When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphanies since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Listening to The Strokes and Interpol during an era where music was appreciated more than it is now. Since then, musical epiphanies have all been live. Watching Queens of the Stone Age in a tiny town in Czech Republic was particularly cool, then again in Croatia - not least because that's where our random friendship with False Heads started. Seeing David Byrne's incredible show in Croatia was also a revelation. Watching Oh Sees play in the open air, at a beach in Bologna a few years ago was the stuff you dream of. Recently, the closest I've had to a revelation was seeing Document in a London basement, just before the pandemic hit. I stumbled in halfway during their set and felt like they'd fully articulated the songs that I'd been trying to write.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
For KILL, THE ICON! it is all straightforward. I constantly write down new turns of phrase, so I have a book of lyrics and poetry which is hundreds of pages long. I play bass guitar while watching movies at home, and that's when the magic happens. Ideas start to flow when I'm playing bass on auto-pilot, and eventually there'll be some sparks in my head trying to connect a riff with lyrics. I never get to finish movies.
Who has influenced you the most?
Anthony Bourdain was a redeemed man. Universally revered, both by strangers and colleagues. He travelled the world eating the best food and drinking the best drinks. And he didn't make it.
Sci-fi and horror films, particularly those with excellent cinematography. There's nothing better than popping down to local venues like Bedford Esquires and The Horn, then getting inspired by random bits in sets. Lighting, stage props, it's all great inspiration.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
I was born and raised in London, but we're all nomads, really, right? So I would say "hometown" is flexible, especially for myself. I've spent more time in the Czech Republic over the last ten years than in London. For the past few years, I've worked in Luton, which is now formalizing a scene thanks to the brilliant folk from Transmission FM and Vandalism Begins At Home Magazine.
Where'd the band name come from?
KILL
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
The next Tarantino film, obviously.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
It would probably be a deconstruction of Dirty by Christina Aguilera. Probably entitled "Please, won't somebody think of the children?"
We once played an entire set of Oasis covers, totally stone-faced and nobody seemed to notice when we said "This is our next single" before each song.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
We have a light installation that we lovingly refer to as The Monolith. It's totally unique, entirely homemade and designed by ourselves. We play music to soundtrack The Monolith. We're only ever two or three on stage, but we love to immerse ourselves in the crowd.
What makes a great song?
A great rhythm section.
What one single album do you wish that you'd written or performed on, and why?
Turn On The Bright Lights by Interpol.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
All of it. We only play stuff that we're particularly proud of. You're seeing the stuff that we know is great.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
There's no denying that Shame have blown us all to smithereens in the past few years. They just keep getting better and better. Their musical evolution is so unusually impressive.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
Doesn't really matter, we'll never make more than £25 a quarter off that anyway.
Bourbon. There is no need to defend it. Give a man a cocktail, he'll drink well for twenty minutes. Teach a man how to make an Old Fashioned, he'll drink well forever.
What's next for the band?
Release our next single "Bourdain" in early February 2022.
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
You do realise that the illusion of work and bills is just a societal construct which can be dismantled...right?
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