Tame Impala is one of the best, most talented musicians of our lifetime, and if you’ve heard his more popular songs like “The Less I Know the Better” and “Let It Happen,” then you might just agree with me. Still, many people think Tame Impala is an actual band, composed of multiple musicians.
For a long time, I thought the same. However, Tame Impala is really the music project of one Australian musician and creative genius named Kevin Parker.
So, why the confusion? Why do so many people think Tame Impala is actually a band? Well, this isn’t necessarily far from the truth when you step back and take a bigger look at the history of Tame Impala. Parker even played in a few different bands before Tame Impala, one being The Dee Dee Dums.
As a teenager, Parker spent a lot of his time making music in his bedroom, hour after hour. He practiced recording and layering different instruments all by himself. Then, one day in 2007, Parker decided to upload a number of his solely produced tracks onto Myspace, and these songs quickly gained interest from newfound fans and music labels alike. He eventually signed with Modular Recordings in July 2008.
Parker decided to tell the record company that Tame Impala was a band because he didn’t think they’d be interested if it were a solo act. When asked about it, Parker said, “I think, around then, solo producers weren’t really a thing; it was kind of like rock bands were the thing, so I was like, oh yeah, we’re a rock band, and we signed the contract and everything, the four of us.”
So, despite recording and producing the music by himself, Tame Impala presented himself as a band. Shortly after signing with Modular Records, Tame Impala had his first official release, the self-titled EP, in September 2008.
This EP performed exceptionally well, reaching the number one position on the Australian Independent Record Labels (AIR) Chart, which led to supporting roles on tours for musicians such as The Black Keys and MGMT, as well as appearances at various music festivals.
Since then, Tame Impala has released five albums, the most recent being Deadbeat on Oct. 17. Every album continues to blow fans away, myself included. I think his music is so special because it’s so real. His songs often explore themes of change, loneliness, anxiety, and heartbreak with honest lyrics that resonate deeply with listeners.
Parker also has such an incredible talent to create completely immersive sounds that are nothing short of captivating. His music is genre-bending with tastes of psychedelic rock, pop, R&B, and electronic music; it appeals to all ages and all audiences.
One of my favorite songs by Tame Impala is called “Patience,” which was a single released on March 22, 2019. This song was a precursor to his album The Slow Rush, which came out a month before COVID-19. The lyrics in this song are simply beautiful and are complemented perfectly by piano, synthesizers, and layered drums.
Some of the lyrics in this song include, “Just growin’ up in stages, livin’ life in phases, another season changes, and still my days are shapeless.” The way Parker sings about time and change is something I haven’t been able to find from anyone else. Song after song, album after album, he only gets better.
So, now that you know Tame Impala really is just one guy named Kevin Parker, I highly encourage you to explore more of his music. His hit songs are amazing, but some of his less popular songs are even better. Be ready for your life to change!
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