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Kevin Parker of Tame Impala stops by the KROQ studios to talk new music and more with Klein and Ally.
Transcript
00:00Kevin Parker from Tame Impala.
00:01Welcome to K-Ride.
00:02Hey, thanks, guys.
00:03It's my first time.
00:05When an Australian artist joins us, we get respect,
00:07because in Australia, radio still has the utmost respect, right?
00:11Yeah, for sure.
00:12Yeah, I mean, what, it doesn't here?
00:13No, we're the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder,
00:16and we're like a step above rodeo clown.
00:18But in Australia, everyone said to us,
00:20oh, you guys should move and do radio in Australia.
00:22They're making like millions.
00:22You guys should be millionaires.
00:23Yeah, that's what they always say.
00:24Yeah, that checks out.
00:26Thank you for being here,
00:27and congratulations on your fifth album,
00:30which comes out on the 17th of October.
00:32Deadbeat is finally here.
00:34That's it.
00:35We're excited.
00:35Do you have any traditions and or superstitions
00:37when you release a new album?
00:39No, not really, actually.
00:41I probably should.
00:41That would probably make me cope mentally better.
00:45But no, I just try and hold on for dear life
00:47and try and get through this very difficult time.
00:51Why is it difficult?
00:52Is it just second-guessing yourself and mental looping?
00:55Yeah, all of the above, really.
00:58It just, I mean, like, it's kind of like,
01:01it's kind of chaos when an album comes out.
01:05There's always just so much stuff going on,
01:07you know, like doing press and doing video clips
01:10and meetings or whatever.
01:13And amongst all of that,
01:15like your music is being sort of shown to the world,
01:18is being unleashed on the world
01:19that has just been in your studio doors for two years,
01:23you know, so it's kind of just like,
01:25it's like trying to take a moment
01:26to just digest that, you know?
01:29And once it's out there, it's out there.
01:31There's no taking it back.
01:32That's it.
01:32That's the part that's always fascinating to me
01:34with all the leaks and everything that gets,
01:36it's so rare that an album can be released
01:38when it's intended to be released
01:40because it feels like everyone always-
01:41It's such a good.
01:42Right.
01:43I still have a couple of days to go.
01:44Let's hope I didn't just mush that.
01:45But, and then once it's consumed by us,
01:49people are, you know, doing with it what they will.
01:52Exactly.
01:52It's kind of not yours anymore.
01:53Yeah, it's this process of like,
01:55it's like, it's not yours anymore.
01:56You know, that's always how I feel like.
01:58It doesn't belong to me anymore.
01:59It belongs to the world,
02:00which is a beautiful thing,
02:02but it's also quite a scary thing.
02:04Now, how much acid did you do
02:06for the making of album one versus album five?
02:09Is it the same amount, less, none at all?
02:11Depends what you call for the album.
02:14Oh, got it.
02:16I've never taken acid in the studio.
02:20But yeah, strange question.
02:23I don't know if I'm in the-
02:25Well, I guess the reason I ask
02:26is because the one time I did acid,
02:28I just ended up rolling around in a park
02:30and thinking that I was traveling
02:32into a past life as an Indian princess.
02:34I really got nothing done.
02:35Wow.
02:36So the point I'm making is, you know,
02:38obviously your music has been highly inspired
02:41by psychedelic culture,
02:42and I'm just amazed that you can get anything done.
02:45Well, again, it's like,
02:47you've got to pick and choose your moments
02:49for getting inspired and getting things done.
02:51You know, they're two very different
02:52sort of frames of mind.
02:54Right.
02:55And any could happen at any moment.
02:56Yeah, exactly.
02:57Exactly.
02:59But yeah, it all goes into the mix, you know?
03:03Kevin Parker is on K-Rock now,
03:05claims for the first time,
03:06Tame Impala with the new album coming out,
03:08every instrument on there,
03:09where you played,
03:10which means you had to learn instruments.
03:12I know no instruments.
03:13You know, I would imagine at this point,
03:15probably double digits.
03:17What is the hardest one to learn?
03:18What is the hardest instrument?
03:19Well, you know what?
03:20Like, my philosophy
03:22and the sort of scene I come from
03:24is that you can start recording on instruments
03:27before you know how to play them.
