putting more moments of 537 00:30:34,836 --> 00:30:38,436 Speaker 5: like ESG and like Zami and funk and the music 538 00:30:38,516 --> 00:30:41,396 Speaker 5: that I really connect to. I think the first record 539 00:30:41,556 --> 00:30:43,956 Speaker 5: had more of a sense of quite minimal warmth, and 540 00:30:44,076 --> 00:30:46,316 Speaker 5: this one is more of a journey kind of through 541 00:30:46,916 --> 00:30:48,956 Speaker 5: everything that moves me in that I love. 542 00:30:50,156 --> 00:30:52,556 Speaker 1: We need to take another quick break, but before that, 543 00:30:52,876 --> 00:30:55,516 Speaker 1: let's hear Allo Parks perform an acoustic version of her 544 00:30:55,596 --> 00:30:56,916 Speaker 1: new song Blades. 545 00:31:07,196 --> 00:31:14,636 Speaker 2: I'm exhausted watching light Clad Danes through the Dope Kitchen 546 00:31:14,876 --> 00:31:27,236 Speaker 2: lie like blades, three boys, the parties of blades. We 547 00:31:27,476 --> 00:31:30,916 Speaker 2: could have part when you were fighting with your sister. 548 00:31:31,876 --> 00:31:37,356 Speaker 2: Don't think I realize how horribly I MISSA requed this 549 00:31:37,556 --> 00:31:43,876 Speaker 2: flower inside me? Help? 550 00:31:44,076 --> 00:31:45,756 Speaker 1: You know the I. 551 00:31:48,076 --> 00:31:58,076 Speaker 2: I just don't to want or two because I only 552 00:31:58,396 --> 00:32:09,956 Speaker 2: want to be. I remember there was something strangely romantic, 553 00:32:11,196 --> 00:32:19,156 Speaker 2: you know, friendship win with true money. I worked in news, 554 00:32:24,196 --> 00:32:31,596 Speaker 2: talking for hours on the grapher, walk into boxes, linking pancis, 555 00:32:31,676 --> 00:32:36,236 Speaker 2: wearing a merchant pulse, and now I'm struggling and I'm choking. 556 00:32:37,316 --> 00:32:42,836 Speaker 2: Oh my good hock. You know the I. 557 00:32:45,116 --> 00:32:47,156 Speaker 1: I just don't want to. 558 00:32:51,636 --> 00:33:01,596 Speaker 2: Because I'm I only want to be with you. I 559 00:33:02,116 --> 00:33:07,276 Speaker 2: just missed your voice. Side were right? Call it when 560 00:33:07,396 --> 00:33:14,676 Speaker 2: you're lonely like a nightcauseide I only want to. 561 00:33:14,796 --> 00:33:15,516 Speaker 1: Be with. 562 00:33:21,476 --> 00:33:24,556 Speaker 2: So I make my way over as the white Lightning 563 00:33:24,676 --> 00:33:28,676 Speaker 2: six ss and you're with armored plumb red slacks and 564 00:33:28,716 --> 00:33:33,156 Speaker 2: tequila fraser and you love the same hand or mouth 565 00:33:33,196 --> 00:33:35,596 Speaker 2: because you hate your teeth and I love your teeth 566 00:33:35,636 --> 00:33:42,876 Speaker 2: and I'm scared to speak. I I just go to 567 00:33:42,996 --> 00:33:58,916 Speaker 2: wa too, because I only want to be. I just 568 00:33:59,116 --> 00:34:04,196 Speaker 2: miss you. First side, very right? Cool it when in 569 00:34:04,396 --> 00:34:16,236 Speaker 2: lone newly a night causeide only Wanna Be, Only Wanna Be. 570 00:34:30,196 --> 00:34:32,996 Speaker 1: We're back with the rest of my conversation with Arlow Parks, 571 00:34:33,276 --> 00:34:36,636 Speaker 1: who tells us about the inspiration behind her new song Blades, 572 00:34:36,956 --> 00:34:40,676 Speaker 1: that she just performed live before the break. Tell me 573 00:34:40,716 --> 00:34:41,676 Speaker 1: about making Blades. 