Tame Impala\u2019s work is significant to many.<\/p>\n
Whether it be that of the exploratory and ambitious \u201cMind Mischief,\u201d released on \u201cLonerism\u201d in 2012, or the ever-present \u201cThe Less I Know the Better,\u201d off of \u201cCurrents,\u201d leading man Kevin Parker\u2019s sonic presence has set a tempo for other artists, as well as music as a whole.<\/p>\n
Indeed, his brainchild of quasi-psych rock, synth and dream pop, among other genres, could be to blame for \u2014 or celebrate \u2014 a throng of similar artists.<\/p>\n
But he doesn\u2019t exactly<\/i> hear it as such.<\/p>\n
\u201cI accept that I have quite a distinct way of writing vocal melodies and sort of constructing songs,\u201d he says via Zoom. \u201cSometimes \u2026 it sounds like a song is clearly Tame Impala-influenced, but not to the extent that people tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have any kids?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople tell me that my daughter looks just like me, but I can\u2019t see it,\u201d he continues. \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018She just looks like a kid\u2019 \u2026 It\u2019s the same recognizing my music in others\u2019. When it\u2019s your own music, you\u2019re blind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
If anything, he wishes he could draw the similarities: \u201cThat would make me feel influential,\u201d he jokes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeadbeat\u201d is Tame Impala\u2019s latest release after a five-year hiatus.<\/p>\n
(Julian Klincewicz)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
Regardless, his discography is, at the very least, not something to scoff at. His last two projects, the aforementioned \u201cCurrents\u201d and \u201cThe Slow Rush,\u201d both cracked the Top 5 on American charts. The latter album\u2019s lead single, \u201cBorderline,\u201d was certified platinum by RIAA. <\/p>\n
Even at last year\u2019s Grammys, he snagged a win in the dance\/electronic recording category for his collaboration with Justice on \u201cNeverender.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the mounting success, some may find it puzzling that for his latest project, \u201cDeadbeat,\u201d Parker decided to switch things up.<\/p>\n
Its leading single, \u201cEnd of Summer,\u201d is classic Tame Impala in terms of its sprawling, seven minute and 12 seconds playtime, but it also sounds more laissez-faire than his previous work. This may come as a shock to fans, but for Parker it was freeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime it\u2019s something I haven\u2019t done before, it\u2019s kind of weird and jarring, but also liberating,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Another analogy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like deciding to not do your hair when you leave the house from now on. It\u2019s fun \u2026 but it\u2019s also scary \u2026 therein lies the excitement of doing something new.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the eternal dilemma between artist and fan \u2014 between an artist giving their fans what they want versus giving themselves what they need.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tricky one,\u201d he adds. \u201cI think a lot about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He compares it to his own experience as a Kings of Leon fan. The Tennessee-born rock quartet had a rather definable turning point in its career upon the release of their third album, \u201cBecause of the Times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than sticking to the rural, Southern indie-rock sound that had occupied their first two projects, they pivoted toward more contemporary influences. The change was enough to get their name in conversations across the Atlantic in Britain, and it began their trajectory toward mainstream fame.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/s3a4OQR-10M\/hqdefault.jpg\")
<\/picture>