Tame Impala: DIY’s November 2016 cover stars revealed!

Photos: Pooneh Ghana / DIY.

From working with certified megastars to climbing festival bills at a rate of knots, no one’s had a year quite like Tame Impala head honcho Kevin Parker - who better to lead our celebrations of the musical madness of 2016?

Gracing the cover of DIY with his luscious locks, Our Kev talks everything from that Lady Gaga collab, to shirking the notion that he’s a ‘control freak’. “I think people assume that because it’s a one-man studio thing – because I record all the music myself and I do a lot of the stuff myself and don’t involve anyone else, I think people put two-and-two together. But it’s not about that at all,” he insists.

“As an artist I’ve just grown up with that way of doing it, to the point where if I had to work with someone else on Tame Impala stuff, it just wouldn’t even be Tame Impala. There’s no way I’d be able to conjure up the same emotions, and get inspired in the same way. I love making music with other people – since I’ve made music with friends, I’ve loved collaborating and stuff – but it’s just not what Tame Impala is. To be able to access that part of myself, I have to be totally in my own zone and in my own head.”

That’s not all, of course. Elsewhere, we chat to Biffy Clyro and Chvrches about their respective bonkers years, both of them cementing their places at the top of the pile. Christine & The Queens talks the enduring influence of debut album ‘Chaleur Humaine’ and looking towards LP2, while Dilly Dally and Weaves shine a light on their beloved Toronto scene. Looking ahead, we chat to Yak about their ruthless 2016 road time, as they keep one eye on the studio for a follow-up to untouchable debut ‘Alas Salvation’.

JAWS give us the lowdown on new album ‘Simplicity’, too, admitting that they’re finally over the seaside. The Japanese House talks Robbie Williams, Miley Cyrus and new EP ‘Swim Against The Tide’ (that’s slightly less random than it sounds), while Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz gives us all the goss on going solo as Sad13.

Our new music know-it-all Neu introduces Miya Folick, Hazel English and Alex Lahey, and there’s all the usual news and reviews of every release worth its salt (and some that aren’t). There’s a whole tonne more too, but you’ll have to pick up the mag this Friday to find out exactly what. Oooooh, etc.

The November 2016 issue of DIY is out from midday on Friday 4th November, available free via stockists across the UK, readable online, or if you’d rather have a copy posted to you in person, you can do so (or subscribe!) below.