Park Palais on starting again and finding inspiration in jasmine plants

He cut his teeth in music playing in Mako Road. Then the band came to an end and so began a period away from music. But he's back at it again with new reasons to create - Park Palais represents a fresh start for songwriter and producer Rhian Ward. The project kicks off with October Again, an appropriately named track inspired growth and resilience via a metaphorical inspiration... Jasmine plants.

There is a new single arriving each month and an EP on the way. Park Palais got stuck in to cover off getting starting again, making music at home and what makes a song stick.

Park Palais is a brand new project and listeners may not be familiar with your previous work. What can you tell us about your journey to this point?

I’ve been playing music since I was around 8, starting with learning guitar and singing, and later the trumpet and drums. I started writing in my teens, and joined a band at University of Canterbury called Mako Road, releasing a couple of EPs and an album. We were lucky enough to tour around New Zealand and Australia and play some great festivals. When the band came to an end I took a couple of years away from music, which gave me some space to redefine why I create and develop my songwriting.

Suitably named, the new single October Again is timely. What exactly inspired the track?

The lyrics stemmed from object writing about my jasmine plants. They became a metaphor for growth and resilience, and the song grew from there.

You did all the writing and production work yourself. How do you approach this process?

For the EP I had an ideas phase where I did daily object writing and recorded a new drum beat each morning. I find object writing a great way of getting into flow and finding ways to express ideas. From there I record piece by piece - scratch track, drums, bass, guitars, vocals last. Recording at home gives me flexibility to change things, re-record parts and follow ideas as they develop.

What makes a great song stand out for you?

I think a great song sits in the middle of immediate and delayed payoff - it catches your attention where you first hear it, and keeps giving you little rewards as you return to it, through depth to the lyrics and musicianship.

The NZ scene is packed with talent right now. Who are some of your favourite local artists?

Heaps! Muroki, Troy Kingi, O & The Mo, Jasmine Mary, Pool House, LEISURE, Casual Healing, Wet Denim, Paige, Borderline, star, RIIKI REID, Rita Mae, UMO, to name a few

There's an EP on the horizon, what can we expect to see from you in the months to come?

I’ll be dropping a new single each month along with some visual content, so stay tuned! 

October Again is set to be released on Friday October 8th. Pre-save the track here.