NATL PARK SRVC released their sophomore album MAGICIAN just last week. While they are on tour right now, you can check them out November 21 at the 7th Street Entry and see them in action in their video for Dizzy.
I remember seeing NATL PARK SRVC at Big Turn this year. Really enjoyed it and I remember thinking classy orchestral rock music. Please tell us about how you all came to music and how you came to play together.
NATL PARK SRVC was originally formed by myself (Dylan Woytcke), Jared Leger, and Nathan Zillmer after moving to the Twin Cities to pursue music. We shortly thereafter enlisted Sam Tudor on violin, Sage Livergood on drums, Wes Muilenburg on sax, and Joe Keyport as our resident multi-instrumentalist.
You have been playing for a few years, and MAGICIAN is your sophomore album – what makes you most proud about the album?
I think the arrangements on this album really shine. When making a double LP, we felt we had to make it worth the length, so every moment counted. While The Dance had a sort of maximalist quality to it, this record took a much more guarded approach to the arrangements I think.
Tell us more about “Facing Down The Heat”. It’s rocking and upbeat with some bleak images in the lyrics. You tackle the difficult topic of suicidal ideation and learning to counter these thoughts.
Facing Down the Heat is a story about my struggle with suicidal ideation. As someone who’s struggled with mental health issues my whole life, one of the more dangerous questions you can ask is “well what if I did?” And while I’ve learned in my older years to work against those thoughts, I think this song was an act of trying to understand it. And I think this song has a silver-lining, the chorus is “while she loves me”, which is meant to show that in spite of all the chaos, the subject is loved, which is a deeper reason than any to keep going.
There are a few songs about relationships (including Now You See Me and My Heart Starts Running) that feel so honest. Was releasing them (and singing them) cathartic or a little scary or just another song now?
It certainly was a little scary, but I think it became really cathartic. With this record I wanted to be a little more vulnerable then I’d typically allow myself, which is scary. To be seen, and understood, is an intimidating task. Through making the record I think I was able to become better acquainted with the uglier, hidden parts of myself, which was very cathartic in the end.
Can you tell us about upcoming shows or the best ways folks can find where to find you in the future?
We’ve got a big show at the 7th Street Entry on November 21st in Minneapolis, MN. It should be really exciting, and we’ll be playing lots of MAGICIAN tracks. We’d also love if you kept up with on socials, either at @NATLPARKSRVC on Twitter or @natlparksrvcband on Instagram.
Mostly Minnesota 