Tame Impala Biography

The Australian rock band Tame Impala was established in 2007 by founding member Kevin Parker in Perth, and quickly became part of the local music scene. Initially, Parker began writing material for the group on his own home-recording system, posting a number of singles online and establishing a growing fan base. Eventually, Parker’s work garnered the attention of the independent label Modular Recordings in 2008, and after signing with the label, he entered the studio with the help of future band members Jay Watson and Dominic Simper to record more music. Thus, Tame Impala was ultimately born.

Tame Impala’s debut, a self-titled EP, arrived in 2008, and the group began touring extensively in support of the release. The EP rose to the number one spot on the Australian indie charts and spawned the singles “Skeleton Tiger,” “Half Full Glass of Wine,” and “Desire Be, Desire Go.” For the remainder of the year, Tame Impala performed in support of such notable bands as The Black Keys and You Am I, and also performed at a number of music festivals. In 2009, Tame Impala released the single “Sundown Syndrome,” and the song received a big boost when it was included in both the film The Kids Are All Right and also the HBO series Entourage.

Tame Impala released a debut studio album, Innerspeaker, in 2010.  The album was a commercial and critical success, but it was the group’s sophomore album, Lonerism, which rose to platinum status and garnered Tame Impala numerous award nominations, including a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Since that time, Tame Impala has been enjoying ever-increasing popularity, with multiple recognitions for both albums and singles, including the songs: “Half Full Glass of Wine,” “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” “Elephant,” and “Let It Happen.”

Tame Impala recently released their latest album, Currents, in 2016. The album matched the success of its predecessor, earning Tame Impala another Grammy nomination. Tame Impala performs with front man Kevin Parker backed by musicians Jay Watson on drums, Dominic Simper on guitar, Cam Avery on bass, and Julien Barbagallo on drums and backing vocals.