Arlo Parks on her latest album “Ambiguous Desire”

Arlo Parks is growing into herself — loosening the grip of the mind, landing, finally, in the body. Catapulted into acclaim as a teenager with her Mercury-winning Collapsed in Sunbeams, she didn’t have much time to lose herself in the anonymity of a night out, simmering in the messiness of your early 20s when you find yourself through others, through how your body moves through the music. Ambiguous Desire carries the feeling of someone circling back to that missed terrain. London, New York, Los Angeles: sun-warmed afternoons tipping into nights that stretch across dancefloors and smoking areas, time no longer so tightly held by crazy tour schedules and studio sessions. You can hear it in the music. It’s more open, more playful, glowing with an earned lightness. It’s maturity that comes from play. But, there’s still her instinct to research: digging into the histories of dance music and ballroom, tracing the ghosts of places like Studio 54, trying to place herself within a lineage she’s only just stepped into.

Even in motion, there’s a second self quietly taking notes. Breakbeat and garage sit beneath her unmistakably warm, precise voice, still fine-tuned to the smallest emotional shifts. Immersion never fully switches off its awareness, euphoria is still being analysed in the background. But now, Arlo Parks’ documentarian style becomes a bit more porous; she’s letting it occasionally slip out of focus. 

Hey Arlo! So lovely to be in touch. What’s been on your mind today?
Hey! I’ve been putting together a DJ set so I’ve been thinking a lot about Berlin techno, Baltimore club and how to make people move. I had some breakfast with my best friend and had a long walk in the London cold so that made for a nice morning.

Congrats on the release of Ambiguous Desire – it’s such a beautiful album! How does it feel to have a body of work be fully out of your hands now?
It feels incredible. This album has been such a labour of time and love, I’m so happy for it to be taking a new shape out in the world.

You’ve spoken about not softening your sound into what people might expect from you based on your earlier discography. How would you say your music and the way you carry yourself through your art have changed during this project?
I think my practice has become a lot more playful, confident and experimental. I was more comfortable with creating things that were dissonant or ugly or strange. I just wanted to create something that really was unapologetically me.

You credit nightlife as a big muse for this album. What aspects of yourself have you discovered through this period of going out and exploring night culture?
I discovered how being in nocturnal spaces takes me out of my head and puts me in my body and my gut. As a cerebral person, I didn’t realise how much I needed it. I also discovered how fascinated I am by the history and legacy of club spaces and subcultures all over the world.

What’s the most life-changing thing someone ever told you in the smoking area?
“Love should feel like flying.” 

The feeling of desire is also a big driver behind the album. What parallels are there for you between the energy of being in love with someone romantically and the act of creating music?
It feels generative, exhilarating, vulnerable and complicated. You’re building something that you hope lasts forever, piece by piece.

You’ve lived in LA for the last couple of years. How’s the city treating you in comparison to London?
I’ll always be a Londoner but I truly love LA. The sun, my friends, my home, the slower pace of life. It’s a wonderful place to come home to.

Also, sound-wise, your music to me has always encapsulated this very specific nebulous London sound – an ultimately genreless, free-flowing merging of RnB, garage, breakbeat, and neo-soul. How does living in LA interact with your musical roots?
I feel a sense of peace there that allows me to be my most adventurous creative self. I also spend a lot of time in the car listening to my demos, there’s something in the journeying and the active meditation of driving to the studio every day.

What is the most unexpected place where you found inspiration for Ambiguous Desire?
Probably in the airplane bathroom. I came up with a pretty crazy chorus melody.

Kicking off the tour with a series of more intimate gigs, what is something you really look forward to in performing live?
I love playing shows where I can be face to face with my fans, where we’re in it together and there’s a sense of community. Especially since I’ve developed this palette that’s both new and intricate. I want people to feel like they’re close enough to understand the inner workings of the album.

Outside of music, poetry and mindfulness are important aspects of your practice. How has the experience of organising workshops for kids around these topics been for you?
It’s healing and it’s essential. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. I think it’s important as an artist to commit time and attention to inspiring, passing on knowledge and really listening to kids.

You’ve explored a lot more left-field electronic influences on this album. What are some other musical territories you’re excited to immerse yourself in for future projects?
I would love to explore high pop music. I think that would be really fun. Also maybe music over samples/beats because I’ve always had a deep love of hip-hop. Who knows!

On a final note, what are you manifesting for the rest of the year?
Health, love, happiness, peace.