Colorado-born, LA-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Patrick Park is gearing up for the release of his long-awaited new disc, “We Fall Out Of Touch,” his first new studio record since 2010’s critically-acclaimed Badman Recording Co. disc, “Come What Will.” Since his first offering in 2003, the “Under the Unminding Skies” EP, Park has spent the better part of the last decade developing a reputation as a captivating recording and live artist and has toured with a diverse range of artists such as My Morning Jacket, Seawolf, Grandaddy, Beth Orton, Liz Phair, Shelby Lynne, among others. Read on to learn more about Patrick, who will be at Eddie’s Attic on Monday, April 14th!
What’s the first gig you ever attended?
The first show that I ever saw was a Michael Jackson concert at Mile High stadium. I must have been about 7 or 8. Both my brother and I were decked out in our Michael Jackson jackets and sparkly gloves. We were way up in the nose bleed section but I remember being pretty psyched.
What is the best gig that you ever performed?
That is a hard question to answer, I’ve played so many shows now. In the past I’ve been pretty hard myself, and a lot of times after shows I would just be thinking about the places that I fucked up, or the times that I wasn’t in the moment during the show. I’ve learned that no one really notices these things accept me though. All that said, I remember opening up for David Grey early on in like 2003, and there was all this chaos in my life at the time. I played solo acoustic and it was the biggest crowd that I’d ever played for, about 7500 people. All of the tumult in my life was coming to a head, and it all got channeled into that show. I had a manager at the time who saw this, and after that he decided he would purposely try to upset me, or make me angry before every show… Which wasn’t an awesome idea.
What is the best gig you have ever seen?
I think that would have to be Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl on the In Rainbows tour.
Gig you would most like to play?
Anything at Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s in the little town where I grew up and I remember listening to concerts from my backyard.
What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
My favorite shows are always the ones where my friends and I are on the same bill.
What is the strangest thing a fan has done for you or at your show?
I once had a fan bring me a huge tin of pot cookies. I didn’t realize that they were pot cookies however, they apparently assumed that I knew the difference. I remember getting into Nashville the next day around 4 in the afternoon and I was so hungry. I got my car and then proceeded to wolf down like 5 of these cookies. Fortunately I didn’t have a show that night, but I spent the next 6 hours driving around Nashville trying to find my hotel. I stopped for directions like 10 times, but I kept forgetting what people would tell me the moment I got back in my car.
What is the funniest moment you have had as an artist?
See above. 🙂
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
I just play a little guitar and sing some songs to warm up. Aside from that, I do a little meditation so that there is nothing going on in my mind other than what I’m doing.
If you could describe your music in one word, what would it be?
Um……
How do you connect with a crowd?
Some nights are better than others. I like it best when I feel like the music is making the connection, but I like to talk to the crowd just like I would talk to my friends.
How did you decide on your band name?
My parents came up with it.
What is the best way to write music?
I honestly have no idea. I would say to just be open, patient, honest, and not try to force things. Pay attention to what scares you as a songwriter. If it’s uncomfortable for me, I know that it has juice. For me it happens so many different ways, but my favorite way is when is feels like the song has always existed and I’m just tuning into it like an old radio dial.
How did you get started playing music?
I don’t know. I started really young like 7 or so. My dad played music, and I was always just mesmerized by it. I don’t know when I realized that it was something that was just always on my mind.
Who are some of your biggest influences?
I know that it sounds weird, but musically, I’m not super sure. To me what ends up influencing me the most are the people in my life, what’s going on around me, and I don’t mean this in a depressing way because I feel like all things hopeful spring from it, but suffering. That sounds kind of pretentious I know.
When writing a song, how does the process usually begin?
Again, I’m not trying to be mysterious here or anything, but if I’m really honest, I’m not sure where it begins, or if it begins anywhere. It’s a process that’s always going and always changing. I don’t control it and I don’t try to. If I read that sentence from someone else’s interview, I would quite possibly be rolling my eyes right now, but it’s the truth.
What kind of impact do you feel that streaming music services such as Spotify have had on artists?
That’s an interesting question. On one hand, as an artist, you want people to hear the music that you’ve spent so much time and effort on. So making music so accessible is kind of a good thing. On the other hand, I do think that it contributes to a devaluation of music on the whole. Monetarily speaking, it gets harder and harder to make a living playing music because everyone thinks that it should be free. (Which in a way I agree with) But what worries me most about it is that the experience of listening to music, to spending time with it, cultivating a relationship with it, is also being unintentionally devalued. That because there is less and less “value” assigned to music in terms of money, this translates to less and less value experientially.
What is your opinion on vinyl’s increase in popularity?
I’m all for it! I think that vinyl sounds better, and feels better. I think that the resurgence of vinyl is the result of people reacting to both the intangibility, and the inherent physical harshness of the digital format.
How do you approach social media as an artist?
With a degree of resentment, but it’s definitely a double edged sword. I’m trying to see it in a different light, and learn to use it as a tool to connect with people. But the thing is, I’ve never been very comfortable with self promotion, and in general I find social media to be less about connecting with others than it is about promoting your self. It seems to me the way it’s often used, contributes to and/or is symptomatic of us as a society being way too self absorbed. I think generally, It’s a time sucking distraction from reality that creates the illusion of connectivity. Where we end up focusing on mostly trite crap instead of actually connecting with one another in an honest and meaningful way. But make sure to “like” me on Facebook! Haha 😉
Catch Patrick Park at Eddie’s Attic Monday, April 14th! Doors at >6:30 p.m. Tickets: GA $10 in advance, $14 at the door. Table seats are $12.50 and must be purchased in multiples of 4. Online and phone sales close at 5 p.m. day of show.
