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At the beginning of this decade Tame Impala were a beardy psychedelic rock band operating out of Perth, Australia, one of the more isolated cities in the world. Cut to this month and Kevin Parker, the frontman who it turns out was writing and recording the songs by himself all along, is unpacking his bags in his new home in the Hollywood Hills. His recent writing credits include songs for Rihanna, Kanye West and Lady Gaga. How did that happen?

“It’s the last world I would have expected to end up in but I’ve become more comfortable with it,” says the 32-year-old of this newfound glamour. Lady Gaga was the first person he wrote lyrics with collaboratively, on her 2016 single Perfect Illusion — a decent start. Rihanna’s Same Ol’ Mistakes, from her Anti album of the same year, was a straight lift of the music from his Tame Impala song New Person, Same Old Mistakes, with her singing instead of him. This month he even prompted a few news stories when there was some confusion over whether or not he had contributed to Kanye West’s surprise new album Ye.

“That was an absolute saga. It was uncannily poor timing,” he tells me as he attempts to explain what happened. It seems he was in the middle of giving an interview while West was premiering Ye with a live stream, and a friend texted him to tell him his song was playing. So he told the journalist. Later it turned out that his contribution had been left out of the song he thought he was on, Ghost Town, but he was credited on a different one, Violent Crimes. He found out at the same time as everyone else.

If that was hard to follow, it just seems to be how it works in the orbit of the biggest stars, whose songwriter credits can sometimes run into double figures. Parker says he had met West in person “for a chat” but sent over his musical ideas from afar. He still hasn’t met Rihanna.

“That’s the thing about being a rogue contributor: you’re not in the driver’s seat, so you don’t really know how things are gonna pan out. From working on it, to it actually emerging into the world, there’s a lot in between,” he says.

