Ivan & The Parazol captures teenage vivacity on glam-psych number ‘When I Was 17’

IVAN & THE PARAZOL, a four-piece Budapestian band carrying the spirit of ‘70s glam-rock and incorporation of modern psych-rock instrumentation, making for an amalgam reminiscent of a Brian May–Kevin Parker compound, with their flamboyant guitar solos and overdriven octave-pedals on guitars.

The Budapest-based band have explored many facets of the live world during the last few years – performing a number of times at SXSW, CBGB, Reeperbahn, main-staging the Sziget Festival, supporting Deep Purple at the Budapest stop of their arena tour, fresh off their 2017 support Rival Sons tour, while also attaining an MTV EMA award-winners for Best Central European Act; the band are by no-means finding their feet in regards to rearing their stylistic sound.

The upcoming album ‘Exotic Post-Traumatic’ was produced and recorded by Grammy Award-winning Wil Anspach (Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean) at the renowned EastWest studios in LA; hallowed grounds where Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Foo Fighters are just a few of the notable names to have recorded their material there.

The glam-psych quartet take another step toward their third LP, releasing ‘When I Was 17’, a single which embodies a top-down 1970’s neon-purple Cadillac towing an ostentatiously large hi-fi stack, blasting classic rock through a dusty Americana desert. The track captures themes of teenage vivacity and liberation in what feels like a flared-jeans-filled psychedelic trip, while taking modern filters and streamlining the sound into some fresh form. Distorted guitar riffs ring out while Vitáris crudely references the time from which it feels the track is borne; “day after day, we move to the city, choosing the style – I rely on Ziggy”.

The band expand on their reference of Bowie’s alter ego; “Our teenage years define our whole lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re 47, if you used to listen to Ziggy Stardust, you still wanna paint a lightnin’ bolt on your face and show people when you’re from.”

As a rock n roll band, all of our main goals, dreams were created when we were, like, around 17. This teenage heart, curiosity, zest, and love is something we can’t and won’t lose. It is the cradle of our existence. Cause it’s still a better way, to have a little-little-little rock n roll in our souls!”

Stream ‘When I Was 17’ below. ‘Exotic Post-Traumatic’ will be available on all platforms from March 22nd 2019.