Brooklyn Comic

'Parallels' arrives at an interesting point in Brooklyn Comic's journey. Can you take us inside the song's creation, from the initial spark of inspiration through to the finished recording, and explain what the title means to you?

The song started from a single line: "I've been constantly drawing parallels but it's off balance to the way that I am right now." 'Parallels' is about the tension between who you know yourself to be and who somebody else insists you are. When enough people repeat a story about you, it can start to make you question your own reality, and that's where a lot of the lyrical ideas came from.

The title represents those two versions—the truth and the perception—existing side by side. They run parallel to one another, but they're never quite the same thing.

As the song developed, we wanted the music to reflect that internal conflict. There are moments that feel restrained and introspective, contrasted with sections that feel far more confrontational.

Brooklyn Comic has always balanced deeply personal themes with broader conversations around mental health. How has your relationship with vulnerability evolved as songwriters, and what have you learned from sharing these experiences with audiences?

As the songwriter, I have to say that being in a vulnerable state for an extended period while writing has always been uncomfortable. Exposing trauma is never easy. Having countless conversations with listeners who found their own experiences reflected in a song gives me the drive to keep going, knowing that what I've written is helping someone else through something in a way. I never want that connection to stop.

Your mission statement centres around creating a safe space for people who may feel unseen or unheard. Have there been any fan interactions or stories that reinforced the impact your music can have on someone's life?

Absolutely. Some of the most meaningful moments have happened after shows when somebody approaches us and tells us a particular song helped them through a difficult period in their life. Sometimes it's grief, sometimes it's anxiety, and sometimes it's simply feeling disconnected from the people around them.

Those conversations tend to stay with you because they remind you that music can become part of someone's personal story. Knowing that something you created helped somebody feel understood, even briefly, is incredibly humbling.

One of the most striking things about Brooklyn Comic is the way you blend genres that, on paper, might seem at odds with each other. How do different influences find their way into the songwriting process, and how do you ensure the music still feels distinctly Brooklyn Comic?

We all listen to a wide range of music, so influences naturally find their way into the writing process. Sometimes a guitar texture inspired by post-punk finds its way in, sometimes it's a melodic choice influenced by indie rock, and other times it's the intensity drawn from heavier music.

The thing that keeps it feeling like Brooklyn Comic is the intent behind the music. Regardless of the genre influences, the focus is always on serving the message of the song. If it feels honest emotionally, it usually feels like us.

As proud allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, inclusivity is clearly woven into the band's ethos. How important is representation within alternative music spaces today, and how do you hope Brooklyn Comic contributes to that conversation?

Representation matters because everyone deserves to feel like they belong. Alternative music has always been a place where people who feel different can find community, but there's still work to be done to ensure those spaces are genuinely welcoming and inclusive.

We want Brooklyn Comic shows to be environments where people can show up exactly as they are without feeling judged. If we can contribute to making the scene safer, more accepting and more representative of the people within it, then that's something we're incredibly proud of.

With new music arriving and the Needle//Thread tour taking you around the country, this feels like an exciting new chapter for the band. Where do you see Brooklyn Comic heading creatively over the next few years, and what ambitions are still left on the horizon?

Creatively, we're interested in continuing to push ourselves without losing the core of what makes Brooklyn Comic what it is. We've become more confident in experimenting with different sounds and influences, and I think listeners will hear that in future releases. The goal isn't to reinvent ourselves; it's to keep evolving naturally.

As for ambitions, we'd love to continue growing internationally, play larger festivals, support some of the artists that inspired us growing up and take Brooklyn Comic to audiences we haven't reached yet.

At the same time, success for us isn't measured purely by numbers. If we're still creating music that resonates with people, touring the country and hopefully internationally soon, and building a community around the band, then we're doing exactly what we set out to do.

NEEDLE//THREAD TOUR

July 3 – Bad Decisions, Melbourne

July 10 – Stag & Hunter, Newcastle

July 12 – Trocadero, Sydney (King Street Crawl)

July 24 – Tomcat, Brisbane