Byron Bay band Parcels is exploring the duality of the world

“To us, it was a deep search of looking out at the world and into ourselves.”

Australia’s awesome fivesome Parcels is the gift that keeps on giving. Almost certainly Down Under’s most fashionable offering in the boys-in-a-band department, they’re also extremely musically talented — duh!

You probably know this already because their songs have already been streamed approximately 400 million times (that’s nuts!), and they’re signed to the coolest of the cool record labels, Kitsuné. Their first album, Parcels, received five-star reviews from basically everyone.

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Anyway, their much-anticipated second album Day/Night is possibly Kath & Kim-themed and definitely out on November 5, and they have a new single, ‘Somethinggreater‘, which is out now. I had the pleasure of asking frontman Jules Crommelin some questions about it all that he kindly answered.

What was the inspiration for your new single ‘Somethinggreater’?

This song started as a demo of Noah’s, with the chorus line and chords. We all loved the feeling of it, so we took it to the jam room, where it really came together. We played the chorus for hours on a loop; it was a real trance. I remember the moment we finally stopped, and everyone looked at each other with a big smile. We can’t wait to play this one live!

Did you discover yourselves during your time in the outback?

In a way, that was a big intention of the trip. Also, to discover the country we were born in and see the red dirt and its vast landscapes, as that was an image we were playing to when writing. Personally, I was quite anxious at the time, so it was nice to have that open space to sit with it. The heat and silence helped calm me down.

Can you share a funny thing that may or may not have happened?

Well, we got to the second last day, and we were travelling down a highway, and I noticed some scraping sounds every now and then. Not particularly in the mood of discovering what was the cause of that scraping, I left it until finally, it subdued into a constant scraping sound. I looked back at our trailer and saw sparks. We pulled over and saw that our trailer had snapped in half, hanging by a thread! Long story short, we got another trailer that also fell off on a bridge highway with no way of putting it back on. I’ll leave it there.

Where are your three favourite places in the world?

I would say The Pass (Byron Bay), Goonengary National Park, and, if it counts, my bed that I’m currently laying on.

I saw photos of you guys running around outback Australia in Gucci menswear. Do you often go on outdoor adventures in Gucci?

Oh, all the time!

What does the rest of 2021 hold in store for Parcels?

Well, there are two albums coming out, and I believe I can at least say there are dates of our tour about to be released. We will be on the frontline delivering our music to the world, and I’m so excited to finally have that connection again.

What are the pros and cons of living in Berlin (where you live now) and Byron Bay (where you’re from)?

Well, it’s a city, and we grew up in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, so it’s a stark comparison of bin juice and honking horns and the smells of frangipanis and salty air.

Who are your musical heroes?

That’s always a tough question for me, as remembering names is just so difficult. Roberta Flack sings directly to my heart, I wish I could sing like her, and Neil Young’s songs are just so powerful to me.

You have a new album coming out. Care to give us some clues as to what’s in store for our tiny yet disproportionately hairy ears?

Well, we, in fact, did two albums! They are a cyclical journey of day and night. To us, it was a deep search of looking out at the world and into ourselves. There is light and shadow. There is outside and inside. There is a walk through the city in the bright hours of the day, and there is a strange walk in the forest at night. There is a true feeling of freedom, but only when one meets the other side of feeling captive. I’ll leave it there!

You can listen to Parcels new single ‘Somethinggreater’ here and follow the band here.