Arlo Parks – Ambiguous Desire

Today, twice Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award–winning artist Arlo Parks release her new album Ambiguous Desire.

Ambiguouss Desire includes the singles “Beams”, “Get Go” and “2SIDED.”

That club-rooted energy runs throughout Ambiguous Desire. Over the past two years, Arlo dove headfirst into nocturnal spaces where she could be whoever she wanted. She drew inspiration from the queer hedonism of NYC’s Paradise Garage to the moody nocturnal British beats of The Streets and Burial, the glittering synth catharsis of LCD Soundsystem, and rooted house grooves of Theo Parrish, losing herself on the dancefloor. The record is Parks at her most confident and experimental, supplanting live band sessions for modular synths, Ableton plugins and samplers that channel the frenetic, vibrant spaces she was immersed in, all while spotlighting the acclaimed poetry and lyricism she’s beloved for.

Reflecting on the making of the record, Parks shares, “I danced more than ever as I made this record, I made more friends than ever too, found myself in the weird underbelly of New York juke nights, unleashed, laughed and laughed and laughed. This record has desire at its center. Desire is a life force, it’s a wanting, a yearning, a momentum – we are all alive because there is something or someone we want – desire is an engine. But it is also mysterious, tangled, random, enlightening and HUMAN.”

Parks crafted the album with producer Baird (Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract). Their process unfolded between NYC’s vibrant, community-rooted nightlife and long, introspective days spent in Baird’s downtown loft. The result is Parks’ most vulnerable, self-affirming, and euphoric work to date.

Bursting onto the scene with her distinct blend of raw lyrical self-expression and vivid vocal melody, Parks has since been nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album, won the Mercury Music Prize for her 2021 Gold-certified debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams, been named a Breakthrough Artist at the Brit Awards, and been nominated at the Ivor Novello Awards. A poet as much as a performer, Parks followed up her previous critically acclaimed album My Soft Machine with the debut of her first published book, The Magic Border, a collection of 20 new poems and exclusive images by Daniyel Lowden alongside lyrics from My Soft Machine.

Arlo Parks will be performing a series of sold-out intimate UK record store shows to celebrate the album’s release, offering fans a rare chance to experience a live performance in an up-close setting. Arlo is also hosting a DJ party at Palais in Peckham on April 23rd with Lil Silva, Oscar Farrell and Sherelle and will be appearing for a special support performance with David Byrne in Ireland this June.

RECORD STORE DATES + FESTIVALS

4/2 – London, UK @ Rough Trade x fabric – SOLD OUT

4/4 – Leeds, UK @ Crash x Wardrobe – SOLD OUT

4/6 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Nottingham x Rescue Rooms – SOLD OUT

4/7 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East – SOLD OUT

4/8 – London, UK @ Banquet x Circuit – SOLD OUT

4/9 – Brighton, UK @ Resident x CHALK – SOLD OUT

4/11 – Oxford, UK @ Truck x O2 Academy – SOLD OUT

4/12 – Southampton, UK @ Vinilo x The 1865 – SOLD OUT

6/7 – Dublin, Ireland @ St Anne’s Park (David Byrne support)

7/24 – Yuzuwa, Japan @ Fuji Rock Festival

Tour Dates:

8/29 – Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre

8/31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

9/1 – Boston, MA @ Royale

9/3 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS

9/4 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY

9/5 – Detroit, MI @ Lincoln Factory

9/9 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

9/10 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk

9/14 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park

9/15 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s

9/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether

9/19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

9/21 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo

9/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre

9/23 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom

9/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

9/26 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre

9/29 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

10/1 – Queens, NY @ Knockdown Center

10/17 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Ambassador Theatre

10/20 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton

10/24 – Glasgow, UK @ Old Fruitmarket

10/25 – Bristol, UK @ The Prospect Building

10/26 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall

10/28 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg

10/30 – Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk Victoria

10/31 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall

11/3 – Brussels, Belgium @ Cirque Royal

11/7 – Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique

11/8 – Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique

11/10 – Madrid, Spain @ La Riviera

11/11 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Lisboa ao Vivo

11/13 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Apolo

11/16 – Munich, Germany @ Muffathalle

11/18 – Warsaw, Poland @ Palladium

11/19 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena Wien

11/21 – Prague, Czech Republic @ ARCHA+

11/22 – Budapest, Hungary @ Akvárium Klub

11/24 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Kaufleuten

11/26 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg @ den Atelier

11/29 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Store Vega

12/1 – Oslo, Norway @ Parkteatret

12/2 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan

#arloparks