With their ever-apropos name, Utah-based indie-pop outfit The National Parks want their music to spark memories of listeners’ own outdoor adventures. “I’m spiritually connected when I’m in nature and when I’m listening to music,” says the band’s violinist Megan Parks. “We hope you hear the connection between nature and music, too.” And on March 3rd, The National Parks will expand their vision yet again on their fifth full-length album, 8th Wonder.
“The overarching theme is getting out of our heads, getting into nature and experiencing the world around us with the people who matter the most and living life to the fullest,” adds guitarist, vocalist, and partner to Megan, Brady Parks. Complete with Sydney Macfarlane on vocals and keys and Cam Brannelly on drums, The National Parks want listeners to feel the rush of running and jumping into a lake at full speed; the feeling of the clouds parting and bathing in the warm sun; or being met with a gust of cool, morning air upon stepping outside. These are the sensations being translated into song on 8th Wonder.
Today, Flood premiered the first taste of 8th Wonder, the album’s smooth grooving title track. Flood described the track as “awe-struck, folk-pop” and also added, “Sometimes when a creative surge hits, it hits hard such as the case with The National Parks ‘8th Wonder’ without ever really letting up.” “8th Wonder” came about during a wildly fruitful, two-week writing session. “I’ve never experienced anything like it,” says Brady. “I felt like a lightning bolt of inspiration had hit me and I was scared that if I stopped writing, the inspiration would stop.” During the frenzy, Megan was pregnant with the couple’s new baby boy, and the amazement and excitement for the future was the driving force behind the catchy love song. “This song has stood out to us since the day I sent over a demo to the band,” says Brady. “It's been amazing to watch it grow as we all added to it in the studio and it's a song that we are so excited to have out in the world.”
Bonus Points: The National Parks snuck all of the Natural Wonders of the World into the lyrics of “8th Wonder.” Can you pick out all seven of them?
Fans can hear “8th Wonder” now at this link and pre-order or pre-save 8th Wonder ahead of its March 3rd release right here.
In addition to the album announcement, The National Parks have also announced the Spring leg of their 2023 8th Wonder Tour. Stops include The Troubador in Los Angeles and Antone’s in Austin. A full list of tour dates can be found below or at thenationalparksband.com/tour.
More About 8th Wonder: At the top of 2022, The National Parks hopped on Zoom for a “New Year’s Resolutions meeting,” which galvanized their next step and the vision for the album became completely clear. The band discussed their ambitions for the year ahead and ultimately decided they wanted to hone in more on their core identity for the next LP. That connection with the natural world became the thematic center of the writing process. “We’ve stepped into what The National Parks is,” Sydney elaborates. “We basically said, ‘This is who we are and who we have always been.’ We decided to show who we are without trying to prove anything. I think it’s our best work.”
“Angels,” the album’s first single and opening track, sets the tone for what’s to come. The layered, evocative song centers on breaking free of expectation and searching for adventure on the open road—a sentiment that threads through the rest of the album. On the song, Brady sings, “Imma tell our kids about this someday.”
Following “Angels,” The National Parks initially teased the album with the single “History Channel.” A pop-punk beat sets the pace as piano dances around a thick guitar riff. Brady’s voice echoes on the chantable chorus as he confesses, “I didn’t know I could feel this way.” “It’s about being caught up in day-to-day routines,” the frontman reveals. “Something happens, and you take a step back to admire life for how epic it really is. For me, it came right after our son was born. I was so in awe of Megan and having a baby. It took my life from the plains to the mountain range and it was so massive and mysterious. That’s the heart of it for me.” “We really tapped into the energy of bands like blink-182 and Taking Back Sunday,” Cam goes on. “It was so fun to record because we got to listen to music from our childhood.”
A violin solo glistens through “Sunshine” as acoustic guitars wrap around a steady beat. “You’re finding those people and holding onto that energy when the days are rough,” he says.
Then, there’s “Trouble.” It bottles the butterflies of “love-at-first sight.” Speaking of love, the finale “Rodeo” traces a roadmap of real romance across “all of the places we’ve been on this journey as we’ve pursued music and our relationships” in between steady handclaps and tambourine.
In the end, The National Parks welcome everyone into a much bigger and more wonderful musical world. “When you hear this, we hope you feel like you stepped outside,” Brady leaves off. “We hope you discover the spirit of the unknown and the adventure of life with all its ups and downs. This album is about embracing it all and living life to the fullest.
8th Wonder Tour Spring 2023 Dates:
Friday, March 17 - Salt Lake City, UT - Union Events Center
Friday, April 21 - Rexburg, ID - Romance Theater
Saturday, April 22 - Boise, ID - Treefort Music Hall
Tuesday, April 25 - Portland, OR - Mission Theater
Wednesday, April 26 - Seattle, WA The Crocodile's Madame Lou's
Friday, April 28 - Berkeley, CA Cornerstone
Saturday, April 29 - Santa Cruz, CA The Atrium
Thursday, May 4 - San Diego, CA Voodoo
Friday, May 5 - Los Angles, CA Troubadour
Tuesday, May 9 - Houston, TX The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues - Houston
Wednesday, May 10 - Austin, TX - Antone's
Thursday, May 11 - Dallas, TX - Kessler
Friday, May 12 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street OKC
Saturday, May 13 - Denver, CO - Bluebird
