Tape Notes

← Tape Notes9 jun · 1 u 30 min

TN:183 Arlo Parks & Baird

TN:183 Arlo Parks & Baird9 jun1 u 30 min

John is joined by Arlo Parks and Baird to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Ambiguous Desire’.

Arlo Parks is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from West London. After uploading demos to BBC Introducing as a teenager, she quickly attracted industry attention. Her debut album, ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’, arrived in 2021, establishing Arlo as one of the defining artists of her generation and earning her the Mercury Prize and two Grammy nominations. Arlo’s third record, the more electronic-focused ‘Ambiguous Desire', was released in April 2026, co-written and produced by Baird, along with additional collaborators Paul Epworth and Sampha.

Sitting down at Strongroom Studios in London, with Baird joining online, Arlo and Baird discuss the “runaway train” of their symbiotic creative process and how they recreated the feel of the club and dancefloor through the record’s distinctive grooves. They share never previously heard freestyles, demos and vocal tracking secrets from the studio, and they answer questions from our Patreon community!

Tracks discussed: Senses, Jetta, Heaven

LISTEN to Ambiguous Desire: Ambiguous Desire by Arlo Parks, Transgressive Records

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

Try the new Tape It Denoiser  currently 50% off!

TRINITY LABAN

Find out more about Trinity Laban’s new MA in Songwriting.

MUSIVERSAL