PARKS IN DRIVE,
King overcomes obstacles to release Parks debut LP
Even when things go smoothly, great albums can take a long time to put together. For Brian King, leader of the Boston band Parks, things did not go smoothly.
Over the past few years, King went through a breakup, was laid off from a job and had a cancer scare. Through all of this, he never stopped writing and recording the little gems of pop genius. His work can be heard on Parks' self-titled debut LP, which blends modern indie rock with British Invasion song craft, Brian Wilson-esque harmonies and melodies, and meticulously detailed power pop.
“Going through so much, it helped me immensely to have something to work on, a goal I was working towards,” King said ahead of an album release party Thursday at the Sinclair. “But with everything, plus a lot of lineup changes, it took a while. We recorded (the single) `Sweater Weather' in 2011 and finished the final stuff last summer.”
With a clean bill of health and a new band backing him, King finally feels things have come together.
While the early lineup of Parks contained some ridiculously talented players (including guitarist Stu Dietz, who moved to Iowa), Parks 2.0 features fresh aces. ExEternals guitarist Eric Bolton — a player who can go from sweet pop to free jazz entropy in a song — replaced Di- etz; in-demand locals Rob Johanson and Andrew Jones filled the rhythm section on bass and drums respectively.
“These guys are all amazing, and Robin (Melendez), our second singer, well, I have known her for years, and I honestly couldn't think of anyone else to fill her role in the band now,” he said. “I am doing all the writing, so there's a lot of pressure on me, and I have a vision. And I need bandmates that see that vision. That's not to say there isn't collaboration, because there is, but what we do is not traditional. When I send people in the band the song demos, they are 75 percent done.”
At least that's the way it used to work. After a slow start, Parks is already deep into LP No. 2, and the process is evolving.
“The band is coming together. We are rehearsing like crazy and getting to know each other as players,” he said. “As we work on the next record, I am trying not to be so precious about the songs.”
While “Parks” features different lineups over a long period of time, King recorded almost everything himself, which gives the production a nice continuity. With the new album and new players, the band's sound is also evolving.
“The stuff we are working on is pretty different. There is more of an R&B focus to it,” he said. “I know some people think of me as a power pop guy, but I'm not that into it. I'm not going home and putting on Matthew Sweet. I'm putting on some Quincy Jones instrumental record.”
Whatever the sound, King won't be waiting years to put out new music. He wants to release a couple of singles or an EP in the next few months and have an LP follow quickly. Parks, with Hallelujah the Hills, Photocomfort and Future Teensdoors, at the Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge, Thursday. Tickets: $12-$15; axs.com.