Hey, gang! What’s on everyone’s playlist today? This is a PACKED New Release Friday, I am quite aware. But if you don’t have A Young Person’s Guide To King Parrot queued up… well, that would be a mistake. The first new output from King Parrot in five years is officially out through Housecore Records, and it’s a beast. The extreme metal group is clearly at their best after such a pause. But that’s not all! They also have a busy touring schedule in the months ahead, featuring a North American run supporting Amon Amarth and Pantera. Get more of the scoop on the new album, their plans for the rest of 2025, and more from Youngy’s response to our Profile questions below.

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I started playing music when I was about 9 years old on an acoustic guitar, and then picked up a bass when I was 12 years old and tried to start some bands with friends, by the time I was 14 we were playing some youth gigs around the local area. The only push back came from the associated drinking and drugging that took place at rehearsals and gigs, but that only attracted me more to the music at that time.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

Someone recently described King Parrot as an extreme metal version of AC/DC which I was more than happy with. AC/DC with blast beats sounds like my perfect kinda band, so I’ll just run with that.

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

The artwork for our new album was designed by our close friend Boyd Synnott who died in 2023. We went ahead with using the design for the art as that was his recommendation for this album and we wanted to honor him.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

There’s always plenty of funny stories, one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen was the last show of a European tour we did with Obituary and Exodus in 2016, our bass player Slatts got really drunk on vodka in Poland. He got on stage when Obituary were playing and was dancing like a butterfly, he went to try and stage dive but jumped straight into the barrier and severely bruised his ribs and back. The next day the entire side of his body was purple with bruising. There’s video footage of it somewhere, its so ridiculous.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

I think the best thing that is happening right now is that there are so many great bands emerging from all over the world and having the opportunity to tour and play shows everywhere. The global aspect of the metal scene is the best part, and it’s so awesome to have friends all over the world because of playing music. The worst thing happening is the red tape and costs of touring going through the roof.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

The most important thing for us in our band is to just enjoy the fact that we get to play music and tour around the world performing it. Totally grateful for that opportunity. Our band has no real rules or affiliations, we write about all kinds of stuff, and we add all types of influences into the music too.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

I can share that I work in drug and alcohol rehabilitation and have a passion for helping people with addiction issues get clean and sober.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

I don’t really have any advice other than just be true to yourself and write your truth.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

To continue writing and playing the music we love, get better at every aspect of it, and be able to play sick shows at every opportunity we get. We ain’t trying to reinvent the wheel, we just love what we do and that is playing extremely brutal music.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

Right now some of my favourite records I’m listening to are:
Dax Riggs – “7 Songs for Spiders”
Nails – “Every Bridge Burning”
Wipers – “Over The Edge”
Scour – “Gold”
Choof – “A Very Special Blend of Psychology and Violence”
Dystopia – “Human = Garbage”
Acid Bath – “When The Kite String Pops”

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

We are about to head out on our album launch tour all through Australia this May and June. We’ll be headlining this one with great supports in each city. In July, August and September we will be touring all over North America. We have 20 shows supporting Pantera and Amon Amarth. We just got added to a show in New York with Acid Bath and Pentagram on July 25, and then we’ll be doing a whole bunch of headlining shows and heading into Canada so I’m told!

Summarize your band in one word.

INSANE.

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Many thanks to Youngy and King Parrot for the time!

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A Young Person’s Guide To King Parrot is out now through Housecore Records. For more information on King Parrot, head over to their website.