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Tape Notes · Wednesday · 1 hr 20 min

TN:188 Tame Impala

John is joined by Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Deadbeat’. Kevin launched the electronic and psychedelic rock-influenced Tame Impala in 2007 as a home recording project. Throughout the 2010s, Tame Impala became a huge critical and commercial success, winning two Grammys and selling out shows worldwide. Kevin has collaborated with numerous other artists including Justice, Gorillaz and Dua Lipa, and is regularly cited as one of the industry’s most influential artists. The fifth Tame Impala album, 'Deadbeat', featuring worldwide hits ‘Dracula’ and ‘Loser’, arrived in October 2025. Joining John from his LA studio, Kevin shares what he calls his ‘astoundingly boring’ approach to producing his famous vocals (spoiler: he’s being too modest!), how he created the ‘Deadbeat drum beat’, being inspired by The Strokes on this record, the essential plugins that shaped the album’s sound, plus he answers questions from our Patreons! Tracks discussed: My Old Ways, Loser LISTEN to ‘Deadbeat’ (Columbia Records): Deadbeat by Tame Impala TAPE IT Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast. Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off. Try the new Tape It Denoiser currently 50% off! MUSIVERSAL Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES linktr.ee/tapenotes Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI GEAR MENTIONS Soundtoys Echoboy Soundtoys Decapitator Valhalla Room Shure SM58 Shure SM7B U47 Vermona DRM1 DBX 165 Roland SH-1 Roland TR-808 Sequential Prophet 5 Ableton Stock Plugins Ableton Echo Ableton OUR GEAR https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns. KEEP UP TO DATE For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-1:20:23

transcript

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show notes

John is joined by Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Deadbeat’. 

Kevin launched the electronic and psychedelic rock-influenced Tame Impala in 2007 as a home recording project. Throughout the 2010s, Tame Impala became a huge critical and commercial success, winning two Grammys and selling out shows worldwide. Kevin has collaborated with numerous other artists including Justice, Gorillaz and Dua Lipa, and is regularly cited as one of the industry’s most influential artists. The fifth Tame Impala album, 'Deadbeat', featuring worldwide hits ‘Dracula’ and ‘Loser’, arrived in October 2025. 

Joining John from his LA studio, Kevin shares what he calls his ‘astoundingly boring’ approach to producing his famous vocals (spoiler: he’s being too modest!), how he created the ‘Deadbeat drum beat’, being inspired by The Strokes on this record, the essential plugins that shaped the album’s sound, plus he answers questions from our Patreons!

Tracks discussed: My Old Ways, Loser


LISTEN to ‘Deadbeat’ (Columbia Records): Deadbeat by Tame Impala 


TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off!


MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE


LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 


Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 


GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Echoboy

Soundtoys Decapitator

Valhalla Room

Shure SM58

Shure SM7B

U47

Vermona DRM1

DBX 165

Roland SH-1

Roland TR-808

Sequential Prophet 5

Ableton Stock Plugins

Ableton Echo

Ableton


OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear


HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.


KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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