PHOTOGRAPHER CINSY TAM - ART DIRECTOR, PHOTO EDITOR + MAKEUP KAYLA FEENEY - ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR EMMA WELLS - HAIRSTYLIST GRACIE HOWELL
Pop/rock band Carpark are back with a bang, in the form of their brand new dynamic single, Suburbs Of Hell! The track is led by lead singer and bassist Sophie Scott’s signature sugar-sweet vocals, and slowly builds with thumping drums courtesy of Lauren O’Donnell Anderson, all complemented by Hattie Upton-Dance’s grungy and commanding guitar riffs and tones.
Suburbs Of Hell, produced by Spacemen (Dua Lipa, Sigrid and Dermot Kennedy), was debuted at this Summer’s 2000 Trees Festival, and went down a storm. The single is out today via Saviour Music Group, and can be heard here.
According to the band, the meaning behind Suburbs Of Hell is,“A dark parallel reality brought to life, it’s about the anger and frustration of being trapped in the inner city of hell but aspiring to live out in the suburbs and sunbathe with the devil in your back garden.”
Conceptualised by Art Director and Makeup Artist Kayla Feeney, Carpark’s latest press shoot depicts and pays homage to her favourite decades of the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Inspired by TV, phone, and music player advertisements from this iconic period, the photos perfectly showcase the band as they embody this era through their inch-perfect styling, makeup, and the use of nostalgic props. Kayla has explained, “The ad-inspired series captures scenes of Carpark's contemplation of the coming-of-age narrative frequently embedded in their music. It encompasses themes of complex transformations, self-discovery and innocence during an era when new technologies promised to reshape the world and relationships around us.”
Carpark have been having quite the triumphant year, including wrapping their debut headline tour around the UK, playing venues in Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Brighton, Bristol and London at the Seabright Arms. They quickly caught the attention of Saviour Music Group, and signed with them. Next up is the band’s new highly-anticipated EP release, which Carpark have been holed up writing and recording. It is set to arrive in February 2024 so watch this space…
2022 saw the trio release their debut EP, The World Ended In 2012 which has racked up 150k+ streams on Spotify alone. The 5-track body of work was met with solid support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, who made them his coveted Next Wave Artist. Carpark followed this up with single, Not The Perfect Start, which BBC Radio 1’s Nels Hylton picked as his Future Alternative, and featured on Spotify’s prestigious New Music Friday UK playlist (840k+ likes). This was shortly followed by last single, Don’t Want You, which they released alongside the video. It sees the band perform and hang out in a bedroom once again perfectly encapsulating their style and love for the fashion and culture from the '90s and early '00s.
Having only played their first live show as Carpark two years ago in a friend’s garage, the girls have been cutting their teeth on the live scene, and quickly becoming everyone’s new favourite band. They have supported the likes of Lauren Hibberd, Kelsy Karter and Beth McCarthy, plus have played festivals such as 2000 Trees and Barn On The Farm. More recently, the three-piece headlined a packed-out, high energy show at London’s Lower Third.
Born out of the ashes of a previous band, Carpark are trashing the rule book and re-writing the narrative of what a rock band ‘should be’. They are the fun, relatable and refreshing band with Irish roots that this generation needs. Weaving together nostalgia, power, and infectious melodies they create a sound that transports you straight into the heart of a captivating coming-of-age film soundtrack.
