Sound Advice: Arlo Parks

Join Arlo Parks on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, recorded live in Los Angeles, we discuss Arlo’s latest album, 2026’s ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ and how clubbing in New York City and London inspired them to evolve their songwriting, inspirations and collaborations.

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Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.

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For this episode of Sound Advice, we hosted British singer, songwriter and DJ Arlo Parks at SoundCloud’s office in Los Angeles for a special live conversation, recorded in front of a studio audience. Since the release of their first EP, 2019’s ‘Super Sad Generation,’ Arlo has gone on to win the Mercury Prize, BRIT Awards and countless other accolades. Following the release of Arlo’s latest full-length, 2026’s ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ this exclusive conversation dives into the influence that DJing and clubbing in New York City and London has had on the evolution of the record, their songwriting process, and how visual influences and impressionistic scenes help create atmosphere.

Elsewhere throughout this in-depth interview, Arlo also recalls their early days of uploading tracks to SoundCloud and how they got noticed, offering thoughts on collaboration, the importance of experimentation and trusting your vision. Our in-person audience also had amazing questions for Arlo, about the creative process, music-making, and how to maintain joy and optimism. This is a beautiful and inspiring conversation for aspiring artists, or anyone wondering where to go next. 

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LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING ARLO PARKS

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LISTEN TO ‘AMBIGUOUS DESIRE’ BY ARLO PARKS ON SOUNDCLOUD

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Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice

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Arlo Parks on The Genesis of ‘Ambiguous Desire’ and Discovering of Club Culture

• We begin the conversation with Arlo Parks’ latest album, 2026’s ‘Ambiguous Desire.’ Here, Arlo sets the scene, reflecting on where they were physically, emotionally and musically in the lead up to write the record. After they finished touring their previous album, 2023’s ‘My Soft Machine,’ Arlo says that they were spending more time in New York City. “I was searching for something more spontaneous and playful,” they say. 
• After spending much of their young adulthood on tour and in album promotional cycles, Arlo was keen to explore a freer way of living. Here, they talk about how community-centric nightlife experiences in New York City allowed them to go on a process of self-discovery and reflection, and how reconnecting with music as a fan first gave them a renewed appreciation of music. “That inevitably bled into the music” of ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ they say. 
• From those experiences, Arlo dove deeper into queer clubbing history, like iconic venues like Paradise Garage and The Loft; from there, they were educated in the vitality of electronic music culture, which in turn inspired their sound.

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Arlo Parks on How DJing Inspired The Songwriting and Sonics of ‘Ambiguous Desire’ 

• During the pandemic, Arlo learned how to DJ. How did this inform their original music and live show? Here, Arlo talks about the experience of DJing for the first time and learning the process alone in their room “as a nerd” first, performer second. “In life, music and writing, I’m quite meticulous,” Arlo says. “But when you’re DJing, you have to read the moment and you can’t plan for it.” 
• They go into more detail about the evolution of their DJing and how it allowed them to be more spontaneous in the studio for ‘Ambiguous Desire.’ As an artist, Arlo often leads their songwriting with lyrics and storytelling, but through their time in dance music clubs and listening to DJ sets, Arlo was inspired to bring that more free-flowing energy into their productions.
• Here, Arlo talks about how the role of the voice and lyrics in their music has duly shifted, focusing more on melodic momentum and atmosphere, with voices as texture rather than the lead element. “Some of the most emotional moments in electronic tracks are when there are no words at all, so I was trying to play with those techniques,” Arlo says.
• Some of those techniques involve trying to capture inspiration in the moment — like using voice note recordings to capture melodic and harmonic ideas — but a theme that Arlo conveys on ‘Ambiguous Desire’ is the slippery nature of memory. Here, they talk about choosing which moments to capture and how to make peace with them being imperfect.

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Arlo Parks Discusses the Art of Collaboration and Collating Inspirations Across Media

• Across their discography, Arlo has worked with Baltimore-raised producer Baird. Here, they talk about their creative chemistry as a duo, the free-spirited nature of their collaborative process and how the friendship they’ve nurtured has allowed them to bring sympathetic references and ideas into their studio sessions. “He became my best friend in life and music,” they say.
• Some of the media they discussed during the making of ‘Ambiguous Desire’ include “Temporary Pleasure: Nightclub Architecture, Design and Culture from the 1960s to Today” — a book by John Leo Gillen that charts the relationship between cities’ architecture, nightlife and culture — and Wong Kar Wai films, like “In The Mood For Love.” Here, Arlo talks about how cinema inspired their songwriting — “I was trying to write a soundtrack for a film that didn’t exist” — and how that visual inspiration is a pattern across their discography to date. “Other mediums have always been baked into music for me,” they say.

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Arlo Parks’ Advice on Using SoundCloud to Grow Your Audience and Confidence as an Artist

• When Arlo Parks started out as an artist, writing lyrics and making “weird beats” in their bedroom, the first place they went to get their music heard was SoundCloud. Here, Arlo talks about how they used the platform as an early testing ground for their demos, how uploading tracks — and sometimes deleting them — allowed them to build up their confidence. 
• “I really wasn’t overthinking things and was putting out these little messages in a bottle as a teenager, when I was feeling lost and alone,” they continue. “Even if I was getting 10 plays [on a track], it was my way of feeling like I was getting in touch with the world.”
• Arlo once said that their advice to their younger self would be to “write down why you’re doing this,” as a way to keep on the right path as an artist. So what does Arlo turn to now, at this stage in their career? 
• “Tell the truth and remember that things take time,” they say. Part of that is having a daily routine for creativity, to not feel discouraged or rusty — and part of that, in turn, is being patient on days where it doesn’t come naturally. Here, they go into more detail about their personal philosophy.