03:28You don't need to know
03:30how to play an instrument
03:31to play an instrument on an album.
03:34You just give it a go.
03:35You just have a go, you know?
03:37So some of it is just you learning,
03:39some of it is you learning the process.
03:41Yeah, like the first album of mine
03:43that had synthesizers on it,
03:44I didn't even play with two hands.
03:46I'd like play with one hand
03:48and then like overdub the other hand.
03:50You know?
03:50It's like just sort of get some sound out.
03:54Man, Klein, you should make an album.
03:56Exactly.
03:57It would not sound like Tame Impala, trust me.
03:59It would be very...
03:59It would sound like trash, I know.
04:00It would sound like trash, yes.
04:01No, that's not true.
04:03Oh, trust me.
04:04Do you know what?
04:05I think the last like 20 years
04:08of like rock music
04:10has proved that it's about
04:12more than being a weapon
04:15at your instrument, you know?
04:16It's like the expression of it.
04:19You know, take someone like Meg White,
04:20you know, like from the White Stripes.
04:21Everyone was like,
04:22oh, she's got blue drums.
04:23But she's like one of the greatest
04:25rock drummers of this century, you know?
04:28Because of that raw, unbound
04:32by the usual confines of music style.
04:37So give it a shot is what I'm saying, Klein.
04:39You know what?
04:39I've been inspired
04:40and I actually am going to...
04:41By next week, Allie, mark my words.
04:43By next week, I will debut a song on K-Rock.
04:45I want a single from you, Klein.
04:46That's right.
04:47Before the album Deadbeat comes out,
04:48I will release a song as well.
04:50I love this.
04:51It'll give true new meaning to Deadbeat.
04:53It really will.
04:54It really will.
04:54You have three singles out now,
04:56Dracula being one of them.
04:57And was the intention for this song
04:59to end up on everyone's Halloween playlist
05:01or is that just a fun bonus?
05:02It was actually a complete coincidence.
05:04Yeah.
05:05Dracula was meant to be a single earlier,
05:08but we couldn't build the house
05:11that's in the video clip fast enough.
05:13We had to put a house on the back of a truck
05:15and that was going to take too much time
05:17so we had to push back.
05:18So Dracula was meant to be a single
05:19when Loser was.
05:21Oh, wow.
05:21Yeah.
05:22Damn, so you had to...
05:23They constructed that whole house?
05:25Yeah, I don't know if you've seen the video.
05:27I mean, there's a house
05:28that goes on the back of the truck.
05:29I assume everything is AI now.
05:30I assumed it was a...
05:31I assumed nothing was inside
05:33and it wasn't real.
05:34Well, I mean,
05:34it didn't have like functioning plumbing
05:36and, you know, that kind of stuff.
05:38But it was, for all intents and purposes,
05:40it was a house.
05:41Do you have that vision
05:42of what that's going to look like
05:43in your head
05:44in the process of
05:46while you're making the song?
05:47Do you listen to the song
05:48and say,
05:48this is what I'm thinking?
05:50I have plenty of visions,
05:52you know,
05:53to your point of...
05:54No, I'm joking.
05:55I have plenty of visions.
05:56I know the visions you're talking about.
05:57I saw them in Central Park.
05:59But, you know,
06:00they're not always visions
06:01that turn into video clips.
06:02They're just sort of visions
06:03that help me sort of
06:04create a song, you know.
06:07But, you know,
06:08like there's a lot of that,
06:09that sort of like
06:09end of the night,
06:11you know,
06:11break of day,
06:13dregs of a party atmosphere
06:15as very much
06:16part of Dracula's DNA.
06:18Such an interesting
06:19part of the night, right?
06:20It doesn't get the glory
06:21of the pre-gaming.
06:22It doesn't get the glory
06:23of the main event.
06:23But everyone can relate
06:24with exactly that
06:25part of the night.
06:27Exactly.
06:28It's night turns to day
06:28and you're usually
06:29missing a shoe.
06:30That's it.
06:31And it is that weird...
06:32You're wearing a strange
06:33pair of sunglasses
06:34you found from the kitchen
06:35that you've never been in before.
06:37Right.
06:37And you usually have
06:38a decision to make.
06:39Do you keep it going
06:40or do you go to sleep?
06:41It's a tough decision.
