Tame Impala: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

Bobby Carter | August 24, 2020
With beats, effects and synths pumping through a DJ mixer sitting on a school desk in his home studio in Australia, we present Tame Impala like you've never heard it before. As much as I love Tame Impala's music, I'm probably more intrigued by the creative process that brings the songs to life. The studio version of the band is pretty simple on paper: All songs are written, produced and performed by Kevin Parker. For the live version, Parker is still front and center but surrounded by a host of musicians who interpret his recorded work almost to a tee.

So it came as a shock to me when the Australian maestro explained what he wanted to do for his Tiny Desk (home) concert or his "Tame Impala Soundsystem" as he puts it. "I'll get Jay (Watson) and Dom (Simper) and we'll do this kind of electronic jam with heaps of equipment around us and we'll recreate the songs with samplers and sequencers," Parker says. "I've wanted to do something like this for a while and thought Tiny Desk would be the opportunity to do it."

SET LIST
"Breathe Deeper"
"Is It True"
"Patience"

MUSICIANS
Kevin Parker: vocals; Jay Watson: music; Dom Simper: music

CREDITS
Video by: Jamie Terry, Shiney Joe Ryan; Audio by: Kevin Parker, James Ireland; Producer: Bobby Carter; Audio Mastering Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Video Producer: Maia Stern; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

[stefandomeier]

he's like a chef that created a recipe then taught all the cooks. Now he's just walking around the kitchen enjoying the smells.

[rafaelmonterroza]

“Tiny desk concerts” is the new MTV unplugged.💃🏻

[broderdanne]

If you listen between 0:00-16:21 you'll hear the sound of pure joy and perfection.

[TeamDazu]

Do you guys know how hard it is to DJ, mix, sing all at the same time? So ridiculously underrated

[verbpierce]

Yes, Australian Jesus is back to bless us with his funk.

[MrJohnRenteria]

wow, talking about multitasking, controlling the mixer, the drum machine, singing and pulling his hair back all at once

[tjdad]

I found Tame Impala in 2010, I’m a truck driver and this is my driving music, keeps calm and in a groove zone all night while getting your UPS packages from hub to hub😂

[Brodzzzzz]

That ending of Breathe Deeper is EVERYTHING.

[tmccullough]

For those of you interested, the two other guys performing in this just released their own respective solo albums. GUM (Jay Watson) recently released "Out in the World" and bambi (Dominic Simper) recently released "unfolding". The former is quite similar to Tame Impala's music, while the latter is instrumental ambient music. Check it out!

[harrydavies]

Will never understand how ‘Is it true’ wasn’t a smash hit from the new album

[blacksolthetruthknight]

its 4am im in hawaii at the beach on vacation watching this while passing a joint to my girl...life's good Thanks Tame!

[migzz]

This music is such a driving force in my world…who else here besides me listens to Tame Impala every day??

[Eczov]

Tame Impala is that kind of band that helps you to reach self-forgiveness and gives you good vibes about the future.

[Sweeneytv]

this is like the 300th time i've listened to the full set.

[samvasquez]

I'm 102, Tame Impala saved my life literaly. They played "Breathe Deeper" when I flat lined. It brough me back to life....Thanks Tame Impala.

[marissa]

This version of Breathe Deeper is crazy😭

[BCFlows]

Patience is extremely underrated, still don’t know how it didn’t make it on the album

[RedSocksPhy]

I am glad I exist at the same time as Tame Impala.

[k-leb]

It's always funny hearing a singer's normal speaking voice and how ridiculously different it is to their singing voice.

[samiam]

If only this could be an hour long set 🤪