On September 30, 2012 NPR’s “First Listen” officially introduced Tame Impala’s Lonerism to the world a week ahead of its release date. Though it would stream on other sites over the next few days (including The Guardian – where the entire album is still playable) and had leaked the first week of September, for most fans it was on NPR they first heard the record that transformed the band behind it from cult favs to world renown rock stars. Now, exactly one year later, as Tame Impala embarks on their highly anticipated American tour tonight in Boston we’re taking a look back at that transition with The Future Heart Lonerism Scrapbook. Split into a three part series, we begin today with a timeline of activity leading up to release of the album. Check back later this week for a track-by-track look at the record in part two, and part three’s timeline of events in the year since (with a recap of magazine clippings, video interviews, and celebrity tweets about the bands).
Check the Future Heart later this week for setlists and notes from the start of Tame Impala’s tour. Their tourdates (and some commentary on their relationship to tourmates The Flaming Lips) are here. Details on the split EP Tame Impala is releasing next month with the Lips is here. And if you haven’t already checked out Andrew Pawley’s very colorful, cosmic comic starring Kevin Parker…
…what are you waiting for?
https://soundcloud.com/modularpeople/tame-impala-elephant-todd
Timeline
2010 – Kevin Parker begins working on Tame Impala’s sophomore LP (Lonerism) before debut Innerpseaker is released.
February 8-10, 2012 – Kevin records “Children of the Moon” with The Flaming Lips
February 24th – Marking the close of one chapter in the band’s history and the start of the next, Tame Impala and Pitchfork TV release Innerspeaker’s final video, the 3D “Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?”
March 2nd – Tame Impala’s brother band Pond release their fourth record, Beard, Wives, Denim. Largely the creation of Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson, it was produced by Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker – who also plays drums on it. The album is promoted with a Hype Machine stream (still active) and a tour (minus Parker), including one of SXSW 2012’s standout appearances.
March 27th – Kevin attempts extracting blood to give to Wayne Coyne:
April 21st – Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is released for Record Store Day, featuring “Children of the Moon” with Tame Impala.
June 28th – Pond plays a one-off performance with (Can frontman) Damo Suzuki.
July 8th – Following a Lonerism teaser video uploaded to YouTube on June 27th, anticipation for the album builds with the first stream of one of its full tracks, “Apocalypse Dreams.”
July 17th – Tame Impala’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “That’s All For Everyone” streams online (click to listen). It’s released on tribute album Just Tell Me That You Want Me on August 14th.
July 25th – A second full track from Lonerism is teased, “Elephant”…
August 3rd – The band play opening day of Lollapalooza, featured live on the YouTube webcast:
Aug 7th – Tame Impala plays one of a handful of pre-Lonerism promo concerts in the US at New York’s Music Hall of Williamsburg (NME review to the right)
Aug 27, 2012 – Rolling Stone premieres “Elephant” remix by Todd Rundgren (also streaming in the soundcloud widget at the top of this page).
September – Lonerism leaks the first week of the month and reaches a wider audience through a continual series of unofficial YouTube videos, all of which are taken down – only to be replaced by another uploader.
September 19th – “Elephant” video is released:
September 25th – Melody’s Echo Chamber is released. Melody Prochet is backed by Kevin Parker on guitar. Parker also produced the album (and is dating Prochet). Watch the video for lead single “I Follow You” below:
September 30th – NPR streams Lonerism. News spreads quickly on social media:
October 3rd – Music Feeds interviews Kevin Parker and guitarist Dom Simper about the band’s mentality of the dangers of creating music to maintain a ‘rockstar’ existence. Pedestrian TV also uploads an interview with the band
October 4th – The second official Lonerism teaser video is released – including footage of the recording sessions. A third “episode” follows on October 25th.
October 8th – Radar Music uploads a two part interview with Tame Impala. In the first video Kevin and Dom discuss working with producer Dave Fridmann and replicating their recordings live (below). In the second Kevin recounts his attempt to draw blood for Wayne Coyne (above, under March 27, 2012).
October 9th – Lonersim is out everywhere.
https://twitter.com/edwarddroste/status/255747400344432640
October 12th – Staten Island’s PS22 children’s choir make the social media rounds with their cover of “Feels Like We Only…”
The Future Heart 