LISTEN: Parquet Courts release rock single 'Walking at a Downtown Pace'

Brooklyn alt-rock crew Parquet Courts take the world by storm with their announcement of their newest album, Sympathy For Life, out October 22nd on Rough Trade Records. Alongside the announcement, the band shared a single from the record, 'Walking at a Downtown Pace' as well as an accompanying video.

Produced in league with Rodaidh McDonald and John Parish, the album is a fresh take on their signature rock sound. “Wide Awake! was a record you could put on at a party,” says co-frontman Austin Brown. “Sympathy For Life is influenced by the party itself.

"Historically, some amazing rock records have been made from mingling in dance music culture – from Talking Heads to Screamadelica. Our goal was to bring that into our own music. Each of us, in our personal lives, has been going to more dance parties. Or rather, we were pre-pandemic, which is when this record was made.”

Built largely from improvisational jams, Parquet Courts molded and chopped their rhythmic and melodic experiments to create these songs, sampling themselves to make something new.

In the 'Walking at a Downtown Pace' video,  “we see New York City from the vantage point of someone busily hurrying through it,” explains co-frontman A Savage. “That’s what life can be like here; a world of constant motion surrounds you while you’re just walking toward where you need to be. There’s a lot of beauty that can be missed, and it wasn’t until the streets were virtually empty that I did miss it. The song was written before all quarantine, but eerily enough the lyrics echo that longing. Now the city is back and, so it seems, are Parquet Courts."

If that wasn't enough excitement, Parquet Courts also announced The Power of Eleven – a series of eleven global happenings that will precede the album's release, all connected to a piece of merch only available at that event.

The first event happened last week in downtown Manhattan, as The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band took to the streets, flying a Parquet Courts flag and performing 'Walking at a Downtown Pace'. Fans in attendance secured a pair of custom Parquet Courts drumsticks.

Additionally, they announced Feel Free: Sympathy For Life, Visualised, a live stream of 11 videos encompassing the entire album. The videos will feature the work of eleven artists from around the world, creating a unique experience for fans on October 20th. Tickets are available here.

View the new 'Walking at a Downtown Pace' video  and album track list below.