06:42And if you need the soundtrack
06:43for that decision,
06:44then you should definitely
06:45get deadbeat.
06:45Well, that's what
06:46Dracula's about.
06:47It's like seeing the sun
06:49come up and feeling
06:50like a vampire
06:50because you're like,
06:51oh God, you know,
06:52I can't bear to see
06:55daylight right now.
06:56As soon as you
06:57announce the album,
06:58then of course
06:58the tour gets announced
06:59which sells out instantly
07:01at the Kia Forum shows
07:02November 11th and 12th.
07:04But the cool thing,
07:06and I always appreciate this,
07:07you've done,
07:07you do these pop-up shows
07:08and you've done them before.
07:09You did one in Chinatown
07:10in LA.
07:11And now I wonder
07:12when people see you,
07:13when you're just out
07:14and about doing your life,
07:15are they assuming
07:15at any moment
07:16he could just,
07:17this could be a pop-up,
07:18this could start,
07:19should I follow Kevin?
07:20What's going on here?
07:21Sure.
07:21Anything's possible.
07:22It's the unpredictability.
07:23You're just ordering a coffee
07:24and they're like,
07:24whoa, whoa, here we go.
07:25Well, that was crazy
07:26because when you do a pop-up,
07:27I guess you hope it's going to be,
07:28at this point,
07:29you know it's going to be
07:30well attended,
07:30but when you just looked
07:31at the aerial shots
07:32of how many people
07:33that drew,
07:34I mean,
07:34it was like the end
07:35of a Dodgers game.
07:36It was just packed.
07:37Yeah, yeah,
07:37it was crazy.
07:39I never like to assume,
07:41you know,
07:41like the sort of,
07:43the people on the team
07:44sort of create
07:44those kind of things,
07:45but,
07:46and yeah,
07:46we're only going to tell people
07:48about them an hour before,
07:50but yeah,
07:51I think the kids found out
07:52before that anyway.
07:54You know,
07:54it's,
07:54yeah,
07:55it's nice.
07:56How many people
07:57don't care about their jobs
07:58or don't have jobs?
07:59Anyone can get somewhere
08:00in LA in an hour.
08:00In an hour,
08:01that's the part,
08:01right,
08:02an hour,
08:02I mean,
08:02that's different.
08:03Australia moves a little better,
08:04I think.
08:05LA,
08:05it's,
08:05to get anywhere,
08:06you get five feet in an hour.
08:08That's true,
08:08it's impressive
08:09that they move quickly.
08:10Have you ever thought
08:11maybe of performing
08:13in a disguise
08:14or like incognito
08:15in some way,
08:15like you're performing
08:16and nobody knows it's you?
08:17Yeah,
08:18well,
08:18last Halloween
08:19we were the Wiggles.
08:20Oh,
08:21that's right.
08:21And the Halloween before that
08:22we were the Spice Girls.
08:23So,
08:24we're no stranger to,
08:26Has there been conversation
08:27this year already
08:28as to what it will be?
08:29Of course.
08:30Can you debut that on K-Rock
08:30or do we have to wait?
08:31This will be an exciting scoop.
08:33I would be ruining it,
08:33I would be ruining it,
08:35you know.
08:35Do you use a hint?
08:36TV,
08:37movie?
08:38Neither.
08:40Neither.
08:41All right.
08:42What else is there?
08:44I don't know.
08:44Well,
08:45I mean like,
08:46to your point about
08:48the Halloween song before,
08:50like,
08:50I feel like the obvious thing
08:51is to do Dracula,
08:52but I don't know,
08:53I don't think we're going to do that.
08:54So,
08:55it won't be that,
08:56but I don't know,
08:56maybe we'll do some sort of
08:57Dracula moment,
08:58but yeah.
08:59Tease on K-Rock right now
09:00as we're hanging out
09:01in the studio right now
09:01with Kevin Parker,
09:02Tame Impala,
09:03the album,
09:03which comes out on October 17th,
09:05which is next Friday.
09:06Of course,
09:07Deadbeat is the fifth album.
09:09And whenever we have someone
09:11that comes here from Australia,
09:13I'm always fascinated
09:14by the concept
09:14that everything in Australia
09:15is supposed to kill you.
09:16The fear that they have
09:17is that everything there,
09:19be it a spider,
09:20a snake,
09:21it's going to kill you.