Music Festivals in 2018: The best UK events to book tickets for now 10 show all Music Festivals in 2018: The best UK events to book tickets for now 1/10 Latitude As well as boasting one of the most eclectic lineups of the year (The Killers, Alt J and Solange, The Vaccines, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Mogwai and John Hopkins all perform in 2018), Latitude also boasts a diverse arts lineup. Fans can expect strong comedy, theatre, poetry and literature and street food offerings across the weekend in and amongst the bands. It’s the UK’s biggest boutique festival and one of the best of the entire year. July 12 - 15. Suffolk 2/10 Reading & Leeds Attending Reading festival and its naughty little brother Leeds has become something of a right of passage for young music fans across the country, and 2018 promises to be no different. They’re two of the biggest, booziest and most bonkers festival experiences to bad in the UK this year. The lineup sees Kendrick Lamar, Kings of Leon and Fall Out Boy top the bill at the twin events this year and there's always plenty to discover across the festivals’ nine stages too. August 24 - 26. Reading & Leeds PA Archive/PA Images 3/10 Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight festival is one of the most established events on the UK summer circuit, with an illustrious history to boot. Three huge events took place on the Isle of Wight between 1968 and 1970 before the festival was revived in 2002. A huge selection of acts are taking part in 2018, with Chase & Status, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Kasabian, Van Morrison and Liam Gallagher all performing over the weekend. June 21 - 24. Isle of Wight Isle of Wight festival 4/10 Bestival Bestival relocated from the Isle of Wight to Dorset last year, and organisers are looking to see in the second year at the new festival site in style. There's a promising line up already confirmed, with M.I.A, Jorja Smith, London Grammar, Grace Jones, Plan B and Chaka Khan all perform in 2018. Bestival is known for being one of the most colourful experiences of the summer calendar, and if you like dressing up and letting your hair down, there’s no better festival in the country. August 2 - 5. Dorset Getty Images 5/10 Download UK metal institution Download takes place at Derby's Donington Park this summer, with Guns n' Roses, Avenged Sevenfold and Ozzy Osbourne set to headline. The festival has entertained UK metal fans ever since launching back in 2003 and all the early signs are suggesting this year will be the biggest celebration yet. June 8 - 10. Leicestershire 6/10 Creamfields The ever-popular Creamfields is the UK’s biggest dance music festival, celebrating house, drum & bass and techno over August bank holiday weekend. The festival will welcome 40,000 people a day to its site in Daresbury, Cheshire this year, with legendary DJ Carl Cox set to headline. He follows the likes of deadmau5, The Chainsmokers Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren and Eric Prydz who performed in 2017. August 23 - 26. Cheshire 7/10 Green Man Festival The Green Man Festival site, nestled in amongst the beautiful Brecon Beacons, is one of the most picturesque anywhere in the UK and the setting for one of the best artisan festivals of the year. It’s a boutique festival experience on a big scale, with arts events, strong comedy lineups and fantastic food on offer over the weekend. Fleet Foxes, the War On Drugs and Grizzly Bear have all been confirmed for the 2018 event. August 16 - 19. Brecon Beacons 8/10 End of the Road Festival End of the Road is a gem of a festival tucked away in South Wiltshere. Discerning music lovers are drawn to the boutique event every year to see a diverse lineup of critically acclaimed and hotly-tipped artists. This year Vampire Weekend, St Vincent and Feist will headline the festival, while the likes of Yo La Tengo, Ezra Furman, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Cale and Fat White Family also perform. August 31 - September 3. South Wiltshere End of the Road festival 9/10 TRNSMT Arctic Monkeys mark their only confirmed UK date of 2018 with a performance at Glasgow’s TRNSMT, four years after their last headline slot at Reading & Leeds festival. Liam Gallagher, Stereophonics, Courteeners and Interpol also perform at this, one of the UK’s biggest musical events of the summer. June 29 - 30. Glasgow TRNSMT 10/10 Festival No. 6 Franz Ferdinand and Friendly Fires headline this diverse and multifaceted event, which all takes place in a stunning Portmeirion setting. Jessie Ware, Everything Everything, The Charlatans, Django Django, Ride and Anna Calvi also perform, but the family-friendly festival also celebrates arts, theatre and comedy across the course of the weekend. September 6 - 9. Portmeirion Festival No.6 1/10 Latitude As well as boasting one of the most eclectic lineups of the year (The Killers, Alt J and Solange, The Vaccines, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Mogwai and John Hopkins all perform in 2018), Latitude also boasts a diverse arts lineup. Fans can expect strong comedy, theatre, poetry and literature and street food offerings across the weekend in and amongst the bands. It’s the UK’s biggest boutique festival and one of the best of the entire year. July 12 - 15. Suffolk 2/10 Reading & Leeds Attending Reading festival and its naughty little brother Leeds has become something of a right of passage for young music fans across the country, and 2018 promises to be no different. They’re two of the biggest, booziest and most bonkers festival experiences to bad in the UK this year. The lineup sees Kendrick Lamar, Kings of Leon and Fall Out Boy top the bill at the twin events this year and there's always plenty to discover across the festivals’ nine stages too. August 24 - 26. Reading & Leeds PA Archive/PA Images 3/10 Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight festival is one of the most established events on the UK summer circuit, with an illustrious history to boot. Three huge events took place on the Isle of Wight between 1968 and 1970 before the festival was revived in 2002. A huge selection of acts are taking part in 2018, with Chase & Status, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Kasabian, Van Morrison and Liam Gallagher all performing over the weekend. June 21 - 24. Isle of Wight Isle of Wight festival 4/10 Bestival Bestival relocated from the Isle of Wight to Dorset last year, and organisers are looking to see in the second year at the new festival site in style. There's a promising line up already confirmed, with M.I.A, Jorja Smith, London Grammar, Grace Jones, Plan B and Chaka Khan all perform in 2018. Bestival is known for being one of the most colourful experiences of the summer calendar, and if you like dressing up and letting your hair down, there’s no better festival in the country. August 2 - 5. Dorset Getty Images 5/10 Download UK metal institution Download takes place at Derby's Donington Park this summer, with Guns n' Roses, Avenged Sevenfold and Ozzy Osbourne set to headline. The festival has entertained UK metal fans ever since launching back in 2003 and all the early signs are suggesting this year will be the biggest celebration yet. June 8 - 10. Leicestershire 6/10 Creamfields The ever-popular Creamfields is the UK’s biggest dance music festival, celebrating house, drum & bass and techno over August bank holiday weekend. The festival will welcome 40,000 people a day to its site in Daresbury, Cheshire this year, with legendary DJ Carl Cox set to headline. He follows the likes of deadmau5, The Chainsmokers Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Armin van Buuren and Eric Prydz who performed in 2017. August 23 - 26. Cheshire 7/10 Green Man Festival The Green Man Festival site, nestled in amongst the beautiful Brecon Beacons, is one of the most picturesque anywhere in the UK and the setting for one of the best artisan festivals of the year. It’s a boutique festival experience on a big scale, with arts events, strong comedy lineups and fantastic food on offer over the weekend. Fleet Foxes, the War On Drugs and Grizzly Bear have all been confirmed for the 2018 event. August 16 - 19. Brecon Beacons 8/10 End of the Road Festival End of the Road is a gem of a festival tucked away in South Wiltshere. Discerning music lovers are drawn to the boutique event every year to see a diverse lineup of critically acclaimed and hotly-tipped artists. This year Vampire Weekend, St Vincent and Feist will headline the festival, while the likes of Yo La Tengo, Ezra Furman, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, John Cale and Fat White Family also perform. August 31 - September 3. South Wiltshere End of the Road festival 9/10 TRNSMT Arctic Monkeys mark their only confirmed UK date of 2018 with a performance at Glasgow’s TRNSMT, four years after their last headline slot at Reading & Leeds festival. Liam Gallagher, Stereophonics, Courteeners and Interpol also perform at this, one of the UK’s biggest musical events of the summer. June 29 - 30. Glasgow TRNSMT 10/10 Festival No. 6 Franz Ferdinand and Friendly Fires headline this diverse and multifaceted event, which all takes place in a stunning Portmeirion setting. Jessie Ware, Everything Everything, The Charlatans, Django Django, Ride and Anna Calvi also perform, but the family-friendly festival also celebrates arts, theatre and comedy across the course of the weekend. September 6 - 9. Portmeirion Festival No.6

