Parkway Drive

Parkway Drive

The name Parkway Drive may only be a new one in the minds of mainstream music listeners, but for hardcore music aficionados they are a fundamental name in the Australian scene. So much so that fans of Parkway Drive even developed an interesting, if not illegal, way to pay homage to their heroes.

First forming 15 years ago Parkway Drive is a band which has been continually growing and evolving ever since. Their most recent two records, Ire and Reverence, showcase this evolution and have been catalysts for the sudden explosion in mainstream appeal.

“I can see why people would have the perception that we’re an overnight success,” said frontman Winston McCall before expanding, “For some members of the band though we’ve been alive and in this band for more time than we haven’t been in the band though, which is crazy!”

The mainstream appeal has come as the group have pushed into new ground sonically whilst simultaneously injecting a more emotional approach to their writing.

“After Ire we had the confidence to commit fully to the concepts and emotional characters behind every song on this new record.”

Having that confidence was crucial for Reverence as it was written and produced during an emotionally turbulent time for the band following some close personal deaths.

“At times we had to let the emotions overflow but then there were other times where we had to reign it back in,” recalled McCall. “There were definitely takes on this record which were too far gone, it was more therapy than it was music. We had to walk a tightrope every time, but I guess that’s what art is.”

As the band have grown both artistically so to has their fanbase, which has a unique way of paying homage to the band.

The name Parkway Drive comes from the name of the street where the band members grew up and first came together. As such fans have made a habit of stealing the Parkway Drive street sign, which eventually led the Byron Bay council to remove the sign all together and instead paint the name on the street itself. When asked how he felt about this change McCall said he understood why it had to be done.

“The amount of times they’ve had to replace that sign is ridiculous… It’s always really heartwarming to hear about the dedication of our fans but at the same time we have neighbours and businesses on that street who were missing mail.”

As the band now returns to Australia to perform after a long stint overseas they’re really excited to showcase what their live show has evolved into.

“The growth that we’ve had as a band visually is similar to what we’ve had sonically, which is something that I don’t think anyone truely grasps. There are going to be people heading into this with expectations of what this band is but I can guarantee that every single one of those expectations is going to be absolutely blown to pieces.”

Oct 26. Hordern Pavilion, 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park. $76.70+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.playbillvenues.com.au

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.