574 00:34:43,316 --> 00:34:45,876 Speaker 5: So I made that song with Pool at Worth at 575 00:34:45,956 --> 00:34:49,236 Speaker 5: Church Studios in crutch and in London, and I feel 576 00:34:49,276 --> 00:34:51,556 Speaker 5: like when I make music with Pool, there is just 577 00:34:51,636 --> 00:34:54,036 Speaker 5: this real playfulness, Like I feel like we're just two 578 00:34:54,116 --> 00:34:56,876 Speaker 5: kids running around banging on things and we just come 579 00:34:56,956 --> 00:35:00,876 Speaker 5: up with beautiful music and neither of us really know how, 580 00:35:00,956 --> 00:35:02,756 Speaker 5: because we were just in a fugue state all day. 581 00:35:04,116 --> 00:35:07,236 Speaker 5: And this one came during what I call the Magic Week, 582 00:35:07,236 --> 00:35:09,276 Speaker 5: which is where we got three songs in like four 583 00:35:09,316 --> 00:35:11,876 Speaker 5: or five days for the record. And I just wanted 584 00:35:11,916 --> 00:35:15,636 Speaker 5: to create something that felt euphoric, like this sense of 585 00:35:15,756 --> 00:35:19,436 Speaker 5: freedom and this sense of like bittersweetness and having that 586 00:35:19,556 --> 00:35:21,916 Speaker 5: balance between light and shade that I feel kind of 587 00:35:22,076 --> 00:35:24,556 Speaker 5: colors the record. And we were listening to a lot 588 00:35:24,596 --> 00:35:28,276 Speaker 5: of ESG and like we'd deep cuts that I found 589 00:35:28,396 --> 00:35:31,876 Speaker 5: like on NTS radio, and he just started playing drums 590 00:35:32,356 --> 00:35:34,316 Speaker 5: and I was like, hmm, what's that, and he was like, oh, 591 00:35:34,356 --> 00:35:36,676 Speaker 5: I got this new sample, and he just started playing 592 00:35:36,756 --> 00:35:39,796 Speaker 5: that sample, and then I started singing, and then the 593 00:35:39,916 --> 00:35:42,916 Speaker 5: rest is a blur. Who knows, who knows what happened? 594 00:35:43,196 --> 00:35:43,996 Speaker 5: But it was magic? 595 00:35:44,276 --> 00:35:47,156 Speaker 1: What about like that? I'm a spoken word bridge. 596 00:35:48,276 --> 00:35:51,436 Speaker 5: Honestly, I feel like I include those moments because there's 597 00:35:51,476 --> 00:35:54,236 Speaker 5: so much more than I want to say that doesn't 598 00:35:54,276 --> 00:35:56,676 Speaker 5: fit into the melody. It's just too much to say. 599 00:35:56,796 --> 00:35:59,036 Speaker 5: So I'm just like, Okay, I'll passel off this little 600 00:35:59,116 --> 00:36:02,316 Speaker 5: chunk where I can just continue the story. And I 601 00:36:02,396 --> 00:36:04,796 Speaker 5: wanted it to almost sound like a stream of consciousness, 602 00:36:04,916 --> 00:36:07,436 Speaker 5: like an inner monologue where you see someone across the 603 00:36:07,556 --> 00:36:10,316 Speaker 5: room and you're kind of like, oh, I can see 604 00:36:10,316 --> 00:36:12,756 Speaker 5: them laughing, and they're covering their hand with their teeth. 605 00:36:12,876 --> 00:36:15,156 Speaker 5: Oh I remember how much she said she hated her teeth. 606 00:36:15,476 --> 00:36:17,516 Speaker 5: Oh was she wearing the same perfume? Like that kind 607 00:36:17,556 --> 00:36:20,876 Speaker 5: of inner yea rambling and then opening up into this 608 00:36:21,116 --> 00:36:24,276 Speaker 5: like sentiment coming back to again and again that you 609 00:36:24,356 --> 00:36:25,596 Speaker 5: can't live without this person? 610 00:36:25,876 --> 00:36:28,516 Speaker 1: Would you mind reciting that little point? 611 00:36:28,996 --> 00:36:32,276 Speaker 5: Yeah, So I make my way over as the white 612 00:36:32,356 --> 00:36:36,996 Speaker 5: lightning zigzags and you're with armed plum red slacks and 613 00:36:37,076 --> 00:36:41,116 Speaker 5: tequila fraser and you laugh the same hand on mouth 614 00:36:41,156 --> 00:36:43,596 Speaker 5: because you hate your teeth, but I love your teeth 615 00:36:43,716 --> 00:36:46,436 Speaker 5: and I'm scared to speak as I catch a whiff 616 00:36:46,476 --> 00:36:47,556 Speaker 5: of her rose dip teeth. 