09:21Have you had an almost
09:22or a near-death experience
09:23that happened in Australia ever?
09:25No,
09:25it's all lies.
09:26It's just to keep us away.
09:28It's to keep us tourists away.
09:29I think,
09:30you know what,
09:31Americans love being terrified of stuff.
09:33Yeah,
09:34we love it.
09:35That's how we thrive.
09:35You guys love it.
09:36Yeah.
09:37It's like Australia,
09:38oh,
09:38big spiders there.
09:39I've seen more big spiders here.
09:41Oh,
09:41Jesus,
09:41where?
09:42Yeah,
09:42but don't they have ones
09:43that take up whole trash cans?
09:44No.
09:45What?
09:46What?
09:46Like this big?
09:48Yeah,
09:48they're like covered around the trash cans.
09:50Is this all fake news?
09:51I think you might have been served
09:52an AI image generated thing,
09:53my friend.
09:54we're gullible.
09:54Americans are gullible.
09:56We believe all of them.
09:56Look,
09:56we have poisonous snakes.
09:58Yes.
09:58But who doesn't?
09:59Right.
10:00Well,
10:00wait,
10:00wait,
10:01wait,
10:01what about the box jellyfish
10:02that's only the size of your fingernail
10:03and can kill you in 10 seconds?
10:05Is that also a myth?
10:05It is that.
10:06Yeah.
10:07So then what?
10:09I think the thing is
10:10you guys aren't scared of them
10:11and we are terrified.
10:13Sure.
10:14Well,
10:14there was a story this week
10:15about a guy in Australia.
10:15Yeah,
10:15my argument is falling apart.
10:17Yeah,
10:18a guy in Australia
10:19bitten by a shark twice
10:20and drove himself to the hospital.
10:21This was in Australia.
10:22This is the difference between Australia.
10:24He got bitten twice by a shark,
10:25drove himself to the hospital.
10:26Oh my God.
10:26Yeah,
10:27but how many guys,
10:30do you reckon,
10:30got bit by an alligator
10:32somewhere in America
10:33and did exactly the same thing
10:34that day?
10:35I reckon probably about three.
10:36Yeah.
10:37If they're in Florida.
10:38That's a good point.
10:38Yeah,
10:39that's Florida.
10:39I reckon that's,
10:40yeah,
10:40that stuff happens all the time
10:41in Florida.
10:41All the time.
10:41You just don't report on it.
10:43Whereas it's quite a remarkable
10:44thing in Australia.
10:45Right,
10:45right,
10:45right.
10:46Kevin,
10:46I think we'll move on
10:47to Australian slang
10:48if you don't mind.
10:49Oh,
10:49please,
10:50yeah.
10:50Because obviously
10:52we're unaware
10:53of the many,
10:55many thousands
10:55of slang words
10:56that there are in Australia.
10:57There's a slang word
10:58for everything
10:58and I just wanted you
10:59to translate a couple
11:00of sentences for us
11:01if you wouldn't mind.
11:01hit me.
11:02Okay.
11:03Here's Aussie translation
11:04number one.
11:05I had too many tinnies
11:06from the bottle-o
11:07and threw up my brekkie.
11:08Had to chuck a sickie
11:09to avoid hard yucca.
11:11Okay,
11:11you know what that means,
11:12right?
11:12No.
11:13No idea.
11:14Klein has no idea
11:15what any of this is.
11:16I thought you meant it.
11:16Okay,
11:17so a tinie is a can of beer.
11:19The bottle-o
11:19is a liquor store.
11:21Brekkie is breakfast.
11:24Chuck a sickie?
11:24Chuck a sickie
11:25is calling sick
11:27from work.
11:28To avoid hard yucca?
11:29To avoid hard yucca
11:31is like hard work.
11:32So hard yucca
11:32is like elbow grease
11:34or whatever you call it.
11:35So if someone said that
11:36you would know
11:36exactly what they meant.
11:38Well,
11:38yeah,
11:38I just did.
11:40That's wild.
11:41It's like you speak
11:41in another language.
11:42You play every instrument
11:43and speak every language.
11:43Again,
11:43not just to throw this back
11:45on you Americans,
11:46but America
11:48has their own slang too,
11:49right?
