Photo Credit: Felix Borelli
Following their set at the Neu Stage at 2000trees, we sat down with indie-pop outfit Carpark on what felt like one of the hottest days ever to talk about their 2000trees debut, dream festival line-ups and why camping might not be for them!
Hey Carpark, you played 2000trees earlier today how was it for you?
Scottie: Honestly it was our favourite festival set out of the two festivals we’ve done. But I think it was probably the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to. We had the best time, it was so early in the morning. But it was such a good show, probably our favourite show.
Hattie: It was a bit of a pinch me moment on stage. It was a bit surreal because it was like, big and it was a big stage for us and all those people.
S: We thought as it was early, nobody would really come but people came!
People definitely came and it was so much fun. It was the perfect way to start our day. So for people who haven’t heard of Carpark before can you sum yourselves up in five words?
H: We can do one each.
S: Concrete.
H: Rock.
S: Cars.
H: Dry humour.
Loda: Chaos.
S: You can choose whichever five sum us up best.
You released ‘The World Ended in 2012’ last year, what can you tell us about any news music and follow up plans? You played Suburbs Of Hell during your set. What can we expect and when can we expect it?
S: Suburbs Of Hell is going to be the next single we release which we’re really, really excited about and it’s going to be end of summer. Yeah, we don’t know the exact release date yet. But like, we had the first mix yesterday and it’s sounding great. We’re really excited to get that out.
H: It’s close!
So what is the vibe going to be? Is it going to be the same as the old Carpark? Are we going to hear something completely new?
L: I think sonically it’s definitely levelled up and we’re really, really excited about the new songs. I think in terms of the things that we’re writing about now yeah, I think it’s kind of changed a lot. I don’t know we kind of were going through a bit of a phase where everything we’re writing is a bit like catastrophic and a bit like maybe that’s the running theme of everything we write is everything’s a bit awful, but we’re actually positive people I think.
S: feel like it’s gonna be a slight evolution. But you know, we might still throw in a little ballady number.
Everybody loves a ballad don’t they? Those are the rules.
S: Those definitely are the rules. We plan on following them.
As a newer band, what’s been a really memorable band moment for you all?
H: Well, last week we played our first festival Barn On The Farm, which was a bonding experience. It was really fun, we camped for the weekend.
S: We didn’t sleep at all.
L: We discovered we maybe aren’t camping people or we need to prepare better if we are going to camp.
S: There was like delirious levels of exhaustion and I feel like that’s when you really have to pull together.
H: Yeah, we’ve definitely had moments where we have to pull together! Like for example, we had a photo shoot for our single Not The Perfect Start and we basically got lost in like marshlands. It was pouring down with rain and we thought we were going to have to like call a helicopter or something. We had to like cross all these like streams on like planks of wood.
S: We got the film photo and then when they got developed, they all got destroyed. So we spent all day, we drove like three hours to this location. In the end, we just ended up having to like go up the road from where we live and take some pictures because all of those one got destroyed. I feel like the worst it is the more we just laugh. I mean who really cares it’s not that deep.
H: I wasn’t sure if we were going to actually make it home.
S: It was an adventure like no other. It was giving Bear Grylls survival, survival in the wild.
If you can do that and you can camp then you’re unstoppable! Do you have any favourite lyrics from your own songs?
S: Mine’s probably “Maybe I could be a scientist put myself to better use than this”. You know what I mean? No, it’s like dude, you’re just in a band like rocking out like, is that really helpful? I think it’s kind of funny. Maybe I should actually do something useful but I’m having a great time.
L: I think some of the lyrics from Happy For A Day are definitely like quite meaningful for me. “You’re trying so hard to make peace with the mess back at home. And you do everything to convince yourself you’re not alone”. Yeah, just written about a family member who was going through a really difficult time. And I’m like, just like struggling to know how to support them. Feeling a wee bit helpless. Yeah. I definitely get a bit emotional at that song.
H: For me I like the meaning that this lyric has to other people, which is in Don’t Know Why We Met we have a like, not backing vocal but thing that says “tell myself it’s okay”. Which some fans have tattoos of it and when we sing it didn’t like mean that much at the moment when we wrote it wasn’t that prominent, but now it has a way more prominent effect because of what it means to them. When we have that bit in our set, you can see like that they’re like relating to it and like it means something to them. So yeah, I really like that.
Can you tell us what would be your dream festival line-up with you headlining?
S: We were talking about it today but Dinosaur Pile-Up and they’re playing today so I’m gonna go see them because we love them so so much so they would definitely be my choice on that.
H: I’d have Wolf Alice on the line-up.
L: I’d have Paramore.
S: Love that.
L: Yeah, that’s a really strong line-up especially with us headlining.
Thinking about smaller bands like we’ve seen from your Instagram you’re like mates with absolutely everyone.
S: Well definitely I think it’d be so fun to go on a tour with Swim School and Nieve Ella. Yeah, we were all hanging out at Barn On The Farm and they’re just like the sweetest, they’re so lovely. We were doing like weird girly meetings, yeah it was very weird and strange, but it was really fun. Everyone’s just so nice. I feel like in some like scenes people can be a bit like standoffish. But yeah, they’re just all lovely.
H: And like before we met them, Nieve Ella and Swim School, we had like their songs on our playlists, we love the music so much. Yeah, that would be so much fun.
S: The Uninvited are another amazing band. We absolutely adore them.
L: Can we have Nova Twins as well?
Pretty big but they can still be added.
S: They’ve grown so much and I feel like they really really deserve it. We’ve like seen them since they first started out and the same with Cassyette, we’ve just seen them blow up. It’s really inspiring and you know, it’s really exciting and they’re lovely people so.
What a lovely little wholesome moment. Okay, you probably get asked this a lot but what’s your favourite car park?
H: Oh my god. I don’t think we’ve ever been asked that! Good question.
L: We actually haven’t. What is my favourite car park?
S: My favourite car park would probably have to be the Sainsbury’s car park in Kensal Rise because that was the first one we shot like our first press shots with Jessie and that was like the first time Carpark were in a car park in the truest form and the truest sense. Also, I did used to live round there so that did used to be my local Sainsbury’s and it’s got really nice sky in the evening. It’s got really nice skyline.
H: Ooh car park.
Just to put the pressure on everyone as it’s a weird question.
H: I think my favourite park. I quite like IKEA car parks.
L: Do you know what this this is a bit rouge. But like, I think my favourite car park is Asda in Clapham Junction, because. Yeah, it’s so lame. But it’s just because that’s kind of when the band sort of started, we were doing a lot of writing out of my old flat there. We were just recording a lot of demos. We spent an awful lot of time in that car park and the girls would also get free parking there. And we were just sort of always there.
H: I feel like they had an offer during lockdown where you could park there for free.
L: We were always in that car park.
S: Yeah, really relatable chat here.
But it’s a fun question!
S: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I hope we get free we free parking.
IKEA are gonna be in touch with a brand deal, just you wait!
S: That would be amazing.
And final question, what are your 2023 and beyond plans for the band?
S: 2023 plans are we have a headline show. Our next headline show, which is on the 29th of September at the Lower Third on Denmark Street, which we’re really excited about. That’s going to kind of be around the release of new music, which we’re pretty hyped for. Yeah, so after this festival, we’ve got like a few weeks in the studio recording our next thing. So yeah, we’re gonna be busy, but we’re really excited.
You can read our review of 2000trees 2023 here – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Tickets for Carpark‘s show at Lower Third are on sale HERE.
