PARK RD today release their highly anticipated second studio album, Boyhood, just ahead of a New Zealand Tour, kicking off in Christchurch at the end of November. Now based in Sydney, Australia, the former Auckland band relocated earlier this year, with the album becoming not only a snapshot of their lives at this point in time, but also a creation made between two countries.

“I think all of the songs, probably for the last few projects, have been very based off real experiences,” says Tom. “With the move and everything from Australia to New Zealand, there’s been a lot going on, so there’s a lot to write about. The first half of the album was kind of all about the same thing, the same person, and then the second half kind of moves on to a bit more of everyone’s different experiences and the growing pains of your 20s.”

This wasn’t necessarily intended from the outset, but rather a realisation for Tom, as the track ordering for the release was being worked through by Leo Crawshaw-Bond (guitar, vocals). It wasn’t until he was on his way to work and listening to the album that he realised that the first half of the album was centred around the same themes. “It just kind of randomly lined up, and then on English Boy, it almost resolves itself and tells the end of the story, which is like ‘you won’t text back, I keep looking at my phone. Why does it hurt like that?’, and it’s kind of an ending of what that’s about. And then, I feel like from then on it becomes a lot more about everyone’s experiences in the band. It was just one of those magical things, how it just worked out like that.”

Looking back at the band’s earlier releases, Tom feels that the band have undergone more changes in the last year than they had in the previous three, with Tom himself putting more thought and authenticity into the lyrics, for which he partially credits Leo’s girlfriend Hattie with helping him become a better writer. “She did a Masters in English or Poetry, and I think she’s kind of inspired all of us through her writing and wordcraft, thinking about the lyrics a bit more and workshopping the songs, which has been a really fun process. You have to put your pride aside, your ego, and you’re like, just gonna be open to the suggestion, or the direction, and then quite often it’s like ‘oh yeah, that’s better’.”

In addition to the lyrics, the production aspects have also been a huge feature on this album. Whereas previously the band were always considering the live performances, in particular how they might perform a song live in an authentic way, with this album, the band took a different direction. “With this album, we’re kind of like, free reign. Go be creative, and just do all of your amazing production. Which I think is really cool, and a big part of the album. Some really gorgeous soundscapes and little moments that he’s (Leo) added in there. I feel like everyone’s put so much into it, and it feels like we’ve matured as songwriters.”

Earlier in the year, the band moved to Sydney, Australia, following a few tours and being able to spend a bit of time in Sydney prior to making the move. “It definitely helped get a bit of a vibe for it, and spending a week off in Sydney during one of the tours made it a bit more easy, we knew what we were expecting.”

But despite having some awareness of Sydney, the relocation was still a very eye-opening experience for much of the band. “For some of the guys, it was their first time moving out of home, and this whole thing of ‘this is the real world’, no-one’s going to come and magically pay your rent, all of those kind of things. Navigating while playing heaps of gigs and shows always comes with its challenges, and it’s a big, exciting city, so there’s always something to do, but we’re doing alright. Hanging in there, having honest conversations when we need to. It’s definitely changes us all, and lots of lessons, you know? I’d say for the better.”

Playing shows in a larger city like Sydney, Tom describes the main difference as really being just having more people, but ultimately the crowds they see both in New Zealand and Australia both bring a passionate community of music fans. “I think we’ve been really lucky with the people that come to our shows. There seems to be some great energy in the crowds, and great people, so I think that’s something which we’re really lucky to have. I’m looking forward to coming back (to New Zealand).”

The album started off in New Zealand, before being ultimately finished in Australia, with the songs being written and produced across the two countries. Although Tom says that there may be a bit of a ‘darker’ sound on the New Zealand-made tracks, he also thinks that “it’s cool having a bit of that balance of the light and the dark in the production sound, but I also don’t think it’s too different. It all still feels like it’s in the same energy, has the same thing that binds them all together, that kind of ‘boyhood-ness’ of them, which is really cool.”

