Get ready to immerse yourself in the captivating world of Park Days, the solo side-project of Sam Thrussell, founding member of Brighton-based band Dutch Criminal Record. With the release of his highly anticipated debut EP, ‘Waiting Around’, Park Days is imposing his name in the indie music scene as a soloist.
We caught with the artist to chat about his artistry, influences and aspirations.
– What’s the story behind your stage name Park Days?
It’s a throwback to my school days where I have fond memories of when my friends from the village and I would go up to the local park and play football most days after school. There’s an air of nostalgia about the music so I thought it was well summed up by that title. The artwork of the EP is of me in front of the tennis courts at the park!
– Congratulations on the release of your debut EP, ‘Waiting Around’! How does it feel to finally have this project out in the world?
It feels really good to have a cohesive body of work out there, some of these songs have been kicking around for quite a while so it feels great to get it out in the open finally!
– Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the title track and lead single, ‘Waiting Around’? What drove you to explore the theme of anticipation and proactive waiting in your music?
That is the oldest one from the EP as it was written in 2018. It’s about feeling frustrated that I couldn’t do music full time and wanting to but also vowing to not wait around for it to happen but be proactive to make it happen! It’s so difficult to have a career in music and live entirely off of it so that’s the catalyst for this song really but more generally about trying to find your place in the world.
– Your sound has been described as having a nod to 00’s indie with a fresh vibrancy. How do you balance paying homage to influences like The Strokes while still bringing your own unique flair to the music?
So The Strokes and Albert Hammond Jr’s music is definitely a big inspiration for this project, partially because it’s slightly different to the arrangements we use for Dutch Criminal Record but I just love how the guitar parts work in The Strokes so simple but complex at the same time. I think where my unique flair comes in is the songs are often actually written on an acoustic and inspired by songwriters like Nick Drake and Elliott Smith to create, hopefully, a unique blend!
– As a solo artist, how does your creative process differ from your work with Dutch Criminal Record? Are there particular advantages or challenges you’ve encountered in this solo endeavor?
A lot of the songs are just ones that I’ve written that haven’t quite been right for Dutch Criminal Record. In general all songs I write usually start in the same place – on an acoustic guitar whilst sitting on my sofa! I’ll make a voice note on my phone and next I’ll demo it on my computer which is usually when the instrumentation takes shape. If the others in DCR don’t think it’ll work for us then I’ll just finish it off myself! It’s nice being able to have total creative control on Park Days stuff but equally I do miss working as a team with the other guys so it’s why having both projects is the best of both worlds!
– In terms of future plans, what can fans expect from you after the release of ‘Waiting Around’? Are there any upcoming projects or performances on the horizon?
I’ve got a lot of music in the locker and would like to release something with a more folky / acoustic direction. I’ve got one sold out performance on 11th April at the Turtle Tempo Bus show but nothing in the calendar after that!
Instagram: @park.days
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/park-days
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@parkdays7058