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The Musical Influences of Arlo Parks’ ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ Working with Sampha on “Senses” and More

• Alongside the aforementioned multimedia references, some key albums that have shaped Arlo’s sound include ‘Carrie & Lowell’ by Sufjan Stevens, ‘Endtroducing…’ by DJ Shadow, ‘Mezzanine’ by Massive Attack, ‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead and more. Here, Arlo talks about those inspirations.
• A turning point for Arlo in their creative process was going from writing and playing music on acoustic guitar to trying to produce electronic beats. Here, they talk about how that transition period allowed them to see new ways of approaching independent music-making, and how straddling those analog and digital disciplines has informed their discography. “I feel like I’m learning everyday and have come into collaboration more,” they say. “But I still try to nurture that part of me that’s doing everything by myself.” 
• One of the biggest lessons that Arlo has learned as an artist has been patience. In the three year-long process of writing ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ Arlo has gone through myriad emotions and lessons — and some of them have come through collaborations. On the track “Senses,” Arlo works with Sampha, the British singer, songwriter and pianist known for his heartfelt lyricism and voice. Here, Arlo talks about  how “Senses” came together. “I don’t do that many collaborations,” Arlo says. “I feel like it has to be really specific for it to align, but that’s one of my favorite songs on the record.”

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How ‘Ambiguous Desire’ Evolved Arlo Parks’ Creative Process and Live Show 

• One of the elements that brings an album together is editing — and not just with engineers. It’s a process of choosing what not to include on an album during the songwriting and production process, too. Here, Arlo goes into detail about how they worked through this on ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ highlighting specific tracks like “Heaven,” and how they like to lead with instinct to make those decisions. 
• By taking three years to make the album, Arlo shares that they got the necessary time and space to really explore new avenues as an artist, let ideas really germinate, and, most importantly, have fun with the process. Here, Arlo looks back on their albums to date and how their journey has taken “so many different twists and turns,” leading them to this more electronic-inspired sound. 
• Now that ‘Ambiguous Desire’ is out in the world, Arlo is taking the album on tour. So how has DJing, club culture and the album themes influenced how Arlo’s put together the latest iteration of their live show? “Often, I’ve made the music then thought about how to present it later,” they say. But after spending so much time with dance music fans and artists over the last few years, Arlo adds, “I immediately understood that the album had to live in that space.” 
• Here, they get into how the live show is coming together and what fans can expect from the upcoming performances. “It’s a record that’s meant to be enjoyed around other people, so I think the tour is going to bring a new dimension of life to it.” You can find out more about Arlo’s 2026 tour here.

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How Sampling Creates Atmosphere and Intimacy In Arlo Parks’ Songwriting 

• During the making of ‘Ambiguous Desire,’ Arlo used SoundCloud as part of their process. “The discovery element of SoundCloud is what I love, because I like finding really weird, niche edits and getting obsessed with subcultures,” they say. “I love that there are so many creators, on a really small scale, making excellent music. Especially as a DJ, it’s endless inspiration for me.” 
• As a detail-oriented artist, Arlo likes to leave little “easter eggs” in their tracks to tease out the album’s stories. Some of these moments are detailed here, and how Arlo uses these noises, samples, voicemails and recordings all come together as a journal of her life, her friends and her memories. 
• These “little moments of intimacy” are part of the world-building of ‘Ambiguous Desire’ and allow Arlo to connect more deeply with their listeners. A track that has many of these elements is “Heaven,” which features loops and chops of Arlo’s manipulated voice. With those details, Arlo says that they’re creating a sound that’s less straightforward autobiography, but more of an “autofiction.” Here, Arlo talks about how that functions. 

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Our Live Audience Asked Arlo Parks Some Great Questions, Too

• After Arlo Parks wrapped up their time on Sound Advice with Vivian Host, they took questions from the live audience, in SoundCloud’s Los Angeles office. Having absorbed the conversation, fans shared their thoughts on the new album and asked thoughtful questions about Arlo’s process, inspirations and how to find joy in creativity. Be sure to listen to the questions and Arlo’s answers: they go deep into personal and professional reflections, and graciously open up to the fans that were in the building for this special event.
• The live Q&A is one of many elements of artist-to-fan interactions that are growing on SoundCloud, and deepening how music fans can directly engage with their favorite artists on the platform. In recent years, SoundCloud has expanded its arsenal of features to improve the artist-to-fan experience — from fan-powered royalties and the fan support button to the Artist All-In-One subscription and more — to bring creators and listeners closer together. 

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Links and Extras

Follow Arlo Parks’ journey on SoundCloud.
Press play on Arlo Parks’ 2026 album, ‘Ambiguous Desire.’
Hit play on Arlo Parks’ collaboration with Sampha, titled “Senses.”
Go back to where it all began with Arlo Parks’ debut EP, 2019’s ‘Super Sad Generation.’
Listen to ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams,’ Arlo Parks’ breakthrough 2021 album.
Explore some of Arlo Parks’ wide-ranging influences, including Radiohead, Portishead, Boards of Canada and Massive Attack, to name a few. 
Listen to the New Era Indie playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud‍

Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.

To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

_{CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin}