PARK RD Return with New Single / Video for ‘Fatal’ + Announce Album
PARK RD return with their new single Fatal, a collaboration w/ Sydney-based vocalist Molly Millington.
The release comes after three months of constant touring in their new home of Sydney, a period that has seen PARK RD deepen their sound and settle into a new chapter for the Auckland-formed band. Fatal marks the final run towards the anticipated release of their new album, Boyhood, set for release this November.
Some songs take months to find their shape; for PARK RD, Fatal came together in a single afternoon. Written during a day off on tour in Australia, the band headed into a Sydney studio and invited Molly Millington to join them. It was the first time the band and Millington had met, but the connection was immediate. Within a few hours, Fatal had taken shape.
The track began with an instrumental that guitarist Leo Crawshaw-Bond had started the night before, before frontman Tom Chamberlain and Millington began trading vocal and melodic ideas in the room. Around them, the rest of the band built the song in real time, turning a loose studio idea into one of their most natural collaborations yet.
At its heart, Fatal captures the tension of going somewhere not because of the place itself, but because of who might be there. A party, a club, a night out, the setting becomes secondary to the possibility of seeing someone again. That feeling of anticipation runs through the track, giving Fatal its restless pull.
Pairing PARK RD’s guitar-led energy with Millington’s distinctive voice, Fatal introduces a new dynamic to the band’s sound. It is immediate and instinctive, shaped by the chemistry of a first meeting and the momentum of a session where everything seemed to fall into place.
Fatal is taken from Boyhood, PARK RD’s forthcoming eleven-track album set for release this November. The record captures the coming-of-age years that Tom, Leo, TK and Carlos are navigating in their own lives, drawing on romance, friendship, music and the highs and lows of growing up. Written half in New Zealand and half in Australia following the band’s move across the Tasman, Boyhoodreflects a period of significant change for PARK RD, embracing a lighter indie-pop soundscape inspired by Fontaines D.C., The 1975 and Ryan Beatty.
Of Boyhood, PARK RD says: “This album has been written over a period of time, as we’ve been growing up and experiencing the world around us. It feels like an accumulation of our lives as friends and the relationships happening in the close circles around us. We have romance in there; we have songs about music, stories of good times as well as the bad times. It’s a snapshot of all the highs and lows of growing up, and we are so excited to share what Boyhood means to us with everyone.”
Fatal is accompanied by a music video directed by Hattie Salmon, captured on a tape camcorder to give it a warm, nostalgic feel. The video sees Tom Chamberlain and Molly Millington dancing together in an old hall, with choreography by Min, bringing the track’s sense of anticipation and connection to life.
Now based in Australia, PARK RD have spent the past few months performing alongside the likes of Pacific Avenue, Eliza and the Delusionals, San Cisco, and more, while also playing countless shows at the city’s dive bars and gentrified gastro-pubs. The upcoming new album sees the band growing in confidence, pushing their sound further with each release while continuing to build a fanbase with each live performance.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Friday August 28 @ The Burdekin, Sydney NSW, Australia (supporting Loretta)
Thursday September 3 @ The Old Bar, Melbourne VIC, Australia
Friday September 4 @ The Espy, St Kilda VIC, Australia
Saturday September 5 @ Retreat Hotel, Brunswick VIC, Australia
Tuesday December 29 @ Matakanarama Festival, Matakana NZ
Sunday January 3 @ Coro Classic Festival, Coromandel NZ
