Carpark are a lockdown-born London trio who have quickly found a solid fanbase thanks to their catchy but honest combination of grungy guitars, melodious/dreamy hooks and sweet vocals. They featured in my artists to watch feature at the end of 2021, and are starting off strong in 2022, with a sold-out London headline show at Laylow this Friday 4th February, and new music due on 18th ('The World Ended in 2012').
Hattie (guitar), Loda (drums) and Scottie (vocals and bass) kindly agreed to answer a few of my questions ...
You're relatively new to the scene as a band, but not to each other! How did you get together?
Carpark: We were all in bands before but they all ended for one reason or another so we were on the lookout for new bandmates. Loda and Scottie had already played together in a band but needed a guitarist. It was weird, a friend told us about Hattie and we were just about to message her when she sent us a message asking if we needed a guitarist. The music gods aligned and we met up in Soho and have never looked back.
Did you set out with any goals for the band, or just to see where it went?
Carpark: Tour the world and play Glastonbury (modest we know).
You've hit the ground running, with festival appearances and supporting Lauran Hibberd in 2021. What's been key to this success?
Carpark: Patience! We took our time with the music and actually scrapped a whole EP before we brought out our first single ‘Don't Know Why We Met’. There’s such an urge to rush these things and it’s a weird place to be in when you don’t have a band name or anything out but it’s your whole life - but it’s always worth the wait.
What's been your favourite gig as a band so far?
Hattie: The first night of the Lauran Hibberd tour in Manchester at the Deaf Institute. I wasn’t expecting anyone to know us so it was such a shock that people were singing along and cheering for us. Best feeling ever.
Loda: The Lauran support show in Glasgow at The Attic. It was such a great crowd (the Scottish never disappoint!) and we crashed with some of my old school friends after.
Scottie: Our first gig - we played out of a friend’s garage in Belfast, probably the most pop-punk thing we’ve ever done.
Have you developed any pre-gig rituals?
Carpark: At the minute we’re touring and playing shows with just the three of us, so in between setting up merch, parking the car, eating, getting changed and doing soundcheck there’s not usually a bunch of time for any rituals!
Post gig: chill out, or keep partying?
Carpark: We love hanging out after a gig. Having some drinks, meeting people and getting a cheeky Macy's is the dream.
If you could have any other artist cover a Carpark song, who would it be?
Carpark: I think we’d die & go to heaven if Paramore covered one of our songs! Hayley Williams is so amazing.
On similar lines, do you have any dream collaborations?
Loda: There are a few! A heavier dream collab would be with BMTH. I’d love to hear Scottie's angelic voice with a grittier male one. It would be amazing to write with Holly Humberstone, Softcult, Girl in Red, Finneas O’Connell to name a few ...
Hattie: I’d love to collab with Baby Queen - I love the album she put out late last year ‘The Yearbook’
Scottie: I’d love to write a song with FIDLAR and also wouldn’t mind a cheeky collaboration with Weezer.
Loda, you recently played drums for Holly Humberstone, which must have been a dream! How did that come about?
Loda: Aw it was unreal! I’ve been a big fan of Holly for a while and when I heard she was looking for a drummer for her London show I had to get involved. Couldn’t believe it when I got the call to say I’d got it! She was so lovely to work with and it was really special to have been the first musician to accompany her on stage! Hopefully more to come.
What is the Carpark song-writing process - do things form organically or are you more structured?
Carpark: Most songs usually start with melodies and lyrics as a voice note on someone’s phone. Then we sit down together and finish writing either in someone’s bedroom or a rehearsal studio. It’s nice to keep switching it up.
What's your favourite of your own songs?
Hattie: At the moment it's 'Happy For A Day' - Loda wrote it about someone really special to us who was suffering from addiction and I’m really proud of her for being brave and opening up about it and also raising awareness - when we play it live it’s actually so good it makes me a bit emotional.
Loda: I’d have to second Hattie's choice. 'Happy for a Day' is a song very close to my heart and I feel the meaning behind it hit me every time we play it.
Scottie: Our new single that’s dropping on 18th February ‘The World Ended in 2012’ - it started as an idea at 4am when I got back from work one night and since then we’ve put so much energy and time into growing it into its final form.
Where is your music going this year? Any Carpark goals?
Carpark: Well, we’re releasing that debut EP on February 18th and playing our first headline show in London on 4th February. We just want to keep writing, exploring our sound and constantly improving on our live set.
Thank you!