617 00:36:48,596 --> 00:36:52,436 Speaker 1: That's so cool. How much of the specifics in that, 618 00:36:52,876 --> 00:36:56,676 Speaker 1: like the name particularly, like does that come from real life? 619 00:36:56,956 --> 00:36:58,876 Speaker 1: Or like are you writing about real people? 620 00:36:59,156 --> 00:37:02,236 Speaker 5: I'm writing about real people, but I often don't use 621 00:37:02,316 --> 00:37:04,876 Speaker 5: real names because I'm scared. I was talking about this 622 00:37:04,996 --> 00:37:07,876 Speaker 5: with my friend Rommy from the XX. We were talking 623 00:37:07,876 --> 00:37:10,956 Speaker 5: about it, and I was thinking, I was like, well, 624 00:37:11,116 --> 00:37:13,556 Speaker 5: when that person comes to my show, like I don't 625 00:37:13,556 --> 00:37:16,276 Speaker 5: want them to know how much they hurt me, Like 626 00:37:16,356 --> 00:37:18,276 Speaker 5: I don't want them to be able to recognize themselves 627 00:37:18,796 --> 00:37:20,436 Speaker 5: and the music. But I feel like with this record, 628 00:37:20,476 --> 00:37:22,436 Speaker 5: I just kind of let go of that fear because 629 00:37:22,436 --> 00:37:25,516 Speaker 5: you do have to be real, and I feel like 630 00:37:25,556 --> 00:37:27,716 Speaker 5: when you bend reality too much, it doesn't feel like 631 00:37:27,756 --> 00:37:29,756 Speaker 5: a release to talk about it, So you just kind 632 00:37:29,796 --> 00:37:31,916 Speaker 5: of have to be unfiltered as much as possible. 633 00:37:32,356 --> 00:37:34,916 Speaker 1: What is that the reality of that? Though? So for 634 00:37:34,996 --> 00:37:37,196 Speaker 1: your art, you feel like you have to for the 635 00:37:37,236 --> 00:37:39,436 Speaker 1: sake of creating something real. You feel like you really 636 00:37:39,556 --> 00:37:42,916 Speaker 1: have to throw your whole self into it, including the 637 00:37:42,996 --> 00:37:46,516 Speaker 1: people around you, like your real life experiences. And does 638 00:37:46,596 --> 00:37:48,476 Speaker 1: the reality of that ever like sort of settle in 639 00:37:48,516 --> 00:37:50,796 Speaker 1: where you're like, damn, like I'm feel a little open now, 640 00:37:51,036 --> 00:37:51,236 Speaker 1: you know. 641 00:37:51,556 --> 00:37:55,676 Speaker 5: Definitely, definitely. I think when I write the song, I'm 642 00:37:55,676 --> 00:37:58,716 Speaker 5: always like, oh, that exactly captured how I felt. And 643 00:37:58,796 --> 00:38:01,316 Speaker 5: then I start to realize that it's not just for 644 00:38:01,436 --> 00:38:03,476 Speaker 5: me and my three friends, and then it's going to 645 00:38:03,556 --> 00:38:06,396 Speaker 5: go onto the Internet and everyone be able to know. 646 00:38:06,756 --> 00:38:09,316 Speaker 5: But at the same time, when I think about like 647 00:38:09,876 --> 00:38:12,676 Speaker 5: my favorite songs, I think about Says by Elliott Smith 648 00:38:12,916 --> 00:38:16,076 Speaker 5: or like Biscuit by Portus Head or whatever it might be, 649 00:38:16,356 --> 00:38:19,876 Speaker 5: and there is this sense of someone being open completely. 650 00:38:20,676 --> 00:38:23,116 Speaker 5: That's why it moves me, Like, that's why I feel 651 00:38:23,156 --> 00:38:26,756 Speaker 5: like it just gets me because that person has just 652 00:38:26,876 --> 00:38:29,076 Speaker 5: been fearless with how open they've been. 653 00:38:29,396 --> 00:38:32,796 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a really advanced place to be where you 654 00:38:32,916 --> 00:38:37,876 Speaker 1: can be that that open, you know, that honest with yourself, 655 00:38:38,276 --> 00:38:40,276 Speaker 1: even just with yourself or anything, just you know the 656 00:38:40,316 --> 