by Hrefna Helgadóttir 25 Jul 2019
It's not often an artist arrives on the scene that immediately you feel dumb for not already knowing everything there is about them. Like Elephant was in heavy rotation on my playlists back in the day, as was The Less I Know The Better and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.
The album cover for Currents is iconic in a way that only maybe the Joy Divison t-shirt is.
Like so incredibly iconic you'd feel dumb for not knowing when it all began, or who it is, or if it's a classic piece from the 70s or 80s or as is the case for Tame Impala, from 2015. This of course is no accident, but exactly the aesthetic they were going for – perfectly matching the psychedelic pop-vibe of the music which has the classic sounds of the earlier eras while staying current (no pun intended).
I still feel like I hardly know a thing about the entity known as Tame Impala.
Q: Is Tame Imapala a person or a band?
It's a person, called Kevin. Kevin Parker.
As a touring act though, there is a band.
Q: Where are they from?
Sunny Australia. Perth specifically.
Q: What does Tame Impala mean?
It's a reference to meeting an African animal in the wild, and then it walks away. (more here)
Q: Does Tame Impala still make music?
There's an album in the works apparently, but it's been 4 years since the Grammy-nominated album Currents came out (the one with the fancy artwork featured above). He did release two singles though in early 2019.
Q: What genre is Tame Impala?
He's like a modern version of the psychedelic rock of the 60s.
Q: Why is it relevant right now?
He's been headlining every festival from Coachella to Glastonbury.
Q: Is it just me, or does he kinda sound like John Lennon from The Beatles?
No – definitely not just you. Critics have loved making this comparison for a while; simply because there definitely is a resemblance there. Read this Quora for a more in-depth reply >>
Q. Who really cares?
Well, Rihanna is such a big fan, she covered New Person, Same Old Mistakes on her latest album ANTI as re-stylised as Same Ol' Mistakes. and he's worked with legend producer Mark Ronson.
Q: Is he good live?
Absolutely. You don't get these festival headline slots for no reason – and he was one of the most raved about act by Coachella fans on social media and a top-reviewed performer by critics; and in the UK his closing set at Glastonbury was described as 'perfect' by NME.
Those who've seen him, absolutely rave about the experience. Let's not forget that the indisputable leader of the psychedelic genre that Tame Impala occupies, are the Grateful Dead – one of the most successful touring band of all time. Point being: people dig experiences like this.
Q: Is he on tour right now?
He's wrapping up the festival circuit right about now, and then he's headed on a US tour.