THE SCRAPE - ISSUE 1
CityPark Church - By Salo
"The best combination of words, of all words, is Cellar Door." The Scrape Zine team sits down with a laughing, unruly group of musicians on a downtown Portland rooftop as they look back on the many possible band names that could have been before they ultimately settled on City Park Church. "We were going to be 'Cream Cheese', but then we were like, naaaa, we don't wanna be that." I can relate. There are times I feel like cream cheese. But that's another story.
Their latest release 'Hot Single Moms In Your Area' is a blend of indie, pop-rock, and shoegaze vibes, perfect for a summer beach day, or a night spent bar-hopping across town. They tell us about crazy nights out, falling asleep in bathrooms, being jammed into tiny rooms to record, and buying a renovated bus to tour in. This is the music of youth, a celebration of being alive, with a tongue-in-cheek irreverence akin to Blink 182. But don't lump them in with any genre specifically. This band gets around.
"Every genre you can think of, having sex all at once, that's what we are." Everyone involved comes from a unique musical background, with their hands in everything from Hip Hop, to Punk Rock, to EDM.
When asked if they have a destination in mind for their musical ambitions, they are quick to reply "Oh dude, oh my god, the super bowl halftime show?" These guys have a confidence and enthusiasm that is straight up contagious, and they're not afraid to aim high. "Shit, what do you think, we make f****ng bangers and we wanna melt people's faces off? I don't know." We all laugh with them, but there is an underlying seriousness in the joke. They mean it. City Park Church has a radical confidence and love of music that is palpable when speaking with them. Their music is a joy to listen to, and will appeal to everyone with a shred of happiness in their bodies. Perfect for Spring Fest 2023.
"I might open up an ice cream shop, who knows? I might sell frozen yogurt on the side" , "As long as we're still having fun, we'll still be making music."
Oh, and if you need anything pressure washed, hit them up. They're weirdly enthusiastic about that too. It seems that they bring that energy to everything they do. I bet they clean a mean driveway.