11:49It took me a long time
11:50to work out
11:51what people were saying here
11:52when they were speaking
11:53just casually.
11:56Yeah.
11:56No cap.
11:57Exactly.
11:58I was like,
11:58what no cap?
12:00You were not wearing a cap,
12:01you know?
12:02Lost my lippy
12:03and my lappy
12:04at the barbie
12:04ate some kippies
12:05in the dunny.
12:09Is that not obvious either?
12:10No.
12:11No.
12:12I lost my lippy
12:13lip balm.
12:15Yeah,
12:15you chapstick.
12:16And my lappy.
12:17My lappy.
12:18Laptop?
12:18Yeah,
12:19okay.
12:20At the barbecue.
12:21Yeah,
12:21that part right there.
12:22Ate some kippies.
12:24Kippies?
12:24I actually don't know that one.
12:25Chips?
12:27Wow.
12:27That might be an eastern
12:28coast of Australia.
12:29And then in the dunny,
12:30I think you know.
12:31Dunny is the bathroom,
12:33yeah,
12:33the toilet.
12:34The one thing
12:35that I was excited about,
12:36Ali,
12:37the term that I learned
12:38because of Tame Impala
12:39was this concept
12:40of the bush doof,
12:41which we don't,
12:42we have not figured out
12:43a way to do property.
12:44You thought I was crapping
12:45in a bush.
12:45Yeah,
12:46and we have not done that,
12:47well,
12:47even like what you call
12:48Burning Man
12:49would be our equivalent
12:49of it,
12:50I guess,
12:50in America,
12:50but it's very different
12:51because it feels
12:52so much more organic
12:54in Australia.
12:54Sure.
12:55The concept.
12:55Well, Burning Man
12:56is like a burn,
12:57it's like a regional burn.
12:58I think they have them
12:59too in Australia,
13:00but they're slightly
13:00different to bush doofs.
13:02This is so,
13:04this has been so
13:04inspirational in all
13:06that you've done,
13:07right?
13:07This world,
13:08this environment.
13:08Yeah,
13:09I just have an endless
13:10fascination for that
13:11sort of way
13:13of experiencing music
13:14and experiencing life.
13:15I just,
13:15I'm really enamored
13:17by the freedom
13:19and the,
13:21you know,
13:21it's just,
13:22they're just totally
13:22off the grid.
13:23It's just,
13:24it's just people
13:24in another world
13:26for a short amount
13:27of time.
13:28You know,
13:28I just,
13:29like,
13:29it's,
13:31that really resonates
13:31with me.
13:32I saw a video
13:33of one of the bush doofs
13:34and there was a woman
13:35taking an insane amount
13:37of whippets.
13:38I thought you would
13:38respect that.
13:39Yeah.
13:39Whippets are great.
13:40That was my favorite.
13:41That's why I still
13:42move very slow now.
13:44She's like,
13:44it kills the cells
13:45in your brain.
13:46Okay,
13:47well,
13:47yeah,
13:47everyone has their
13:48own thing to do.
13:50You know,
13:51that's her thing.
13:52How would you recommend
13:53someone listens
13:53to the new album
13:54and everyone,
13:56music is a very
13:56individual thing,
13:58right?
13:58Everyone has their own way.
13:59Do you picture someone
14:00driving the car?
14:00Do you picture someone
14:01listening outside?
14:03Do you have a way
14:03that you would like
14:04people to consume
14:05Deadbeat?
14:07Just loud enough.
14:09You know,
14:10not like just loud enough.
14:11I mean,
14:11like,
14:12all I care about
14:12is that the experience
14:13that loud enough,
14:14whether that's
14:15headphones or the car.
14:16The car stereo
14:18is pretty tough to beat
14:20as far as,
14:21like,
14:21a vibe goes.
14:23You know,
14:23like,
14:23some of my,
14:24like,
14:24just best experiences
14:26of listening to music
14:26has just been,
14:27like,
14:27on full volume
14:28in the car.
14:28I reckon I've,
14:29like,
14:29damaged my hearing
14:29because of how loud
14:30I listened to music
14:31when I was a kid,
14:32like,
14:32when I first got my license.
14:34But I think that's always
14:35pretty,
14:36pretty top,
14:37top tier.
