Change is never an easy thing to navigate, but it’s a concept that Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive have wholeheartedly embraced on their latest album ‘Ire’.
Speaking to the band’s frontman Winston McCall, the decision to explore a new musical direction was a natural evolution for Parkway Drive.
“The main people involved in writing the record all individually – before we even started getting into it – all felt that we’d kind of played this formula out to its end,” he said.
“Anything we tried to create would simply be a shadow of something that we once had a lot more passion for.”
The gamble paid off, with fans and critics embracing the new release with overwhelming passion.
The aptly titled ‘Ire’ sees Parkway Drive at their most vocal; but it’s not just the music that’s heavy, the album touches on a range of social and political issues.
“It’s a reflection of what I see happening in the world around me,” Winston explained.
“When you’re seeing coverage of world issues it’s very hard to keep your head in the sand.”
It’s not hard to see why a fanbase of increasingly engaged youth would be attracted to the anger that features heavily in Parkway Drive’s new work.
“Fans have reacted to these songs in a way that I really hoped would happen,” Winston said.
“It is a fine line between preaching and simply trying to create a song that has a message behind it.”
If it wasn’t enough to take a figurative leap of faith, the band decided to take a literal leap for the film clip for ‘Vice Grip’.
All five members learnt how to skydive, much to the terror of the height-phobic frontman.
“It was a joke, because I’m terrified of heights and we just thought it would a cool/hilarious concept for a clip,” Winston laughed.
Winston’s final thoughts on the decision to go big for the film clip are a perfect metaphor for the entire album process.
“It was very liberating. It completely crushed that fear I had and opened me up to an entire new world,” he said.
Parkway Drive will be bringing their ‘All Aussie Adventure’ tour to the Evan Theatre on Friday, June 24. Tickets are $41.60. For more information, visit http://www.penrith.panthers.com.au.
