Tame Impala's third album, the true game-changer Currents, came out 10 years ago today. We revisited the record with some words on the internet, and now so has Kevin Parker, the man who made it.
In a note posted to Instagram, Parker says he went through a lot of self-doubt while making Currents — "I couldn’t tell if it was great or embarrassingly bad" — but these days when he plays "Let It Happen" live "I still feel it deep in my soul." On that same wavelength, he adds, "There was often so much doubt, but I knew it was an album I had to make. The lows were low but the highs were high. And during the highs, when I had forgotten to care what people were going to think I’d be driving in my car listening to mixes feeling like it was pure magic, and in those moments I remember thinking whatever the outcome I just had to go through with it, and believe in it even if it felt totally blind. Glad I did."
Meanwhile, in another Instagram post from four days ago, Parker teased the impending arrival of Tame Impala LP5 (as well as, seemingly, another child). The first slide in the post shows Parker with his wife, Sophie Lawrence, who seems to be very pregnant in the picture. The last slide shows a white board that seems to depict the progress on a bunch of new songs, all of which are marked "DONE." Parker did debut a new Tame Impala song in a DJ set last month, and a brand new 12" for an unnamed track went on sale today and quickly sold out.
Here's Parker's statement reflecting on Currents:
Currents is 10 years old today. Really?? It doesn’t feel like that at all. I guess because it’s stayed such a big part of my life since then it still feels fresh. When we play Let It Happen live these days I still feel it deep in my soul. I guess also because it’s taken me this long to really appreciate the music. I had more than one existential crisis during the making and release of this album. I couldn’t tell if it was great or embarrassingly bad, not to mention the fans I would lose by switching up music styles so heavily. People recently have asked me if i was feeling pretty chuffed with myself after making this album and the answer is always absolutely not! There was often so much doubt, but I knew it was an album I had to make. The lows were low but the highs were high. And during the highs, when I had forgotten to care what people were going to think I’d be driving in my car listening to mixes feeling like it was pure magic, and in those moments I remember thinking whatever the outcome I just had to go through with it, and believe in it even if it felt totally blind. Glad I did. Happy 10th Bday Currents. Emotional thanks to all my peeps who believed in it with me, you know who you are💜
The next album will be Tame Impala's first since 2020's The Slow Rush, which is underrated IMO.
