Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker: “I thought ‘Lonerism’ was a pop album”

In the new, July issue of DIY (out Wednesday 24th June), Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker says he’s always seen himself as a pop artist.

Speaking to DIY’s El Hunt, the producer says he considers previous LP ‘Lonerism’ a “pop album”, and he has the same perspective with new album ‘Current’. “I was convinced, I thought it was pop with a psychedelic pinch to it. I guess I have the same sentiment with this album,” he says.

“Every melody I’ve ever written is a pop melody,” he goes on. “For me, pop is a flavour that you can bring in and out of a song, it’s like an ingredient. If you’re a chef, you sprinkle in a bit. In the last few years, being in the music game,” he says wryly, “it makes you realise those ‘rules’ are boundaries.”

“I was a lot more open minded,” he says. “On previous albums I’ve been interested in making old albums sound new, or trying to redirect new elements into the old. This time I felt that might be restricting my arsenal. I bought one of those giant workstation synthesisers, you know, like a Justin Timberlake-type artist, just to see what would happen,” he says, pausing. “I thought, fuck it.”