00:38:40,956 Speaker 1: people around you. 657 00:38:41,236 --> 00:38:43,796 Speaker 5: It is hard, you know, And I think it's interesting 658 00:38:43,916 --> 00:38:47,556 Speaker 5: because when a lot of people tell their stories, I 659 00:38:47,596 --> 00:38:49,316 Speaker 5: feel like there is that sense of kind of wanting 660 00:38:49,396 --> 00:38:52,596 Speaker 5: to be the hero of a situation. I think it 661 00:38:52,716 --> 00:38:55,156 Speaker 5: can be difficult to be like, actually I was wrong 662 00:38:55,196 --> 00:38:58,076 Speaker 5: on this. Actually I was being jealous, or I was bitter, 663 00:38:58,676 --> 00:39:00,876 Speaker 5: or I was being petty, you know, like being able 664 00:39:00,956 --> 00:39:04,636 Speaker 5: to actually show the experiences three dimensional. I feel like 665 00:39:04,676 --> 00:39:06,316 Speaker 5: that does take a lot of honesty, but at the 666 00:39:06,356 --> 00:39:08,276 Speaker 5: same time, it feels so much more human when you 667 00:39:08,356 --> 00:39:09,036 Speaker 5: hear that kind of song. 668 00:39:09,516 --> 00:39:13,676 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's also like I think back to being twenty 669 00:39:13,716 --> 00:39:17,956 Speaker 1: two and just like the the ripples through your sort 670 00:39:17,996 --> 00:39:20,396 Speaker 1: of social life that can be caused by like saying 671 00:39:20,796 --> 00:39:23,316 Speaker 1: one cross thing or you know, one thing the wrong 672 00:39:23,396 --> 00:39:26,556 Speaker 1: way or you know, it's just like, oh man, you know, yeah, 673 00:39:26,556 --> 00:39:27,476 Speaker 1: it's just a scary thing. 674 00:39:27,756 --> 00:39:30,516 Speaker 5: Yeah, it is scary. But at the same time, I 675 00:39:30,596 --> 00:39:32,436 Speaker 5: don't know, I feel like when I have that little 676 00:39:32,516 --> 00:39:35,756 Speaker 5: kind of nudge of fear, internally, I'm like, okay, I'm 677 00:39:35,876 --> 00:39:39,676 Speaker 5: like preaching new ground here feels scary, but that means 678 00:39:39,756 --> 00:39:43,076 Speaker 5: I'm doing something that is beyond what I did before. 679 00:39:44,156 --> 00:39:46,796 Speaker 1: How do you balance moving to a new place like la, 680 00:39:47,356 --> 00:39:50,796 Speaker 1: writing a record, touring, like just like the responsibilities that 681 00:39:50,876 --> 00:39:54,276 Speaker 1: come with being a working artist, the press stuff like 682 00:39:54,356 --> 00:39:56,116 Speaker 1: today you know having to come do this. 683 00:39:57,476 --> 00:40:01,316 Speaker 5: I feel like I am someone who thrives in like 684 00:40:02,036 --> 00:40:05,556 Speaker 5: how urgent this lifestyle is. Like, I feel like I 685 00:40:05,636 --> 00:40:07,956 Speaker 5: find it really hard to slow down, and that's something 686 00:40:07,956 --> 00:40:11,316 Speaker 5: I actually have to practice because I'm working every day 687 00:40:11,556 --> 00:40:14,956 Speaker 5: pretty much, and I feel like I have to kind 688 00:40:14,996 --> 00:40:19,156 Speaker 5: of really work at resting because I know that I'm 689 00:40:19,196 --> 00:40:22,076 Speaker 5: always like moving and have quite like a frenetic energy. 