Goldpark 2! EP – An Interview With Goldpark

(Photo Credits – Kara Sheridan)

Nashville indie-rock trio Goldpark are closing out a highly successful year with their sophomore EP ”Goldpark 2!”. Featuring the four cracking singles the band have released this year and new track ”If That’s What You Want”, the EP showcases the band’s development from their debut (2021’s Goldpark One EP) while maintaining their knack of writing catchy tunes. “Lady Lightyear” and ”Summer In My Head” are feel-good indie-pop while stand-out track “Covered in Sunshine” has a bass-heavy groove with the introduction of some orchestral strings giving it a really classic feel. The EP is only going to enhance Goldpark’s growing reputation and fanbase.

We caught up with guitarist Andrew to get his thoughts on the EP as well as the band’s influences and playing Bonnaroo this year.

Hi Andrew! How’s everything going right now?
Hey there! Things are good right now. We’ve been home for a bit which has been nice! Our second EP is about to come out and we’re ramping up for a tour in November supporting Welshly Arms. 

What classic album cover is your current mood? 
Dang, good question. I’m gonna say Rubber Soul (The Beatles) because we’re finally getting some jacket weather in Nashville. We love Tennessee in the fall.

Your new EP Goldpark 2! is out on October 21st. When did you write and record the tracks? 
Yeah! Over the past two years, Wes and I have been doing a lot of co-writes with so many great artists and writers. Between those co-writes and some stuff we had written and worked on ourselves, we picked our favorites to be on “Goldpark 2!”. We recorded the whole thing in February of this year with Jeremy Lutito.

You’ve been teasing the EP with a string of excellent singles this year (which have featured on many of our weekly playlists). Was there a temptation to hold some of them back for the EP release or did you just want to get them out into the world? 
Thanks so much for the love! Yeah I think we as the band really wanted “Goldpark 2!” to feel like a body of work. We had originally liked the idea of releasing more unreleased songs with the full EP release, but our strategy actually ended up being releasing 4 singles and allowing those songs their own moment to shine. There’s one more song that will come out with the EP, and funnily enough it’s been our show opener for most of this year!

How do you feel the band has developed since the release of “Goldpark One” (which came out last year)? 
“Goldpark One” was our best attempt to craft our sound in the midst of the pandemic. I think we did great work for that project, but since then we’ve been able to spend a good bit of time on the road, and that can really help a band develop. I think our songs have gotten better and we have a better handle of who we are and not just who we aren’t, if that makes sense.

If you could only listen to one record, what would it be? 
Memory Man by Aqualung. That record transcends the seasons and can be enjoyed in any mood. Wes MIGHT agree with me… Kyle might say a Beatles album.

How did the band form and what were the influences that helped develop your sound? 
We found each other as a band in a pretty special way. Andrew moved from Memphis in 2019 and quickly started working at the same part time job as me (Wes). From there we started playing music together in a band I was in and when the opportunity presented itself to start something new, Kyle was our first call. From there, we’ve really blossomed in a band culture where we are all super excited to make music together.

We caught your set on Wednesday night at Bonnaroo which was a great start to the festival. How was the experience for you, especially as it was in your home state? 
Incredible. That felt as good as (we hope) it looked. Couldn’t ask for anything more as an up and coming band.

You’re back on the road next month in support of the EP. What can fans expect on these dates? 
A big, loud, fun rock & roll show.

What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called? 
A classic pie with pep and sausage. The Officer Tony.

What can we expect from Goldpark for the rest of 2022 and into next year? 
More music, more shows, more heart!

Goldpark are Wes Hunter (vocals), Andrew Smith (guitar) and Kyle Neblett (drums) and release their second EP ”Goldpark 2!” on October 21st. You can catch them live in November on a string of dates supporting Welshy Arms and The Vindys as well as several headline shows.

You can find out more about the band on their website or follow them for the latest news on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.