Start Listening To: The Last Whole Earth Catalog
Like intrepid voyagers charting uncharted territories, this enigmatic artist traverses through music with boundless curiosity and creativity.
The Last Whole Earth Catalog, is an eclectic and boundary-pushing project led by Dan Parr. In this interview, we explore the origins, inspirations, and creative processes behind The Last Whole Earth Catalog's music and new single 'If Only', diving deep into the complexities of its themes and the emotional resonance embedded within. Join us as we uncover the essence of The Last Whole Earth Catalog, and their journey through the music scene, memorable experiences, collaborative ventures, and aspirations for the future. From introspective reflections to candid insights into the creative process, this Q&A offers a glimpse into the heart and soul of an artist dedicated to crafting authentic, thought-provoking music in a rapidly evolving world.
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
I’m Dan, I grew up in the north west in a town where the plastic bag was invented and like to write music which takes from indie, folk, jazz, rock, ambient, glitch and more.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your upcoming single ‘If Only’ and the message you aim to convey through its lyrics?
Before 1980, you could only discover the tragedies of the world at specific times like over breakfast, lunch, tea or just before you go to bed. Then 24h CNN came along and people would be able to go to their tv box and tune in to world events whenever. Now, with social media, the news is injected straight into our nervous system and it’s something I’ve struggled with. There are so many huge catastrophes happening at any one time, which really seem like they should be solvable, but often aren’t. I find it difficult to know how to help with things that are so much bigger than me or that sources of power are fighting against. We can protest, strike and disrupt, but power is not spread evenly.
How has your musical style evolved since you started as The Last Whole Earth Catalog in 2012, and what factors have influenced this evolution?
It started as a reaction to an album I was making with another band I was in. It took 2 years of work, endless tweaking, mixing and just general faffing around and I was so in need of a new way of approaching music after that. The original rules of TLWEC stated: write quickly, record quickly, 1st take is going to be better than the 30th and don’t worry about recording quality. I have since then, spent more time on getting things right, but now I think it’s about balancing perfectionism with capturing a raw, real moment.
‘If Only’ explores the feeling of helplessness when faced with the world’s big problems. Could you elaborate on how you translate such complex emotions into your music?
I don’t feel particularly talented at writing lyrics compared with other friends I know, who seem to be able to come up with genius lines on the spot. So it’s more about sitting with my thoughts and trying to get deeper into them until lyrics start to start popping into my head. I’m sure there's a way of explaining this as some creative meditation but I’m not going to.
Could you share some insights into your songwriting process? How do you typically begin crafting a new song, and how does it evolve from there?
Sit down. Microphone. Play some notes. No. Try again. No. Try again. Maybe.
Continue until Yes.
2023 was a significant year for The Last Whole Earth Catalog, with notable performances and tours. Can you highlight some memorable experiences from last year?
Playing shows in Canada and the US was a highlight last year, especially in Denver. I never thought I’d play gigs in other countries and am so thankful for Crywank and others who really made it happen. Our Shacklewell Arms gig in March was extra special as well, we got to host our friends Watch Paint Dry and Muscle Baby and play a nice long set.
How do you balance surprise with familiarity in your music, as you mentioned is your goal? Are there specific techniques or approaches you employ to achieve this balance?
There is something beautiful about a perfect melody or chord sequence. There’s also something thrilling and exciting about shocking or uncertain changes in music. But either one of those alone isn’t as powerful as they are together. Sufjan Stevens has the cheesiest melodies ever after 10 minutes of noise and incredibly ambitious instrumentation, and they don’t come across as cheesy but deserved.
Your band has become a familiar face in the London music scene and beyond. What do you attribute to your growing recognition and success?
I just feel so lucky that we’ve been able to find other people who are trying to do similar things! When I moved down to London it took years to find these wonderful people. It’s hard to find a scene when you don’t know what you’re doing.
Can you tell us about your experience playing at the 1200 capacity venue, EartH, and how it compared to other performances?
Oddly, it was a very relaxed experience. It’s amazing to have a monitor engineer who’s only job is to make your sound on stage as clear as anything. Normally if I can hear myself sing I’m comfortable playing.
You’ve played alongside various bands like Tapir!, Ugly, and Crywank. How do these collaborations influence your own music?
All three of these write such incredible songs, but highlight different things. So I take storytelling, texture and visual inspiration from Tapir!, ambitious song structures and harmonies which make me jealous from Ugly, and channeling incredibly direct emotion and rawness into songs from Crywank.
What do you love right now?
A moorhen that comes and sits in a bucket on our space that backs onto a canal. I’m trying to befriend it and feed it seed from my hand. It knows me but is still suspicious.
What do you hate right now?
Without going into the true horrors of the world. Nearby constant building work and a buzzing fridge.
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?
Connan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love. This album is so strange, like an alien went into a studio and wrote songs about what they know, which is not what we know. I will never be able to write anything like this.
If you wanted really young then Kraftwerk - Computer World, so fun as a kid, beautiful as an adult.
Looking ahead, what can fans look forward to from The Last Whole Earth Catalog in terms of future releases or projects?
I’ve just started a project on my youtube channel where I’m going to release a video performance of all my songs chronologically every Monday. If I get to the end it’s going to take years.
Other than that, expect a normal TLWEC album this year. Other projects I want to do: a spoken word album, an album based on a tv show, a more electronic album and hopefully some more songs with other projects Porch Culture and God Melodixxx.
