Parcels have today released their ambitious second album ‘Day/Night’.
The highly-anticipated album comprises two whole, standalone records: Day and Night. It is a vast leap forwards in scope and sound from the Australian 5-piece’s 2018 debut album and is out now via Because Music, available to stream and download digitally and also on double vinyl.
In a recent NME cover feature on Parcels, the magazine dubbed ‘Day/Night’ “a marvellous, fascinating collection of songs […] a record of epic proportions, spritely and serious at the same time; the sound of a collective pouring out their heart and soul into a record of real beauty”. The shoot for the cover feature saw Parcels styled exclusively in Gucci’s newest line. See here for the interview and shoot. NME’s 4* album review remarked: “this daring album sets yet another high bar for this band, and leaves us itching to find out where they’ll go next.”
Parcels are celebrating the release of ‘Day/Night’ with a string of sold-out shows, which included a joyous performance at London’s Islington Assembly Hall earlier this week which was also met with acclaim: NME’s 5-star review of the show concluded: “you simply have to see this band live.”
Today’s album launch follows the release of the band’s most recent single and video, ‘Famous’, out now. Of the single, Parcels say:
“Famous’ lyrics grapple with the narrow ideas of success in modern society and how they are presented to us. Jules sings a message of warning to us all, including the rest of the band, of the issues anyone can face by living publicly and the emphasis on the individual within social media.
The music was put together as an amalgamation of rearranged ideas in Jules’ demo folder that we jammed on in our rented hideaway in Australia. We embraced the idea of the instrumental representing a dusty-western landscape in the verse, polarised with a glittering disco-dip chorus break. The song then fragments into disjointed grooves that emphasise the building anxiety within the Night album.”
Carmen Crommelin, the director of the video for ‘Famous’ says: “We’ve always perceived ourselves through others. What’s changed is: how many we can now compare ourselves to. ‘Famous’ playfully explores the most desirable thing in our modern society, whilst looking at how we can change our perception; ‘seeing’ through the eyes of others Jules sweetly sings with a bitter taste at the tip of his tongue, its melody is up and fast, the lyrics satirical and snappy. It’s both an invitation and a warning!”
‘Day/Night’ was recorded at La Frette Studios in Paris and was produced by Parcels themselves, with mixing duties courtesy of James Ford and string arrangements by Owen Pallett.
Additional tracks unveiled from Day/Night ahead of album release include ’Theworstthing’, ‘Somethinggreater’, ‘Comingback’ and ‘Free’. Vast and cinematic in sound and layered lyrical themes, Day/Night channels western folk and classic pop, resulting in a new sound the band describes as their new-fangled cowboy disco sound. The record tackles opposing topics of identity vs anonymity, family vs independence, belonging vs isolation and nostalgia vs projection; the self and the shadow self. The album is cyclical – a perfect loop from end to its start – echoing the albums’ theme of inner and outer self and the constant turning of the natural world.
Parcels are: guitarist Jules Crommelin, keyboardist Louie Swain, keyboardist/guitarist Patrick Hetherington, bassist Noah Hill and drummer Anatole ‘Toto’ Serret. To date they’ve amassed over 400 million streams, 200,000 album sales worldwide, cross-continental tours, shows with French royalty Phoenix and Air and a debut single that was produced by none other than Daft Punk.
PARCELS in Concert
2021 Tour:
11.5.21 La Cigale, Paris, France (SOLD OUT)
11.6.21 Metropol, Berlin, Germany (SOLD OUT)
11.19.21 NY Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York, USA (SOLD OUT)
2022 North American Tour:
2.27.2022 (CAN) Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom
2.28.2022 (US) Portland, Roseland Theater
3.01.2022 (US) Seattle, The Showbox
3.03.2022 (US) San Francisco, CA, The Fox Theater
3.04.2022 (US) Los Angeles, CA, Palladium
3.05.2022 (US) Phoenix, AZ, M3F Festival 2022
3.08.2022 (US) Las Vegas, NV, Brooklyn Bowl
3.10.2022 (US) Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot
3.11.2022 (US) Denver, CO, Gothic Theatre (SOLD OUT)
3.13.2022 (US) Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
3.14.2022 (US) Chicago, IL, Metro
3.15.2022 (US) Detroit, MI, The Majestic Theatre
3.17.2022 (CAN) Toronto, ON, Queen Elisabeth Theatre
3.18.2022 (CAN) Montreal, QC, MTelus
3.19.2022 (US) Boston, MA, Royale Boston
3.22.2022 (US) New York, NY, Brooklyn Steel (SOLD OUT)
3.23.2022 (US) New York, NY, Brooklyn Steel (SOLD OUT)
3.25.2022 (US) Philadelphia, Theatre Of Living Arts (SOLD OUT)
3.26.2022 (US) Washington, DC, 9:30 Club (SOLD OUT)
3.28.2022 (US) Asheville, NC, The Orange Peel
3.29.2022 (US) Nashville, TN, Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
3.30.2022 (US) Atlanta, GA, Variety Playhouse
4.01.2022 (MX) Mexico City, Pepsi Center
2022 European Tour:
9.22.2022 (GER) Wiesbaden, Schlachthof
9.23.2022 (GER) Hamburg, Edel Optics Arena
9.24.2022 (NL) Amsterdam, AFAS Live
9.25.2022 (BE) Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
9.27.2022 (UK) Manchester, O2 Ritz
9.28.2022 (UK) Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanisers
9.30.2022 (UK) London, O2 Academy Brixton
10.02.2022 (FR) Paris, Zénith
10.04.2022 (GER) Cologne, Palladium
10.05.2022 (FR) Lille, L’Aeronef
10.06.2022 (FR) Rennes, Le Liberté
10.08.2022 (FR) Reims, La Cartonnerie
10.09.2022 (FR) Caluire-et-Cuire, La Radiant
10.10.2022 (CH) Zürich, Volkshaus
10.12.2022 (GER) Munich, Tonhalle
10.13.2022 (GER) Berlin, Columbiahalle
‘Day/Night’, the new album by Parcels, is out now via Because Music.