690 00:40:22,476 --> 00:40:24,116 Speaker 5: So I really want to do things that are like 691 00:40:24,196 --> 00:40:26,876 Speaker 5: active rest, whether it's like cooking or going for walks 692 00:40:26,996 --> 00:40:30,316 Speaker 5: or stepping outside of things. But I think because I 693 00:40:30,516 --> 00:40:32,316 Speaker 5: love what I do so much and it kind of 694 00:40:32,396 --> 00:40:35,116 Speaker 5: just soaks into everything that I do, I find it 695 00:40:35,236 --> 00:40:37,876 Speaker 5: hard to kind of step away and find balance. And 696 00:40:37,956 --> 00:40:40,716 Speaker 5: I think there are some things about being an artist 697 00:40:40,796 --> 00:40:43,196 Speaker 5: that I really love and things that I feel find 698 00:40:43,516 --> 00:40:47,116 Speaker 5: a little bit more challenging. I think I love being 699 00:40:47,196 --> 00:40:50,756 Speaker 5: in the studio and being around people and collaborating and 700 00:40:51,516 --> 00:40:53,756 Speaker 5: you know, being a creative soul because that's what I am. 701 00:40:53,996 --> 00:40:58,396 Speaker 5: But I think sometimes having to explain the music, having 702 00:40:58,516 --> 00:41:01,116 Speaker 5: to kind of break down my identity and why I 703 00:41:01,236 --> 00:41:04,396 Speaker 5: made certain creative choices and who I am, I think 704 00:41:04,556 --> 00:41:06,276 Speaker 5: that can be a little bit more tricky for me 705 00:41:06,396 --> 00:41:08,356 Speaker 5: and just to be perceived like that, like I just 706 00:41:08,436 --> 00:41:09,476 Speaker 5: want to be a little hermit. 707 00:41:10,876 --> 00:41:12,156 Speaker 1: You only want to be able to kind of like 708 00:41:12,276 --> 00:41:12,796 Speaker 1: put it out. 709 00:41:12,996 --> 00:41:19,236 Speaker 5: Yeah exactly, run away exactly, that's what I want. That's 710 00:41:19,316 --> 00:41:19,756 Speaker 5: my dream. 711 00:41:20,316 --> 00:41:22,076 Speaker 1: Maybe that can happen. I feel like, you know, there's 712 00:41:22,076 --> 00:41:24,956 Speaker 1: spend artists over time, some of my favorite artists, like 713 00:41:24,956 --> 00:41:27,396 Speaker 1: I mean Prince, you know, just like. 714 00:41:27,556 --> 00:41:30,716 Speaker 5: I think it's interesting though, because I remember my friend 715 00:41:30,796 --> 00:41:32,196 Speaker 5: Ocean was talking about this where it. 716 00:41:32,276 --> 00:41:32,476 Speaker 1: Was like. 717 00:41:34,516 --> 00:41:38,996 Speaker 5: Ocean, wrong, he's like a writer, but no, my friend, yeah, 718 00:41:39,116 --> 00:41:44,716 Speaker 5: my friend Ocean, Yeah, Ocean was talking to me about 719 00:41:44,796 --> 00:41:46,516 Speaker 5: the idea of prayers and I was asking if he 720 00:41:46,636 --> 00:41:49,516 Speaker 5: enjoyed it, and he had a really interesting perspective on 721 00:41:49,556 --> 00:41:51,756 Speaker 5: it where he was like, Okay, it can be draining 722 00:41:51,876 --> 00:41:55,116 Speaker 5: and tiring, but I like the fact that I'm given 723 00:41:55,156 --> 00:41:58,916 Speaker 5: the opportunity to kind of set up the context for 724 00:41:59,036 --> 00:42:01,276 Speaker 5: what I did and what I meant, rather than have 725 00:42:01,436 --> 00:42:03,916 Speaker 5: someone come in and do it for me if I'm 726 00:42:04,076 --> 00:42:06,316 Speaker 5: silent and I don't explain it at all. And I 727 00:42:06,396 --> 00:42:08,236 Speaker 5: was like, I do actually like the idea of being 728 00:42:08,276 --> 00:42:10,996 Speaker 5: able to what I wanted to do with my work, 729 00:42:11,396 --> 00:42:13,756 Speaker 5: what I'm talking about, rather than having somebody come in 730 00:42:13,876 --> 00:42:17,116 Speaker 5: and maybe just take things the wrong way or twist 731 00:42:17,196 --> 00:42:18,996 Speaker 5: things or explain it in a way that I don't like. 732 00:42:19,356 --> 00:42:21,156 Speaker 5: So I'd rather be there saying it. 733 00:42:21,356 --> 00:42:24,236 Speaker 1: I guess that's a fair point. You're not allowing other 734 00:42:24,276 --> 00:42:26,476 Speaker 1: people to sort of make determinations for you. 735 00:42:26,636 --> 00:42:27,156 Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly. 736 00:42:27,156 --> 00:42:30,476 Speaker 1: It's frustrated as setting the records, having to do it 