Parcels, the five-piece band from Australia, have released their brand new single ‘Free’ via Because Music. It is the first new original studio music to be released by the band since their acclaimed debut album Parcels (2018) and the subsequent Live Vol 1, featuring previously released material (2020).
‘Free’ features Parcels’ trademark vocal harmonies, percussion-laced rhythm, and tight funk guitars. As the song builds, finally erupting euphorically, it evokes feelings of freedom, joy and sun-kissed optimism. The track cleverly shows traces of 70’s nostalgia while sounding completely contemporary all at once. The lyrics reflect the longing for freedom and reuniting the band during lockdown, and also mirror the band’s move from their home country of Australia to Europe, where they recorded the song.
Speaking about ‘Free’ the band explain, “Jules wrote this song one morning when we were in lockdown, split up across separate sides of the globe. While the lyrics appeared to grapple with complications in his long-distance relationships, it couldn’t help but feel like a letter to the rest of the band at the same time. To express oneself openly and truly without fear is a freedom many of us don’t even realize we’re without. Recognising it is an uplifting moment because then we can start to work on it. In Jules’ case, this manifested in ‘Free’ – a hopeful call across the world for vulnerability and realness from a sunny garden in Mullumbimby.”
They add, “We recorded it live together in the upstairs living room of La Frette studios with a percussionist named Pedro on congas. His playing brought an energy to the first take of the day that lit up the room and the groove sat nicer than it ever had before. We tracked all day but nothing topped the magic in that first moment. In the end that take became the song.”
