Love Parade King Me Interview

Love Parade King Me Interview

Sydney power-pop band Love Parade have been compared to Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, early Bowie, The Sunnyboys, The Modern Lovers and a number of other bands that bore no impact whatsoever on the formation of the band's sound.

Working with an enviable team on their debut record King Me–including producer Robert F. Cranny (Sarah Blasko), Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) and Jay Whalley (Frenzal Rhomb), among others–it features lead single Like Lovers Do, which received lashings of airplay across Triple J and community radio, and Surfin' NSW which boasted a video-clip which was played on RAGE for exactly half of summer (possibly the dumbest thing to air on Australian television since The Wog Boy).

King Me follows the EP A Strawberry Situation, which was released through seminal label Half A Cow to rave reviews (and one bad one) in late 2010. They think they sound like Teenage Fanclub or The Replacements, although they sound closer to Tinted Windows. They have more songs than they will ever release, and hearts the size of Phar Lap's.

Focus tracks:
01: Get Up In The Morning
05: The Chase
09: James Dean Pizza Cafe

Interview with Love Parade

Question: How does it feel to be compared to Tom Petty, Elvis Costello and early Bowie?

Love Parade: It's nice, and it makes a certain kind of sense as we loosely live in that world, musically. However I fear it's mainly due to my crackly voice rather than our highway odes or space concept records.


Question: How would you describe King Me?

Love Parade: A power pop record with a psychedelic hangover.


Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Love Parade: Yup, I write all the songs, and my inspiration is girls I fall in love with, pop singles from the '60-'90s, and Sydney.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Love Parade: The Beatles, Nirvana, Hanson, Elliott Smith, Joni Mitchell, Liz Phair, Oasis, Pavement.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Love Parade: We will be playing shows in support of the album, then recording in August, with album #2 out October/November. Plus, we have plans to shoot another video between now and then, too.


Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Love Parade: Oh, all the time! The idea of playing live often fills me with dread, but the rest is a lot of fun. We aren't desperately career-driven in that do-or-die rock 'n' roll 'let's make it' way – we just really enjoy it.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Love Parade: Recording. I get very nervous before playing live. It's hard!

Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Love Parade: Don Walker, the songwriter for Cold Chisel. I liked that he wrote all the songs, but didn't have to sing them – he hid in the shadows, but very much steered the band, which was my idea of heaven. It didn't end up quite that way in the end. Then I like how super-diary-entry records from people like Liz Phair were, which seemed like the ballsiest thing in the world when I was 17, and still does.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Love Parade: Our biggest challenge has been issues that we couldn't control. Timing, drummers leaving, being in different cities for work, etc. Everything just takes far too long. The rest is easy and fun, and should never be whinged about.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Love Parade: Well, we all work full-time, so a typical day is frightfully boring, I'm afraid.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Love Parade: Making records. Having an idea, working it out roughly, then watching it grow into this thing that exists and represents a time, a place or a feeling. Songs are like tattoos, as Joni Mitchell said.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?
Love Parade: Courtney Love


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Love Parade: www.loveparadesuicidecult.com or www.loveparadesuicidecult.bandcamp.com if you wanna hear the record.


Question: Can you tell us 5 things required for a happy healthy & enjoyable life?

Love Parade: Friends you love dearly; a crush on somebody; a hobby you're passionate about; a job that you enjoy going to; and all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls.


Question: What message would you like your music to say to your fans?

Love Parade: Life is hard and sad, but easy and fun too.


Question: What is the story behind the band's name?

Love Parade: It's a dumb joke, based on a street near James and Ben's old house, that got way out of hand.


Interview by Brooke Hunter