Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Arlo Parks’s 2021 debut, Collapsed In Sunbeams, is a young and uncooked plea from the artist to listeners. But what followers of trustworthy ballads like “Hurt” and “Eugene” could not understand is that Arlo is a self-proclaimed extrovert with a “frantic approach to creativity” who is consistently in movement.
Arlo’s power for her passions has been on the fore just lately, as she revealed information of her upcoming sophomore album, My Soft Machine, the identical week that she was named certainly one of Spotify’s GLOW Spotlight artists. GLOW is our new world music program celebrating and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. At launch, we supported Arlo on-platform with a devoted hub and flagship GLOW playlist, and off-platform by way of billboards and different takeovers. And our dedication to the artist, and to fairness in audio, will proceed year-round.
With her newest single, “Weightless,” the London native leans a little bit extra closely towards her deep love of techno, digital music, and nightlife tradition. “I taught myself to DJ, and I’m inspired by a lot of dance music, actually,” the artist instructed For the Record. “I feel like it’s a perfect intersection of queerness and music that makes you move—that marriage is super organic.”
Tell us about your journey into music. How did you discover your voice?
I began taking part in piano once I was very younger. That developed into studying to play the guitar a little bit bit and falling in love with bands like Deftones, My Chemical Romance, and Smashing Pumpkins. I fell in love with the power of those individuals who have been smashing into one another onstage. Around the identical time, I additionally found the extra light use of guitars with folks like Phoebe Bridgers, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, and Jeff Buckley and seeing how deeply emotionally profound music may very well be as a medium.
So, these two issues’ colliding led me to show myself methods to produce on GarageBand and simply make horrible little demos in my bed room and in my closet. Making music within the closet was making music within the studio. And now I’ve been doing music full-time since I used to be about 17, so about 5 years.
How has your music modified as you’ve gotten older?
Over time, I’ve turn out to be extra courageous, extra weak. I believe actually, it’s simply from having lived extra life, changing into extra assertive within the studio, and selecting up extra abilities and balancing it with the recommendation from the folks round me. I really feel like my method to writing itself has been fairly constant. I’m typically struck by melodies in the course of the evening or on the most inconvenient occasions and voice-noting these, studying excessively, and mining my lyrics from poetry.
How does your queer id affect your music or your songwriting?
My queer id has all the time made its means into my music as a result of it’s who I’m. And I’ve all the time written about love and discovering myself on the planet and coming of age. I really feel like music was additionally handled as a journal for me, and it was a means that I processed the world round me and have become extra comfy and assured with who I used to be. I’m additionally tremendous impressed by queer artists, in addition to books and movies.
Who are a few of these artists?
SOPHIE. Beverly Glenn-Copeland. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker—that boygenius launch has despatched me right into a frenzy. Another main one was Syd from The Internet as a result of she had her personal sense of favor, her personal sense of confidence and presence in herself. The proven fact that she was a producer who was energetic and main the group—I used to be actually impressed by her once I was a child.
How does music empower queer communities?
Music builds connection, and a whole lot of queer folks discover actual consolation of their chosen household. I really feel like music actually serves to construct that, particularly in areas like queer golf equipment, and particularly in London. Many queer youngsters actually discover themselves on nights out after they’re lastly surrounded by individuals who they’ll relate to who they really feel near. And I really feel like music is so very important in that dance tradition, however music additionally serves as illustration.
I keep in mind the primary time that I heard any person singing a tune about being queer and utilizing pronouns that I felt I might apply to like tales that I had been by means of, after which additionally wanting to offer that again to folks. An enormous a part of encouraging folks is simply making them really feel much less alone, and it’s a very highly effective software for empowerment too.
What do you hope folks take away out of your music?
I might hope that folks really feel assured in being weak, due to how weak I’m. That’s what I discovered from my favourite artists, from listening to “Speed Trials” by Elliott Smith. And I would like it to be one thing that acts as a companion by means of life, after they’re within the automobile or bus on their technique to work, or hanging out with mates. More softness, that’s what I would like.
Why do you suppose it’s essential to have a program like GLOW that amplifies LGBTQIA+ voices?
What makes a distinction is when younger folks really feel like they’re seeing folks like them amplified and lifted up into the mainstream—seeing folks on billboards and TV and being queer and being pleased and making artwork that lots of people like. Seeing that was so essential to me rising up. I think about having Heartstopper as a 13- or 14-year-old and what that may have meant to me as a young person.
I really feel like additionally the truth that GLOW is amplifying such a spread of various queer artists. And there’s a sense of selection and acceptance of the truth that there may be nuance even inside the bigger umbrella of queer artistry, that there are such a lot of completely different folks making so many various issues. Having that for younger folks is tremendous essential, and lengthy could it proceed.
What’s one piece of recommendation that you simply acquired as a teenager that has caught with you?
It sounds harsh, however stick with me: At the start, no one cares but, proper? In that anonymity and in that lack of individuals seeing you; that’s if you really have time to develop. Because you possibly can nurture your craft with out folks having eyes on you. So at first, no one cares—and that’s okay.
Catch Arlo on our flagship GLOW playlist in addition to Alternative Pride.