He sounds positive when describing the process with what seems to me like a particularly bleak metaphor. “It’s definitely therapeutic to let go of control and just be someone hitting tennis balls off a cliff.”

With his own music, it’s nothing like that. He has been recording songs completely alone since he was 14. When it came time to search for a record deal, he lied and said that Tame Impala were a band. “I think I was just shy. I thought if people saw a bunch of guys with long hair in the picture they’d enjoy it more. I didn’t think I had anything to offer as a solo artist.”

Some of that shyness has carried forward, despite the A-listers he mixes with these days. He’s a guarded interviewee, giving nothing away about who he moved to LA to work with or the progress of new Tame Impala music. He doubles back and corrects sentences as he talks, changing one word for a better one, which can make him hard to follow. And he requests that we speak using Skype, which is usually a reasonable way to make a visual connection with somebody when you’re in a different country, but he leaves his webcam switched off, so he can see me but I can’t see him.

In concert, however, where Tame Impala are a five-piece band, his success has forced him to become more of a showman. The group’s first experience of being festival headliners came last summer at New York’s Panorama weekender, and next month they’ll top the bill at west London’s one-day Citadel — their only UK show this year. Among a handful of gigs in 2018 they’re also first or second on the line-up at festivals as far afield as Pitchfork in Chicago, Treasure Island in California and Mad Cool in Madrid.

“I used to be pretty withdrawn on stage a few years ago. I didn’t even stand in the middle. I was terrified to look anywhere other than my own feet,” he admits. “I suddenly realised that my career was going to go by and I was never going to have fun on stage. Since then I’ve embraced the part of me that loves attention.” Is he more of a star now? “Well… I wouldn’t use that word. It’s just having more of a presence, enjoying the energy of people in the audience who want to connect with you, because that’s why they go to the show instead of listening to the album.”

Listening to the album is pretty good too, though. Currents, the band’s third long-player, was released in 2015 and was the moment Tame Impala moved from making well-crafted, guitar-heavy psych rock to using more synths and embracing a wider range of styles. Yes I’m Changing is a dreamy trip-hop ballad. ’Cause I’m a Man is smooth soft rock. The Less I Know the Better, a silver-seller in the UK despite never entering the charts, is melodic, funky disco. The album went platinum in Parker’s homeland and hit the top five in the US and the UK, where Tame Impala beat U2 to take home the 2016 Brit Award for International Group.

“I’m actually a really poor judge of how successful Tame Impala is. I tend to underestimate it. But if it had happened any faster, it would have been out of control for me personally,” says Parker. “I think every time I’ve released an album it’s had this slow build. I think that’s the result of the kind of music it is. It gets under your skin.”

That unhurried pace looks set to continue. Currents went gold in the US only this month, almost three years after it came out. He says he won’t be performing any new songs at this summer’s gigs, not least because he hates people filming unreleased music on their phones. “I don’t want to say too much,” is all he’ll offer when pushed on his progress writing new music, but he does say that one of the reasons he has moved to LA is to do more producing for other people. “I’ve always wanted to do that. But Tame Impala is always the most important thing,” he says. “I like to think I can do both at the same time, but maybe I’m kidding myself.”

It’s a new chapter as Kevin Parker Aussie rock outsider becomes Kevin Parker bigshot LA songwriter and producer. Don’t dismiss the idea of him taking a leaf out of Kanye’s book and unveiling a new album with no warning. “I don’t like to play it up,” he says, with characteristic reticence, "but yeah, anything could happen.”

Citadel festival, July 15, Gunnersbury Park, W3; citadelfestival.com