Parkway Drive, the iconic Australian metal-core band, notoriously known for their unclean vocals and fast-paced guitar riffs – are back, with something a little different.
Forming in the summer of 2003, Parkway Drive have gone from performing in front of small social crowds to filling up stadiums of over ten thousand people, rapidly accumulating a devoted fan base over the years.
Released September last year, Parkway Drive’s fifth studio album, Ire has been described as the band’s most well-acclaimed, career defining record to date. A follow up to the LP release Parkway are returning to Australia for their regional tour, All Aussie Adventure.
I got the pleasure to chat with legendary vocalist, Winston McCall. With their international tour coming to an end – the boys are happy to be coming home.
“It’s been about four or five years since we last had our regional tour – it’s been a while. Australia just got bombed and saturated by bands. We’ve toured there so much; we didn’t want to wash it out. We felt it was a good time to come back. Especially Byron, being very aware most bands usually skip those areas; it’s always good to have access at this time. Touring here after all these years still has momentum.” McCall says.
Reflecting back to where it all began – McCall’s nostalgia for their first live show will always be a vital commodity to the bands career. Performing for only a small crowd, it was still an experience to remember.
“We do look back on that quite a lot. It’s highly entertaining and nostalgic. It was only a couple of weeks after forming the band; we played our first gig at Byron’s Youth Centre to about thirty-to-forty kids. We only had about five songs at the time – it was definitely an experience we wanted to experience immediately. All our friends were there, jumping around – flipping tables (laughs) it was a great experience.”
From touring around Europe and the US for an extensive amount of time – there were definitely some guilty pleasures the band had missed on their travels.
“Vegemite!” McCall laughs. “I really missed it – I know it’s a strange thing to miss – but you really do miss it. You’re in Europe and you have this really good bread, then you’re like, I swear there’s something missing. But we didn’t have any access to it, until our friend managed to get us a few jars. I was so excited!”
If the title ‘All Aussie Adventure’ sounds familiar to you – then it probably should. Originating from the early 2000s show Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures, a mockumentary, which parodied travel-adventures around rural Australia. However, in the end it was the fans who got the opportunity to determine the title of the tour – evoking the conception of ‘All Aussie Adventure’.
“It was a combination of not being inventive enough (laughs) and wanting to see what kids would come up with. Some of the entries were highly amusing, it was a great laugh and some we’d love to have on a poster but couldn’t. We didn’t anticipate the number of submissions, it was incredible.” McCall says.
Tired of doing the same bromidic style – it was time to reinvent themselves and push their musical capabilities. Aspiring to be more innovative and melodic the bands capability to engender a more refined instrumental pallet opened up avenues they never expected.
“Simply boredom. We didn’t feel as though there was anything to put into the new record – it became less fun to create. We wanted something new and exciting, we wanted to still be creative and still be Parkway. Otherwise there was no point in playing music.
“We wanted something new and exciting, we wanted to still be creative and still be Parkway. Otherwise there was no point in playing music.”A lot of new influences came into play alongside their reinvention. Due to their recent change in sound Parkway have launched themselves on to newer heights and musical prospects, reviving Australia’s hardcore scene and setting the benchmark for future metal bands to come.
“It was different from the original thought process – instead of playing fast and heavy all the time. It got to the point were we’ve done the same recordings for ten years – it just became the same thought process, and it felt as though we were recycling stuff and weren’t doing anything new creatively.
“We wanted new sounds and reinvent what we loved about the band and its identity, which meant sacrificing the original sound pallet. It’s been an added bonus that fans and critics are on board with the change. Working on the same fundamental process – with a little bit of melody. There were other influences, which were dragged in as well.
“We definitely flipped it around on this record, basically re-learning everything we taught ourselves, it was harder to play slower, which became a huge process, we had to cull ourselves from going too crazy. It felt like starting again.” McCall says.
[include_post id=”459576″]Ire, being an album influenced by personal aversion and overcoming fears, also became a form of solace for McCall, helping him alleviate feelings through musical expression and self-identification.
“It was definitely catharsis, forming another expression and personality – we’re lucky to have the opportunity to put the adrenaline and angst into every record we do. Written from more of a spontaneous process of simply reacting to the environment around me and how that environment was affecting me at that point in time. It was just a personal reaction to how I was looking at the world.”
Tied-in with facing new challenges and overcoming fears, Parkway’s video clip, Vice Grip shows the band being air-lifted then courageously jumping out of the airplane. McCall was of course the impulsive mastermind behind it all.
“It was a spontaneous joke (laughs) before doing the clip I was terrified of heights. Before that I jumped off bridges and would feel completely fine. Then something switched and i couldn’t go onto a balcony on the first floor. It was funny that we ended up jumping out of a plane, but it definitely helped me get over my fear of heights. It was completely life changing.” McCall says.
Parkway have come a long way over the years – becoming an important entity in the metal world. Their confidence to seek out new outlets and breakdown past barriers has allowed them to grow, not only as musicians, but also as individuals.
“As a reflection of what music means to us – I want to say, Yes, one hundred percent – everything this band has been through- so many places so many new people being able to do it through an expressive medium. I’m personally a fan of being surprised as well as enduring life’s crazy experiences. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Grab your tickets and your soothers – All Aussie Adventure kicks-off on the 15th of June, starting off in Cairns then making their way down the east coast.
All Aussie Adventure Tour Dates
15 JUNE – BROTHERS, CAIRNS (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.brotherscairns.com.au
16 JUNE – THE VENUE, TOWNSVILLE (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Moshtix outlets and www.moshtix.com.au
17 JUNE – LAKE KAWANA, SUNSHINE COAST (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.scvenuesandevents.
18 JUNE – POWERHOUSE, TOOWOOMBA (18+)
Tickets available from Oztix outlets and www.oztix.com.au
WITH LOCAL SUPPORT: AVERSIONS CROWN
19 JUNE – CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, GOLD COAST (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Ticketek and ticketek.com.au
23 JUNE – PCYC, BATEAU BAY (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Oztix outlets and www.oztix.com.au
24 JUNE – PANTHERS, PENRITH (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Ticketek and ticketek.com.au
25 JUNE – WOLLONGONG UNI, WOLLONGONG (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Moshtix outlets and www.moshtix.com.au
26 JUNE – ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, SUTHERLAND (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from the venue and www.sutherlandshire.nsw.
30 JUNE – THE CUBE, WODONGA (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.thecubewodonga.com.au
1 JULY- BENDIGO STADIUM, BENDIGO (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Oztix outlets and www.oztix.com.au
2 JULY – THE ARENA, GEELONG (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from Ticketek and ticketek.com.au
3 JULY – CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL, CHELSEA HEIGHTS (18+)
SOLD OUT!!
4 JULY – CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL, CHELSEA HEIGHTS (18+)
Tickets available from Moshtix outlets and www.moshtix.com.au
NEW SHOW ADDED!!
