Tame Impala: The Revival and Influence of Psychedelic Rock in a New Age

Visual by Olivia Tran

Australian psych-rocker Tame Impala started off as an obscure, yet refreshing gem for college radio stations around the country. The hypnotic melodies, blended perfectly with throbbing psychedelic beats, immediately became a hit for left-of-the-dial listeners. Kevin Parker, the mastermind behind the one-man produced sound, consistently goes against the grain; he continually channels the same soulful ballads and instrumentals that inspired him to pursue music in the first place. Parker’s ability to replicate, yet uniquely adopt the tactic credited to icons of the 1960s and ’70s peaked interest within the listeners of our generation, reviving the distinct genre of psychedelic rock.  

Eleven-year-old Kevin Parker quickly familiarized himself with the iconic records that flooded the walls of his father’s house. Parker developed an early taste and personal connection with music once he accompanied his father’s cover band with his budding guitar skills. The time spent mastering lead riffs and sharp chords fueled his fervency to pursue music. The simple hobby turned into a passion for Parker. Artists like Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Brainticket, and Demon Fuzz introduced him to new and insightful ways of constructing songs. Parker channeled the inspiration he gained after surveying years of their music, combining his favorite elements from each artist in order to curate an original sound for his listeners. The basis for each of his tracks was made by layering several recordings of various instruments on top of each other. From there, Parker generated low-fi experiments flooded with overdubbing guitar strums and pounding drums, creating a category of music that was repetitive and almost genre-less. 

Parker’s curiosity led him to explore and evolve into new avenues of sound production. His music began to receive a great deal of exposure once he featured his multi-instrumental pieces on MySpace. Parker began his professional career by using modern electronic production to fuse pop melodies with contrasting sonic sounds that were prevalent in the peak of psychedelic rock. The pseudonym Tame Impala was born; the band’s name, although unconventional, references an African animal as an ode to his parents’ original roots in Rhodesia and South Africa. This signified the shift from a beloved psychedelic project to one of the most recognized and appreciated rock bands of our generation. 

InnerSpeaker, the first album Parker released as Tame Impala in 2010, sparked an influx of emerging psychedelic rock bands. Groups such as Ponds—which Parker often contributes to—Toy, and Hookworms were inspired by Parker’s poetically honest approach to music. Bands admired Parker’s fearless approach of showcasing stylistic elements that were not commonly featured in the sounds of the twenty-first century. Instantly, a whole new generation of fans became hopelessly invested in Parker’s powerful guitar solos and heart-palpitating drum drones. Anthems such as “It Is Not Meant to Be” and “Elephant” exposed listeners to Parker’s modern twist on guitar-driven tracks, reflecting the essential sound that was prevalent in Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd’s careers. Fans lost themselves in Parker’s cascade of keyboards and falsetto vocals, which united followers and provided hope for an era of psychedelic reincarnation. 

As Tame Impala grew, Parker found a way to perform his music live while still staying true to his self-proclaimed loner status. Parker is joined on stage by Jay Watson, Dominic Simper, Cam Avery, and Julien Barbagallo. Their presence intensifies the energy and essence essential to Tame Impala’s brand, allowing fans across the globe to experience the magic behind Parker’s thought process in person. Parker’s part-time bandmates accompany him only after a song has been fully created, ensuring that Parker’s in-depth authenticity is preserved in the track writing and producing processes. 

Tame Impala’s pivotal influence has seeped rapidly into prominent artists of this past decade, earning Parker the musical relevance and credibility he rightfully deserves. Over the course of his career, Parker collaborated with many musicians on old and new tracks. Kendrick Lamar offered his ingenious lyrical talent over Parker’s beats, expressing his animated rap persona during a remix of “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.” Rihanna’s angelic voice covered “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” a feature that added melodic depth to her most recent album, ANTI. Parker produced and co-wrote Travis Scott’s “Skeleton,” pairing psych-inspired musical elements of retro synthesizing sounds and reverbs with autotuned verses. Fine Line, Harry Styles’ number one debut album that was on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for two weeks, was heavily influenced by the same psychedelic elements that encapsulate Parker’s musical identity. For much of the last five years, Parker worked off of the flow of his successes, yet stayed true to the type of music he wished to produce. 

With each track and album, Parker continues to create new sound patterns that reflect his admiration for classic rock. In certain instances, Parker embraces synthesizers and crisp drum programming that align with more mainstream music values. Even still, he refuses to let Tame Impala follow a path that translates to immediate success, and he consistently rejects the concept of being tied down to specific musical expectations. In an age where pop artists and rappers have infiltrated the majority of mainstream music, Tame Impala has managed to establish a noteworthy reputation that has grabbed the attention of more than just avid underground music listeners. His music has been nominated for over sixty awards, earning him twenty nine wins over the past seven years. Parker’s career, brimming with creative bounty and unexpected detours, inspired the off-the-grid mentality that pushed him to challenge the existing norms of modern pop culture. Tame Impala shows that there is hope for extremely talented and unconventional individuals to claim space as a mainstream household name, especially in the hearts of listeners around the world.