14:38I think your music
14:39in general
14:39is so car friendly.
14:41Yeah.
14:41I think they're just such,
14:42they're such good
14:43driving songs.
14:44Maybe.
14:44It is interesting to me
14:45that that's one of the things,
14:46and I can't say this
14:47about a lot of artists,
14:48but where you go,
14:49the song seems to always
14:50match the vibe.
14:51The vibe of the,
14:52yeah,
14:52where you are.
14:53Yeah,
14:53which is really incredible.
14:54That's my way of trying
14:55to pay a compliment,
14:56which I don't do well.
14:56No,
14:56no,
14:57no,
14:57thank you.
14:57Yeah,
14:57I'm big on the vibe.
15:01Kevin Parker,
15:02Tame Impala is here
15:03as we wrap up
15:04every interview.
15:04We ask not one,
15:05but two epic questions.
15:07It's a chance for you
15:07to answer two questions.
15:09Every artist
15:10that's ever come by K-Rock
15:11gets a chance to answer
15:11not one,
15:12but two epic questions.
15:13No one's gotten
15:13a perfect score.
15:14Epic question number one.
15:17All right,
15:17Kevin,
15:17you have gotten very good
15:18at the Australia
15:20to America flight.
15:21What is your biggest tip
15:22for long flights?
15:24Pace your sleeping.
15:33If you get the sleeping wrong,
15:35then you are fucked.
15:38Yeah,
15:39don't drink too much.
15:41I don't know.
15:42I'm still trying
15:42to perfect it myself.
15:45You know,
15:46someone told me
15:46that the other day
15:47is like don't eat.
15:48At all?
15:49Apparently the food
15:50is what actually
15:51makes you jet lagged
15:53most.
15:54Oh, really?
15:55Yeah,
15:55because it's like
15:55super salty or something.
15:56Someone told me that.
15:57That's a great tip right there.
15:59But you know,
15:59it's like you get hungry.
16:00Also,
16:01what else is that it do?
16:02Well, yeah,
16:02it's like a 15-hour flight
16:03or something.
16:03Yeah, exactly.
16:04Yeah.
16:04When the band,
16:05this is epic question number two,
16:07but it's a slight story
16:08to lead up.
16:09When the band Moniskin
16:09came here to America,
16:11we brought them
16:11to Olive Garden
16:12so they could see
16:12what the American take
16:13of Italian food was
16:15and they were very disappointed.
16:17What is your take
16:18on the Outback Steakhouse?
16:20I've never been.
16:21Oh, come on.
16:22I've never been.
16:23You would be so disappointed.
16:24Okay.
16:25Yeah.
16:25I guess I'm not going.
16:26You would be so disappointed.
16:28Although that deep fried onion,
16:29man, that's great.
16:29Obviously not the sponsors
16:30of your show.
16:30No, no, no, no.
16:31We have very few left, actually.
16:33It has been an absolute pleasure.
16:35Kevin Parker is a,
16:37really,
16:37when you think about
16:38musical geniuses,
16:39I think you've been called,
16:39not by us,
16:40but you've been called
16:40one of the most impactful
16:42musicians in the last decade.
16:43You hear these titles.
16:44Does that get to you?
16:45Do you go,
16:46that's not true at all
16:47because you've worked
16:48with so many artists
16:49so you still work
16:50with the people
16:50that have inspired you?
16:52You know what?
16:53When people say that to me
16:55and I disagree with them,
16:56then they kick up a big fuss.
16:58They go like,
16:58no, no, listen to me,
16:59you are,
16:59because these reasons,
17:00and that just keeps
17:01the conversation going longer.
17:02Yeah.
17:03So I just,
17:04I just go along with it.
17:07Wait till I release
17:07my song next week.
17:08Oh my God.
17:09There you go.
17:09Life-changing legend.
17:11Deadbeat available
17:12on October 17th.
17:14Of course,
17:14the show is sold out.
17:15I think we'll have
17:16some last minute tickets
17:16for you at the Kia Forum
17:17and who knows,
17:18walk around random streets.
17:19There could be a pop-up
17:20happening when you least expect it
17:21with the great Tame Impala.
17:23Kevin Parker,
17:23thank you for being here.
17:24Thank you, man.
17:25Thank you, guys.
17:26Appreciate it.
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