Australian-born, Berlin-based electropop band&nbsp;Parcels is hitting all the right notes.&nbsp;

Photography by Kenzia Bengel de Vaulx
Styled by Jennifer Eymere in Gucci

Byron Bay, <a href="Byron%20Bay,%20Australia&mdash;a%20laid-back%20idyll%20on%20the%20eastern%20coast%20of%20the%20continent&mdash;is%20known%20for%20its%20world-class%20surf,&nbsp;New%20Age%20practices,%20and%20sparkling%20beaches.%20It&rsquo;s%20also%20the%20birthplace&nbsp;of%20electropop%20five-piece%20Parcels.%20Now%20based%20in%20Berlin,%20the%20band%20was%20first%20spotted%20by%20Franco-Japanese%20label%20Kitsun&eacute;%20(who%20are%20also%20the%20designers%20behind%20Maison&nbsp;Kitsun&eacute;)%20and%20had%20Parisian%20electronic%20music%20duo%20Daft%20Punk%20clandestinely%20attend%20their%20first%20show%20in%20France.%20(The%20band&nbsp;went%20on%20to%20collaborate%20with%20the%20dance%20legends%20on%20a%20single,%202017&rsquo;s%20&ldquo;Overnight.&rdquo;)%20Since%20then,%20Parcels%20has%20found%20its%20footing.%20Their%20debut%20self-titled%20album,%20which%20was%20released%20in%202018,%20was%20an%20instant%20success,%20taking%20the%20band%20on%20a%20global%20tour%20and%20setting%20sky-high%20expectations%20for%20their%20sophomore%20effort.%20And%20meet%20the%20high%20bar%20they%20did.%20Day/Night%20was%20released%20at%20the%20end%20of%202021&mdash;an%20expansive,%20scintillating%20exploration%20of%20jazz,%20disco,%20pop,%20and%20soundscapes,%20urging%20the%20listener%20to%20move%20to%20the%20beat.">Australia</a>&mdash;a laid-back idyll on the eastern coast of the continent&mdash;is known for its world-class <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/with-atlein-antonin-tron-channels-his-roots">surf</a>,&nbsp;New Age practices, and sparkling <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/tarnish-free-jewelry-for-summer">beaches.</a> It&rsquo;s also the birthplace&nbsp;of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/ag-cook-pc-music-exclusive-interview-hyperpop-charli-xcx">electropop</a> five-piece Parcels. Now based in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/your-guide-fashionable-berlin-2018">Berlin</a>, the band was first spotted by Franco-Japanese label <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/cafe-kitsune-new-york-location-west-village">Kitsun&eacute;</a> (who are also the designers behind <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/maison-kitsune-yuni-ahn-2019">Maison&nbsp;Kitsun&eacute;</a>) and had Parisian electronic music duo <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/daft-punk-french-music-duo-split">Daft Punk</a> clandestinely attend their first show in France. (The band&nbsp;went on to collaborate with the dance legends on a single, 2017&rsquo;s &ldquo;Overnight.&rdquo;)
Since then, Parcels has found its footing. Their debut self-titled album, which was released in 2018, was an instant success, taking the band on a global tour and setting sky-high expectations for their sophomore effort. And meet the high bar they did. Day/Night was released at the end of 2021&mdash;an expansive, scintillating exploration of jazz, disco, pop, and soundscapes, urging the listener to move to the beat.
L&rsquo;OFFICIEL speaks with Parcels guitarist Jules Crommelin and drummer Anatole Serret on making music together, their inspirations, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/at-givenchy-clare-waight-keller-holds-the-night">Berlin&rsquo;s club scene.</a>

