Cale Parks

Percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Cale Parks has built a reputation as both a skilled drummer and a wide-ranging songwriter through his central position in the shape-shifting indie outfit Aloha, his supporting roles elsewhere, and his own releases. Beyond studio sessions and tours alongside acts such as White Williams, Yeasayer, Passion Pit, and numerous additional projects, he has moved across an array of sounds, ranging from the ambient pop heard on his first solo outing, 2006’s Illuminated Manuscript, to the jazz-inflected instrumentals that define his 2020 EP Boards.

Even while serving as drummer for the long-running post-rock ensemble Aloha, Parks started developing independent material with borrowed gear. The tight quarters of the Brooklyn apartments where the tracks took shape found their way into the intimate, headphone-oriented textures of his proper debut, Illuminated Manuscript, issued that same year on Polyvinyl Records, Aloha’s own label. Alongside further work with groups including Joan of Arc, Cex, Chin Up Chin Up, and others, he kept recording and performing solo shows to promote the album. Its 2008 successor, Sparklace, leaned more heavily into synth pop, whereas the 2009 EP To Swift Mars ventured into psychedelic electronic territory while retaining Parks’ characteristically precise rhythmic approach.

In the years that followed he supplied drums for Chet Faker, Yeasayer, and Tanlines, carving out time for his own music whenever possible. The four-track Lagoon Fool EP arrived in 2015, consisting of cooler, synth-driven pieces. After more than a decade in Brooklyn, Parks and his family moved to the more measured pace of Kansas City. Along with his continued activity as a session player, he infused fresh momentum into the 2020 EP Boards. The six-song set centers on electronic production yet weaves in an assortment of acoustic instruments that mingle openly with the digital components.