The Parlotones on their new album
The group’s back with a new album to mark two decades in the industry
As one of South Africa’s most successful bands The Parlotones need little introduction. They celebrate their 20th anniversary with the release of a double album, China, and an international tour planned for 2019. We chat to singer Kahn Morbee.
Congrats on the new album. What can fans expect – the trademark Parlotones sound or something new? It’s a bit of both. We’re cognisant of what made us popular, but as a natural evolution we try to embrace new sounds and keep abreast of modern trends while still maintaining our love of guitar music.
Why did you name it China? The gift of china (porcelain) is something you give to someone celebrating a 20-year anniversary and since we’re celebrating ours as a band, we felt it was appropriate.
You spent time in England working with a few top songwriters. Tell us about that. The sessions were arranged by our international manager and it was a great experience. We got some great songs as a result. We worked with a lot of people, among them Grammy-nominated songwriter Sacha Skarbek, who wrote the James Blunt hits You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover.
It’s a double CD – 25 songs. Why did you decide on that? It reflects two decades in music, so two albums in one made sense to us.
What has kept you together all these years? Shared interests, a love for creating and performing music and thickskinned perseverance. We’re easy-going individuals so there’s next to no drama. Our biggest challenge has been the fallout and legal issues that ensued with our previous management.
You’ve just done a national tour and are heading overseas. Do you still enjoy performing live? Yes. We certainly have some off days but they’re shortlived. We realise that we’re very fortunate to call music our profession and there’s nothing else we’d rather be doing.
The band is known for its signature make-up. Have you changed your stage look at all? The make-up is still our thing, and probably will be until life’s spotlight fades. But we do have a brandnew stage outfit which is a marriage between our past and the China theme.
Do you think the Parlotones will be making music into their seventies like the Rolling Stones? Well, that’s the dream, but we take it one day at a time.
Who’d you most love to work with? Paul McCartney, Brandon Flowers [of The Killers] and Swedish songwriter/ producer Max Martin.
You’re now a father. Has it changed your views when it comes to songwriting or being in a band? I think any major life experience always shapes your perspective – it’s the evolution of the human journey and all its layers inevitably shape your views and how you approach creativity and life in general.