Hello everyone, it’s your host Jrake, and today I have with me the incredible band from Paris Afternoon In The Park. This band is here to discuss their latest featured track “Blood Cocktail” from their recently released album \”Livin’ Around The Sun,\” an indie rock album with a strong analog and vintage aesthetic. Welcome Afternoon In The Park. Before we begin our interview, to new fans out there just hearing about this band for the first time, here is what you need to know about them.
Afternoon In The Park is a Paris-based indie rock band known for blending emotional honesty with a polished sound. Founded by Yamin Alma, who began writing in London’s Hyde Park before Brexit, the band captures a humanist and impressionist vibe. Their songs are personal and poetic. The lineup includes Yamin (vocals, guitar), Ari (guitar), Julien (drums, programming), and Thomas (bass).
Their first demos attracted Grammy-winning producer Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor), who joined due to Yamin’s strong voice and songwriting. Their debut album, “Livin’ Around The Sun,” was recorded entirely analog at Stéréodrome near Yamin’s hometown of Perpignan. The album follows a character navigating life, dreams, doubt, and hope on a planet circling the sun.
With influences like The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Phoenix, and Oasis, their music mixes energetic rock grooves, punchy drums, saturated guitars, and soaring choruses, rooted in poetic yet accessible English lyrics. Songs like “Masterplan,” “Destination,” and “I Wonder” address mutual respect, climate anxiety, and the desire to escape. Recent shows include Festival Les Déferlantes (July 2024), opening for Nada Surf at El Médiator (February 2025), and Pellicu-Live Festival in Thuir (October 2025), marking them as a rising French indie act.
Having this brief Introduction for everyone just hearing about them for the first time, I’m sure we are excited about this Interview today
To begin with, let\’s review your recent work. What is the inspiration behind ‘Blood Cocktail’?
\”Blood Cocktail\” is an icebreaker for live shows, it is composed as an uptempo song with a catchy and sing-along type of hook, designed to invite the crowd to jump and dance, and feel the joy to be here.
What is the inspiration behind the lyrics?
It basically is a love story with a vampire.
But it can also picture passion & desires as a form of visceral interpretation.
The feeling of going wild just to have fun and spontaneously live fast.
This is quite a huge project for you, what does it mean to you as an individual?
Afternoon In The Park is the accomplishment of a vision, of a sound, it encapsulates years of hard work, organizing this indie-rock concept, the whole band and team behind it, the live shows. It is all very exciting, and I’m proud of everything we’ve done with it. I hope it goes a long way.
Could you describe how this release is different from your previous work and where this one belongs in the sequence of your career?
“Blood Cocktail” is one of the singles in the album, it is a song that has a strong personality and is evolving in a different style compared to other songs in this album. That is the reason why I think that “Blood Cocktail” stands out, it shows that we are not just a pop band, but we have more sonic signatures in our pockets and that our artistic universe is diversified, we can bring and blend all of these styles together and make it something new and coherent.
What do you wish people to get from \’Blood Cocktail\’?
My main concern is: I want people to have a good time while listening to “Blood Cocktail”.
I want them to enjoy the melodies and watch them sing the hook with us while jumping wildly during our shows.
Is there a particular song other than this one, you are keen on that seems to communicate your message best and why?
“Destination” is definitely the one I am thinking about !
It has this raw, vintage rock sound yet fresh and modern, quite aligning with “Blood Cocktail” in this aspect, with a very strong message about the importance of being conscious by taking in consideration the major challenges that we are facing regarding the impact of climate change for all future generations.
What are some of the difficulties you encountered and some of the highlights in ‘Blood Cocktail’ making process?
“Blood Cocktail” was pretty natural. The song came and was written in over a night.
I remember being in my room, in August, it was hot, I was strumming on my guitar and recording at home over some drum beats and the chords of Blood Cocktail just came to me. Then I needed verses and I asked my wife Olivia to collaborate on it with me, I gave her the title “Blood Cocktail” (because that is the image that the chords were giving me) she then wrote a long poem, I sang her poem over the verses, re-arranged some words here and there and we had our song done in a couple hours.
How do you see this project fitting in with the present stage of your life both as an individual and an artist?
I think it is a “crowd favorite” type of song. The kind of song that the crowd starts cheering at when they hear the first chords because they know it is going to be fun and danceable.
Since you released a \’Blood Cocktail\’, what has the reaction of the fans been?
Most of the time I ask people what are you three favorite songs in the album, “Blood Cocktail” is often in the top 3. So I guess it is one of the most universal songs in the album!
How can your fans reach you and your music, whether through the internet or in person?
We can be reached on Instagram easily!
It is the platform that we are using the most. But I would say, please come to the live shows, because that is what Afternoon In The Park is really about!
Community, fun, good times, and guitars. 😉
Where does this release sit in the thick of those works, in loads and loads of other work?
Definitely an important one. It is our first effort, and we had no songs before and now we have this first album to showcase!
What\’s next for you after this release? Are there any new projects or surprises that are coming soon?
A second album for sure. I am already writing new songs (I write all the time, my phone is saturated!) and I can tell you the future is HOT!
But this first album has to grow and live on its own a bit before we record something else.
How do you cope with the responsibilities of being an artist while trying to have a personal life?
Hard question. I just try to survive the best and the longer I can (haha). The pressure is real, it is an extremely tough and fast-consuming industry. But I believe working hard, focusing on quality, and thriving for its artistic truth is and will always be recognized and appreciated.
What is one thing that your fans do not know about you but would want to reveal?
I am so French I only like to drink bio red wine during parties.
Would you like to add any concluding thoughts to your fans or new listeners hearing about you for the first time?
Take a guitar, gather with your friends, sit in the grass, and write songs together in a park on a sunny day 🙂 This is what “Afternoon In The Park” is about.
In summary
This has been a wonderful and exciting discussion for us all. Thank you for this response Afternoon In The Park. I believe fans and anyone out there just discovering your music for the first time are equally excited about ‘Blood Cocktail’.
“Blood Cocktail” by Afternoon In The Park is a gritty, high-octane burst of garage rock that fuses cinematic energy with dark romanticism. It tells a surreal tale of doomed desire through distorted guitars, urgent drums, and haunting vocals that leave a lasting, visceral impression.
Finally, to all our fans, I urge you to listen to ‘Blood cocktail, add it to your playlist, and be inspired by it. On behalf of Dulaxi, I thank you all and hope to see you at our next Interview.
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