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: What state of mind are you in, a few days away from going on tour?
ANATOLE SERRET: We&rsquo;ve missed playing on stage so much. This return to live shows fills us with a new energy.
 L&rsquo;O: What is your earliest memory of music?
AS: My parents lived in Bali, Indonesia, so we listened to a lot of gamelan in the car. It brought out so many emotions. I wasn&rsquo;t so sure I wanted to listen to the music of my hippie parents as a kid, but I realize in hindsight that I loved it.
JULES CROMMELIN: I find that it comes out in the way you play. When we rehearse, and improvise, we sometimes find ourselves on slightly offbeat rhythms. As far as my earliest music memory&mdash;I grew up in my mother&rsquo;s house, and her husband at the time had a room full of records. There were speakers in every room and music was playing all the time, from morning until late at night. I particularly loved <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/david-bowie-style-2021-fashion-makeup-trends">David Bowie</a> and Sixto Rodriguez, especially the song &ldquo;I Wonder.&rdquo; I must have been five or six years old, but I saw myself in what he was doing; there was something childlike about it.

"When a reference makes me uncomfortable, it pushes me to understand what in our music draws the comparison."

L&rsquo;O: How do you decide when a song is finished?
AS: It&rsquo;s never easy. There&rsquo;s always the temptation to add more layers of sound...it&rsquo;s mostly our intuition that guides us. In terms of songwriting, I think I prefer songs that are very simple in construction. When we&rsquo;re in the studio, I&rsquo;m very aware of how easy it would be to get lost. Often we get to the point where the song seems perfect, and that seems obvious to me&mdash;even if my judgment is a little hasty at times. Then someone might have a great idea, which really puts the finishing touches on the song.
JC: Finding the balance between our intuition and the flood of ideas that can overwhelm us is always tricky. 
L&rsquo;O: Who are your role models?
AS: Phoenix. We went on tour with them, and getting to see how their friendship remained solid after making music together for 25 years makes them particularly inspiring. 
L&rsquo;O: How do you like people to talk about your music?
JC: I don&rsquo;t really like that people say it&rsquo;s &ldquo;funky.&rdquo; It reminds me of Jamiroquai. We also have a complex relationship with Steely Dan&mdash;I never know how to take it. But when a reference makes me uncomfortable, it pushes me to understand what in our music draws the comparison.

L&rsquo;O: You live in Berlin. Has the city had an influence on your work?
AS: I don&rsquo;t think that the Berlin music scene influences us, but rather the nightlife. We&rsquo;ve always wanted to make people dance at our shows; to see the audience move like a living organism like they do in Berlin <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/history-of-paris-nightlife-clubs-fashion">clubs</a>.
JC: We love seeing people dancing&mdash;it seems that they find a personal emotional connection in our music; that the groove joins the emotion. 
L&rsquo;O: What other artistic forms inspire you?
AS: I listen to a lot of lectures by Terence McKenna (ed note: an ethnobotanist and mystic who advocated for the use of psychedelics). I&rsquo;m not sure that they inspire me, but I&rsquo;m so fascinated by what he says that I must take something away from it.

"We&rsquo;ve always wanted to make people dance at our shows; to see the audience move like a living organism."

L&rsquo;O: You have recently worked with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/key-trends-from-gucci-exquisite-fall-winter-2022-milan-fashion-week">Gucci.</a> What do you think of the approach of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/alessandro-michele-gucci-flora-gorgeous-gardenia-fragrance-miley-cyrus">Alessandro Michele</a> [the house&rsquo;s creative director]?
AS: We haven&rsquo;t met him yet, but we really like his work. The way he draws inspiration from the past without ever copying what has been done, but transforming it to give it a more modern personality.
JC: Fashion and music live in a bit of the same world, with the same issues, including how to establish a stimulating conversation with the past&mdash;the &ldquo;classic&rdquo;&mdash;and infuse it with exciting newness. This is what Alessandro does, and what we try to do as well. 
L&rsquo;O: Do you have any regrets in your journey as a band?
AS: None. I believe in the butterfly effect&mdash;I&rsquo;m happy with where we&rsquo;ve ended up.
JS: I totally agree.

HAIR Amber Duarte GROOMING Nathan Hejl PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Danica Svanborg

Parcels' Jules Crommelin and Anatole Serret Talk Role Models, Berlin, and Gucci

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