Artist Interview: Break-out new wave band Kites

  

You might be able to say a year from now that you first heard of Kites on ISR.  These guys are on the verge of breaking out really soon.  It's only a matter of time before an indie label signs this foursome up for an album deal.  Their catchy new wave/disco beats echo New Order and Depeche Mode, among other 80s new wave bands.

Check out their latest demo track 'The Disappearance of Becky Sharp," on soundcloud.com.
Also, stay tuned in the February to hear their song "The Seamstress" on ISR's Mile High Mix.

ISR recently interviewed the band. Here is what they had to say...

INDIE SOUP RUNNER - Interview with KITES
www.wearekites.com
www.myspace.com/kitesonline
www.facebook.com/wearekites
www.soundcloud.com/kites

KITES are

Matthew Phillips (Vocals, Guitar)
Taio Renee-Lawson (Guitar, Bass)
Richard Baldwin (Electronics)
Jack Newton (Percussion)

ISR: First of all, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. We really appreciate it.
BAND - Our pleasure.

 

ISR: According to your website, you guys started out as an idea on a subway platform. Could you elaborate on that a bit?

MATTHEW - I’m afraid I am prone to elaborate allegory. As such, much of what I say should not be taken literally. In this case, I was revealing my fascination for the London Underground Network. I realize that admissions of this nature promote me as a train-spotter and not the singer of an up-and-coming musical outfit. Oh dear. I think what I was trying to articulate, in my characteristically obnoxious manner, is that we all met in unexpected circumstances and that we all share a burning ambition. In future, I should probably keep my ridiculous imagination to myself.
TAIO - If the idea did actually come from a subway platform, we would probably be a very different band.

Recommended Resource: You can learn more about the intricacies of allegory in online creative writing and literature classes.

 

ISR: How did you guys come up with the name Kites for the band? What were some of the other name choices you were tossing around?

RICHARD - Skylon, Remembering Everything...both were pretty much working titles until Kites was plucked out of thin air by Matthew, purely for it's aesthetic qualities I suspect?

MATTHEW - It was born out of a desire for musical simplicity. We wanted to be in a position to define our name, rather than to be defined by it. I often find that more obviously outlandish names do more to place a band within a certain pigeon-hole. Moreover, Kites – as an idea – has an airborne quality about it which seemed appropriate for a new band.

 

ISR: You guys have an 80s new wave inspired sound. Can you list for me your main sources of inspiration for Kites?

TAIO - Personally, before starting the project I was listening to a lot of Talking Heads, Gang of Four, Sonic Youth, and Depeche Mode. I was very much in love with that post punk movement, I still am. Having said that I was brought up listening to soul, jazz and hip hop. These genres may not influence the sound of kites as such, but they have certainly influenced me.

RICHARD - I can't speak for the rest of the band, but I've spent a lot of my years listening to, producing and DJing all sorts of electronica rather than the latest bands. One of my favorite things over the last few years is finding records I haven't heard before from way back and seeing how that fits in to the history and development of modern music. I'm talking dark doomy Los Angeles disco from the late 70s or underground synth tracks from the various scenes across the world. One thing that fascinates me is that for every group who endured, New Order, Depeche Mode etc, there were countless other artists plying their trade in similar but disparate scenes all over the world. These distilled pockets of music culture reflect each city/country in an interesting way. Paris, Berlin, Manchester, New York, Seattle, all very different but perhaps using similar methods and tools.

MATTHEW - Joy Division, Patrick Wolf, Brian Eno, Thomas Dolby – to name but a few. All four of us bring different influences to the band.

 

ISR: Have you guys been approached by labels yet? Which ones do you see yourself on?

BAND - We have been approached by a number of labels. We are eager to release our debut album so we are considering all the options open to us.

 

ISR: If there was one band that you could tour with which one would it be and why?

TAIO - On Saturday I would have said Them Crooked Vultures. Today it would be The National or Wild Beasts. In fact, New Order, with out question.  

MATTHEW - Ziggy Stardust or the Stop Making Sense tour-bus. The theatrics would be mesmerizing. I am fascinated by the idea of approaching a tour like a director would approach their latest play. I think these tours captured a sense of physicality and visual display that is sometimes missing from musical performances

 

ISR: If you guys weren't in a band, what would you be doing?

MATTHEW - I’d either be skulking through London’s streets like a lost puppy or doing something that involves public speaking. I’m told that I like the sound of my own voice. Don’t worry, I’m currently endeavoring to learn the art of the inner monologue.

TAIO - Reading Bulgakov.

RICHARD - Making music would still be the obsession it has always been. It's always been something I do on my own to relax, although I've never taken it so seriously as I have now. Having met Matt and the rest of the band, the talent that they have, that creates a dynamic that spurs you on to make more of it.

 

ISR: What do you guys do to stay in shape? Give me your typical workout in a given week.

MATTHEW - Apparently, I suffer from a condition that has been diagnosed as ‘Gym-shy’. I can’t say I have attended a health centre since I became aware of my wonderful metabolism. The closest I get to exercise is the stage or a when cycling to one of my favorite taverns. Anyone who has attended a Kites show will know that they are rather lively affairs.

RICHARD - I just took up Yoga actually, I had an injury last year which requires me to work on my flexibility so I go twice a week. It's an eye-opener!

 

ISR: Any plans for touring stateside?

MATTHEW - Yes - ever since I picked up a guitar at the age of eleven. When can we come?

 

ISR: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

MATTHEW - Biting my finger-nails and attempting to fathom how I can maintain creative dynamism. I’d also like to be featured on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ but that’s probably something of a pipe dream.

TAIO - I would love to be having lunch with Kate Bush.

 

ISR: Thanks guys. Best of luck in the studio. See you Stateside soon.

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