Despite the lockdown, Tayla Parx has had an incredibly busy 2020.
“That is my song right there.
I love ‘pov,'” she tells EW over the phone.
Credit: courtesy Atlantic records
“I’m honestly so happy that people are gravitating towards it the way that they are.”
At the same time, Parx had been readying her sophomore albumCoping Mechanisms, out now.
There’s always a fresh face that kind of pops up."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did you start working onCoping Mechanisms?
TAYLA PARX:So I would say I started on it when I was on tour withLizzo.
That was really fun because I was just experiencing so many new things in my life.
It was my first time being on tour that long.
I hopped right in from Anderson .Paak into Lizzo into my own headliningWe Need to Talktour.
So I think that it definitely changed.
It was a process that happened along a few different states and countries.
How did going on tour change your songwriting?
It gives you that confidence to keep doing what you’re doing.
On the other hand, did the world going into lockdown change the direction of the album at all?
It’s more about those types of things.
Would you call this a concept album?
Every single time it’s like, “OK, so this is where we left off.”
And the project came intoCoping Mechanisms.
Are you telling a linear story withCoping Mechanisms?
It is a storyline.
And actually you’ll see a little bit more about that in the new year.
I love to hear that you’re working on a short film.
When did you decide that would be something good to do with this project?
It was a lot.
I always want to find cool ways to show people that it’s a conceptual album.
So, I felt like that will be a nice way to do it.
And also because I come from an acting background as well.
Or their version of whatever that is.
My favorite song on the album right now comes early with “System.”
How did that song fall into the story you were telling?
Man, I think at the time, that’s just where I was.
And you saw 21 year old TP again in that moment.
I reverted back to the old me for a little bit.
Why do you think so much great club music and dance music is coming out of quarantine?
You definitely add to that wave with songs like “Dance Alone” and “Stare.”
Sometimes that’s just what people need.
Naturally people turn to music as an escape.
Naturally one of people’s coping mechanisms is to put on a song that makes them feel something.
That makes them move, or that reminds them of somebody, or makes them forget about someone.
I think I need a song to go with this."
Getting into the slower songs too, how did “Sad” come about?
“Sad” happened because I felt like I had numerous exes telling me that they had messed up.
So I was like “Yes, yes, yes!”
And that’s why I wanted to have that towards [the end].
And this album we’re ending on a good note.
And I’m proud of the growth, you know?
Going back a little bit, has it been hard not touring?
Did the shows you did last year feel like real breakthroughs for you as an artist?
I had been on the road for much longer than I thought I was going to be honestly.
And I was just about to hop on to the road again.
And that got canceled because of all of this happening obviously, so I do miss it.
I have missed having that contact with my fans.
I miss being able to say, “Should we play a new song tonight?”
Just feeling the vibe.
I’m such an empath that I thrive off of that.
You know what I mean?
Does releasing new music help capture some of those feelings?
I’m not really like a TikToker or anything like that.
Listen to Tayla Parx’s new albumCoping Mechanismsbelow.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