737 00:42:30,636 --> 00:42:34,196 Speaker 1: or needing to do it. You're like an indie artist 738 00:42:34,316 --> 00:42:37,996 Speaker 1: from the UK. Now you're in O, Like, do you 739 00:42:38,156 --> 00:42:41,876 Speaker 1: find that the pressures of the industry can be like 740 00:42:41,916 --> 00:42:44,556 Speaker 1: a little stronger or the currents can be a little 741 00:42:44,556 --> 00:42:45,676 Speaker 1: stronger here? Then? 742 00:42:46,156 --> 00:42:48,756 Speaker 5: I don't know. I feel like I'm quite good at 743 00:42:48,956 --> 00:42:52,756 Speaker 5: just creating a little island of people around me, and 744 00:42:52,876 --> 00:42:55,076 Speaker 5: I don't really know what's going on outside of that. 745 00:42:55,356 --> 00:42:58,636 Speaker 5: I think, you know, obviously there's always a sense of pressure, 746 00:42:58,676 --> 00:43:01,196 Speaker 5: but I kind of like the fact that I'm in 747 00:43:01,356 --> 00:43:04,596 Speaker 5: this kind of new space that I'm navigating. I don't 748 00:43:04,636 --> 00:43:08,236 Speaker 5: really have that much awareness of like whether it's like 749 00:43:08,316 --> 00:43:11,716 Speaker 5: certain clicks or like how people work, or like what's 750 00:43:11,716 --> 00:43:13,756 Speaker 5: the right thing to do or clout or whatever. I 751 00:43:13,836 --> 00:43:15,636 Speaker 5: just don't really know what's going on, So I'm just 752 00:43:15,796 --> 00:43:19,436 Speaker 5: in my own little way moving through the city, and 753 00:43:19,516 --> 00:43:21,356 Speaker 5: I just feel like I've been lucky, Like I've just 754 00:43:21,396 --> 00:43:23,876 Speaker 5: found a lot of good people, I think, who even 755 00:43:23,916 --> 00:43:25,716 Speaker 5: if I do feel that sense of pressure, I can 756 00:43:25,876 --> 00:43:29,076 Speaker 5: talk to and like feel accepted by and we can 757 00:43:29,156 --> 00:43:30,716 Speaker 5: just sit down and have a coffee. And if I 758 00:43:30,796 --> 00:43:33,436 Speaker 5: do feel like I'm under pressure, I'm burning out, Like 759 00:43:33,876 --> 00:43:36,156 Speaker 5: there are a lot of people that are here to listen, 760 00:43:36,396 --> 00:43:38,956 Speaker 5: and I know not everyone has that, so I'm happy. 761 00:43:39,316 --> 00:43:42,036 Speaker 1: Do you find your parents kind of understand what you're doing. 762 00:43:43,476 --> 00:43:46,476 Speaker 5: Over time, because it's been like five years now. Over time, 763 00:43:46,716 --> 00:43:50,596 Speaker 5: I've managed to kind of try and explain the framework 764 00:43:51,236 --> 00:43:52,876 Speaker 5: of what it is that I'm doing, but it's so 765 00:43:53,076 --> 00:43:56,196 Speaker 5: hard to understand it from the outside, like even the 766 00:43:56,276 --> 00:43:59,396 Speaker 5: idea of a photo shoot or traveling or all of 767 00:43:59,476 --> 00:44:03,076 Speaker 5: these things. Like it's really difficult to explain like what 768 00:44:03,276 --> 00:44:05,116 Speaker 5: it is that I do all day, Like I just 769 00:44:05,196 --> 00:44:08,796 Speaker 5: like talk and sing and like fly around, and like 770 00:44:09,276 --> 00:44:11,876 Speaker 5: you know, it's just like really hard to explain it 771 00:44:12,396 --> 00:44:14,316 Speaker 5: unless you're doing it. And I think that's why it's 772 00:44:14,356 --> 00:44:16,356 Speaker 5: good to have people who are both outside of the 773 00:44:16,436 --> 00:44:19,196 Speaker 5: world completely where you can just hang out with them 774 00:44:19,236 --> 00:44:21,236 Speaker 5: and they just don't really know what's going on and 775 00:44:21,316 --> 00:44:23,716 Speaker 5: you can just be and then also having friends who 776 00:44:23,756 --> 00:44:25,676 Speaker 5: are kind of embedded in that same world and you 777 00:44:25,716 --> 00:44:26,796 Speaker 5: can understand each other. 