The album’s feature single Floodlights has been described as one of the album’s real centrepieces, and something which Tom feels hold a connection for everyone in the band. “it just feels like a real ‘coming of age’, and I love the message of ‘you’re changing the world, somewhere over there.’ It’s a heartbreak song, essentially, but it’s also saying ‘I still have a heart in my chest, and I’m still going to be living’, because for a while there it was all quite doomy and gloomy, so it’s reclaiming a little bit of that. Kind of, I’ve still got a heart, and I’m still gonna be here and live life, and I think that’s what makes it really beautiful.”

The track was written over a summer, with Leo and Tom both contributing to the vocals on the track. Taking a break midway before returning to finish the track, the song was naturally re-worked, with the old chorus now becoming the bridge. The song now “feels like the heart of the album.”

PARK RD have been together as a band since 2018, formed at High School and going on to win the 2019 Auckland Smokefree Rockquest, going on to the National Finals. With 8 years as a band and an international move now under their belts, the band has become a huge part of everyone’s lives. “We’re all kind of brothers at this point. You just kind of, you have fights with brothers, and you look after each other as brothers, and you have honest conversations with brothers. And that’s kind of what it is really, and we also get to do this thing, making music and creating art, which I feel like we have a talent for it, and have our own angle on it, which really feels like ours. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s been a wonderful journey so far.”

The band’s songwriting often explores relationships and emotional vulnerability, and the act of writing it, and singing it, has become a nice way to process things, being what Tom describes as ‘one step removed’. “I always like getting into that kind of, you know, that juicy stuff, I think it just makes for a more interesting conversation in general, but sometimes it can be tricky to be honest in some of those situations. Also having friends as well to help write the songs, bouncing off Leo for lyrics, or Haddie, they can sometimes lead to an even more honest direction, which it’s nice to have that kind of support. I have other artists to balance off.”

With the band returning to New Zealand at the end of November, it’s been around a year since their last show in Aotearoa, and it seems that they are already getting excited to be returning to their home soil. “I just miss the New Zealand people in general, family and friends, and have become friends with.a lot of people that come to the shows. Just a lot of really cool other creatives and people doing cool stuff for the community in Auckland and in New Zealand. So I think that’s something I’m really excited for, kind of to experience that thing that’s a little bit larger than just the band, that’s kind of the whole thing around it.”

The band have been practicing, and are planning a more theatrical performance than the last time we saw them, complete with costume changes. “I’ve been getting my friend to do the outfits, just trusting her and being like, make it out there, I trust you. I’m just gonna put on what you make pretty much, and then an outfit change, and thinking about the performance side. Making it a bit more theatrical, and a bit more of a story and deliberate. It’s going to be really exciting to play, and having thought out that side of things a bit more, we’ve just got a cool team.”

The band have an amazing team of creative friends surrounding them, such as Cameron who has been assisting with visuals, Molly Millington (who also features on the track Fatal) making the band’s outfits, friends who have assisted with choreography, and a friend, Thomas, who has been helping with publicity. The collaborative and collective efforts of the band and their friends all coming together to make the album Boyhood what it is.

“I’m excited to see what comes from here. We’ve also at a place where we’ve finished the album, which is epic, and we’re starting to create some new stuff which feels really nice when there’s nothing to get done in terms of finishing the album. That’s kind of where we’re at.”

PARK RD’s upcoming album Boyhood is out today, with the New Zealand tour kicking off from November 26th in Christchurch.

PARK RD BOYHOOD NZ TOUR:
Thursday November 26 – Wunderbar, Christchurch
Friday November 27 – Saturday November 28 – Dunedin Beer Festival, Dunedin
Friday December 4 – San Fran, Wellington
Saturday December 5 – Double Whammy, Auckland

Tickets for all shows are on sale HERE. Don’t miss this chance to catch them on tour, thanks to Loop, Select Music and NZ On Air Music.