Calling all 90’s and 2000’s kids. If you’re looking for a wave of nostalgia wrapped up in a fresh, modern day vibe, we’ve got a new track for you.
Following last month’s release of “Russian Doll,” we sat down with Andy Gorel of indie pop project LA Parties to talk songwriting, community and his new track, “Iverson.”
Beyond the Stage Magazine: How would you describe your sound to somebody who’s never heard your music?
Andy Gorel: It’s funny because I used to try to do this. I used to try to describe my sound but I don’t want to pigeonhole myself. I would say it’s timeless. Currently, it is definitely geared around alternative. There’s an indie side to it. There’s a slightly punk side to it. It’s just a timeless sound.
BTS: Where does the name LA Parties come from?
AG: It’s funny, actually. It kind of came from a Third Eye Blind song. It’s a juxtaposition of the words “LA” and “parties.”
LA can be sunny, it can also be soul sucking and tiring, like anywhere else. “Parties” is kind of that fun side. It’s like there’s a celebration to it, but there’s always a dark side to it, too.
I came up with it before I’d even been to LA and then as I got older and became experienced in the industry, and lived in Los Angeles and all these things that kind of took on a meaning of its own.
BTS: Have you always wanted to do music?
AG: Yeah, honestly, I think so. I don’t think I embraced it for a long time. When I was a kid, I made my first mixtape on my fourth birthday. Literally it was like Third Eye Blind, Better than Ezra, Collective Soul. I loved singing and dancing and all that.
But I was kind of a shy kid and like, I really loved sports. Then when I was like, 14, I just completely disassociated from sports. I quit playing sports, I quit watching sports.
Then, I got really serious about wanting to pursue music, and I started taking the industry route. I’m a photographer, all these things. But I think underneath, probably the artist project was always something I wanted. It just took a better part of 10 years to get here.
BTS: What kept you pushing forward to reach that goal of doing the project?
AG: I love music. I believe that, without sounding self righteous, I believe that I have these gifts. I believe I have a very unique perspective. I believe the kind of music that I’m making and will make is unique, because it’s me.
But I mean, the real motivator is just that I love music. I love records. I love meeting people through music. That’s really all I want to do.
I think coming out of the past year and a half of pandemic and political craziness, like, it’s been really rewarding that people like my music. So yeah, that’s what keeps me going is just people like it, and I like people, you know?
BTS: Do you ever get nervous about being vulnerable since you do write your own lyrics and it’s about your life?
AG: Not at all. I mean obviously everybody has sides of them that they’re a little tender about but I don’t know, I’m not really scared to lay things out and to be myself.
Life’s short. Who really cares what other people think, you know? Anybody who’s gonna judge you is struggling with their own stuff.
BTS: What is the inspiration behind Iverson?
AG: It just kind of came out of like this depression and chaos. It was kind of a rambling of thoughts in my head, like, you listen to the lyrics. It’s a stream of consciousness. There’s a lot of lyrics in the song.
You know, it was also about being a developing artist. That’s where I was at at the time. And it was like, you know, here it is, I’m laying it out. Like, it could be a mess, but this is what it is.
In the song, I acknowledge the fact that I want to connect with people and make some records, and that’s that. So, the inspiration is hard to even pinpoint. There’s so much going on. It was just like a therapy session.
BTS: So, you dropped a music video alongside “Iverson” too, tell us about that.
AG: Yeah, so the video for “Iverson,” I’m really proud of it. It’s a mash up of a bunch of Hi8 tape footage I took over the past few months of me and my friends hanging out, just doing what we do – throwing parties, playing pond hockey, listening to my music, and other shenanigans – and some Hi8 footage I found on an old YouTube channel called Destruction Squirrel of their gang skating and just being kids back in 2001.
I don’t know what it is, but “Iverson” just sounds like skateboarding to me. It feels like a mix between some emo music of the early 2000s and skating down the Venice boardwalk in 2021. I thought it was a cool opportunity to highlight two different subcultures – the skater kids of the early 2000s and what we’re building right now with LA Parties.
BTS: What’s next for LA parties after Iverson?
AG: Yeah, after Iverson, I’m going to have one more song in this Romance Era. After that, we’re going to go back to the studio and make more. I have lots of records lined up. Lots of songs.
I’ve written so many songs. I mean, this is just the beginning. Live shows will be coming this fall. We’re gonna keep building out the community and seeing who else wants to come hang out.
Keep the party going by following LA Parties on Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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