778 00:44:27,596 --> 00:44:29,316 Speaker 1: That seems pretty healthy. So you can get the like 779 00:44:29,436 --> 00:44:33,516 Speaker 1: kind of the perspective moral support from the people know 780 00:44:34,196 --> 00:44:36,436 Speaker 1: what you're going through day to day, but also the people. 781 00:44:36,196 --> 00:44:41,636 Speaker 5: Who are just like, yeah, it was like okay, well, yeah, 782 00:44:43,396 --> 00:44:43,876 Speaker 5: that's great. 783 00:44:44,396 --> 00:44:46,556 Speaker 1: How do your parents like, do you do you Is 784 00:44:46,636 --> 00:44:48,636 Speaker 1: there a line are they allowed to talk to you 785 00:44:48,756 --> 00:44:50,476 Speaker 1: about like you know you me like or do you 786 00:44:50,596 --> 00:44:51,436 Speaker 1: kind of just like it. 787 00:44:51,556 --> 00:44:53,156 Speaker 5: Is what it is and I think it, Yeah, it 788 00:44:53,276 --> 00:44:55,076 Speaker 5: kind of just is what it is. I feel like 789 00:44:55,196 --> 00:45:00,276 Speaker 5: they just have this really strong understanding of the fact 790 00:45:00,316 --> 00:45:03,716 Speaker 5: that like, yeah, I just kind of like write about 791 00:45:03,716 --> 00:45:05,396 Speaker 5: what I need to get out and I show them 792 00:45:05,476 --> 00:45:07,876 Speaker 5: the music and stuff and they're fans of it. But 793 00:45:07,956 --> 00:45:10,916 Speaker 5: there is that like healthy boundary of they just kind 794 00:45:10,916 --> 00:45:13,956 Speaker 5: of like, let me say what I need to say without. 795 00:45:13,756 --> 00:45:15,716 Speaker 1: Asking too many questions, are being too. 796 00:45:15,716 --> 00:45:17,196 Speaker 5: Involved exactly exactly. 797 00:45:17,716 --> 00:45:23,556 Speaker 1: That's great. Well, thanks so much for playing and for talking. Yeah, 798 00:45:24,756 --> 00:45:28,116 Speaker 1: for playing and talking in dissecting your music. 799 00:45:29,516 --> 00:45:30,716 Speaker 5: Of course that's having me. 800 00:45:33,876 --> 00:45:36,356 Speaker 1: Thanks to Arlo Parks for talking through the inspiration for 801 00:45:36,436 --> 00:45:39,836 Speaker 1: her new album, My Soft Machine. You can hear all 802 00:45:39,876 --> 00:45:42,316 Speaker 1: of our favorite Arlow Parks songs on my playlist at 803 00:45:42,356 --> 00:45:46,116 Speaker 1: broken record podcast dot com. You can subscribe to our 804 00:45:46,196 --> 00:45:50,116 Speaker 1: YouTube channel at YouTube dot com slash broken record Podcast, 805 00:45:50,316 --> 00:45:53,716 Speaker 1: where you can find all of our new episodes. Broken 806 00:45:53,796 --> 00:45:56,916 Speaker 1: Record is produced with help from Leah Rose, Jason Gambrel, 807 00:45:57,196 --> 00:46:02,316 Speaker 1: Ben Talliday, Nisha Venkat, Jordan McMillan, and Eric Sandler. Our 808 00:46:02,436 --> 00:46:06,676 Speaker 1: editor is Sophie Crane. Broken Record is a production of 809 00:46:06,756 --> 00:46:09,956 Speaker 1: Pushkin Industrials. If you love this show and others from Pushkin, 810 00:46:10,076 --> 00:46:14,716 Speaker 1: consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast 811 00:46:14,716 --> 00:46:18,676 Speaker 1: subscription service that offers bonus content an uninterrupted ad free 812 00:46:18,716 --> 00:46:22,636 Speaker 1: listening for only four ninety nine and look for Pushkin 813 00:46:22,676 --> 00:46:26,796 Speaker 1: Plus on Apple Podcasts subscriptions. And if you like this show, 814 00:46:26,916 --> 00:46:29,756 Speaker 1: remember to share, rate, and review us on your podcast 815 00:46:29,796 --> 00:46:33,436 Speaker 1: stat Our themes expect Kenny Beats, I'm justin Richmond.