The British singer-songwriter on road rage, kicking an apple juice addiction, and the importance of “controlling the controllables”...
My morning ritual is …
A double espresso – straight to the veins – then a run or to the gym, before a little NTS radio. Then it’s about making some eggs and journaling. All in that specific order.
I feel optimistic about …
The future of music. There is so much amazing music coming out right now. People are really holding on to art and creativity during these complicated times.
What makes me angry …
Being stuck in standstill traffic is the truest source of my rage. That is when I need to put on a podcast to chill myself out because it drives me nuts. It happens a lot, especially where I live in Los Angeles.
If I wasn’t a singer-songwriter, I’d have liked to become …
A teacher. My dad’s a teacher, and I’ve always loved the idea of spending time with kids. My English teacher was such an inspirational, formative part of growing up.
The habit that has served me best in life is …
Is being in the mindset of controlling the controllables. I’ve been able to navigate the ebbs and flows of everything by knowing that there are some things that are outside of my control. Now I try to focus on the things that I can change.
The habit I’ve successfully kicked is …
I used to be an apple juice fend. I genuinely think I used to have litres of apple juice everyday. It was a fixation. I’ve slowly managed to wean myself off that over time.
My sources of joy are …
Cooking, especially for big groups of good friends. Sunsets and nature. Being in the studio until late at night, sparking off, coming up with new ideas.
When things get tough I …
Spend time around the people I love the most. Being around my best friends and my partner and my family just really grounds me. I got to the point previously where I’d pushed myself too hard.[In 2022, Parks took a mental health break after experiencing burnout and exhaustion following long periods of touring.] I felt really lucky to be in the position I was in, and that led to me overextending myself quite a lot. When I came home after that, I wanted to boil it down to the simple things, like cooking meals, being with people I love, taking trips out to nature, journaling, coming back to myself and becoming a person again.
Doing good and being a positive force in the world is what motivates me the most
The book I wish everyone would read is …
Bluets by Maggie Nelson. She’s one of my favourite authors. This book is a mix of poetry and prose. It’s about her fascination with the colour blue, and an exploration of a love affair falling apart. It’s a meditation on suffering, happiness, desire, and it’s such a beautiful book. I love it so much.
What keeps me awake at night …
Ideas. I’m a ruminator. I feel like I’ve suffered from insomnia for so much of my life because thoughts are always whizzing round and round.
The thing that motivates me most of all …
Doing good and being a positive force in the world. For me, it’s about making a difference on the scale that I can, either through the music and art that I make, or on a smaller level with the people around me. Just doing my best to be a good friend, a good partner, somebody that people can depend on, being open, and trying to do good.
My parents taught me …
To show up for people consistently and do small acts of kindness as much as possible.
I have this theory that …
Dogs always understand what you want them to do and they actively choose not to. I just dog-sat my friends’ dog, and anytime I would tell her to sit she knew exactly what I wanted her to do but she looked at me and refused.
I’d like to tell my younger self…
To keep going and to keep being me. Even in the moments where I felt lost to know that I was on the right track and that everything I was going through was all just part of the process.
Arlo Parks will be touring the UK to support her new album Ambiguous Desire, which is out now on Transgressive Records.
Main image: Sully
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