Parcels continue to adapt to a changing industry. The Australian five-piece have moulded into industry heavy-hitters since their triumphantly groove-laden 2018 self-titled debut, and have shown terrific innovation in their ensuing work since. The band’s sophomore project, Day/Night saw a revolutionary sonic revamp, foraying further into the endless possibilities of dance music.
Renowned for the live shows, the band have placed onus on their striking performance style, unveiling their second live album, Live Vol. 2, this year, accompanied by a 62-minute film recorded at a secret gig at Le Palace in Paris. Whilst Live Vol. 1 was driven by the organic, smooth and slick sound of their first album, its follow up immerses listeners in the euphoria and vibrance of late night dance floors, inspired heavily by their experiences with the Berlin nightlife, a city they have called home for the past eight years.
We had the opportunity to speak with the acclaimed band’s guitarist, Jules Crommelin, discussing the continuous progression of their sound, how Berlin has impacted their recent work, and the thought process behind releasing live albums.
Listen to Live Vol.2…
Watch the film…
Read the interview…
Talk us through your origins as a band?
We all met in high school in our hometown Byron Bay, most of the boys started a folk band together called Potato Potato. I joined as the drummer, there was also Lifeline, a rock band which was Pat, Noah and Louie. We started a band called the Sugar Spinners which was a funk band with Pat Louie and I, then there was Craig 4 members, then I joined that as a harmonica player (I can’t really play haha). So there was lots going on. Then we all came together to make a band called Parcels.
What inspires you to create?
I feel that question has really deep roots, I find it a very mysterious question that I don’t really have a definitive answer to. I feel like I’m chasing a dragon that has a hold of me, I don’t know where it’s going, but I’m trying to uncover it all the time. The closer I get, I realise I’m further away. I think there’s a search for boundaries in the self too, trying to uncover who we are inside.
Which Australian artists should be on our radar?
I would say Lottie World. I think she’s a true artist out there, and she’s just started. Also Velvet Trip, my best friend is the lead singer. I’m really proud of him.
How would you define your essence as an act?
I guess we make music that makes people ultimately happy or inspired. But if I really knew our essence, I feel that would be a bad thing to know too accurately. I recon in the end, I don’t really know.
It seems that you continuously innovate your style, how do you keep progressing your sound?
We just make music that is inspiring to us at the time, and we are constantly growing and changing. I feel it’s really important that we stick to that, for ourselves, but I can see sometimes our fans get annoyed at that. They want us to stay the same, but if you are a true fan, you’ll know that we come back around to things.
Talk us through the reasoning for exploring this new club and dance driven sonic direction?
I guess the reason was a deep appreciation for dance music and its culture. We’ve been living in Berlin for 8 years, going out dancing in clubs and exploring that whole world and absolutely loving it. It’s a rich world of beautiful expression and non-judgment and a place to lose yourself. There’s nothing like it — dancing for 8 hours straight. I guess we wanted to explore that, in our own way, with Parcels, and try to translate that world a bit through the music and visuals. Consider it a weird art project that is Live Vol. 2.
How much of an impact has Berlin had on your musical direction?
Its impact, I guess, is inseparable from the band. It’s subtly been alongside our music from the very beginning. We moved to Berlin to start Parcels. We had 2 shows in Byron Bay then we left. Live Vol. 2 definitely shows more of a leaning into that world more than ever, but I feel it’s always been there.
What’s the thought process behind releasing the new live album?
We wanted to release it a way how club remixes are released. It’s always without a face and all about the music. There is this feeling that it’s not about the individuals who make it, rather contributing music to the scene. So we decided to kind of bury ourselves in light, face each other, and go deep into the music.
What can fans expect from the album and accompanying film?
Expect to be kind of lost in it. It’s not something that you need to follow intently.. its a journey of our night with all the emotions that come with a night out: nervousness, intensity, euphoria, lust, transcendence, anxiety, fear.. it’s all in there.
Where do you want to take your artistry moving forward?
I want to keep following what inspires me, I want it to be enjoyable as I want this ride to be long-lasting, and I want to look back one day and see it all with a feeling of being grateful to be just a part of this strange musical journey. It’s a beautiful thing, what we have going, and I feel more and more grateful for it all.. we are so lucky.