26 Apr 2024
Kitsch - Kitsch muzic.net.nz Interview
02 Aug 2005 // An interview by Shade
1. Congratulations on your soon to be released album The Burning Ground.
How did you come up with the name of the album?
Well thank you very much! Its been a long time coming, almost two years now. The burning ground is a title that Sam gave to one of the most important songs on the album. We had a very dark undercurrent while writing this album and it deals with a lot of the more difficult aspects of everyday living, such as isolation, broken love, masochism, and disappointment, so we wanted a title that encaptured the essence that you really are just one person in a big wide world of uncontrollable environments and influences.It signifies the struggle of one person attempting to survive in the modern world.
2. Tell us about the other people that worked on the album with you.
I guess one of the most important people to mention is our good friend and sound engineer Evan Short. We have quite a history with Evan and he has helped us out in one way or another on our previous releases. He also has done live sound for us over the last few years. We really wanted to add a fourth member to the band so we could have two guitars and really open up our scope for more texture. Evan stepped in and basically gave us 18 months of his life to help us write and arrange songs, record demos and ultimately produce the album with us. Sam swapped bass for rhythm guitar and Evan took over bass duties. We did a huge amount of preproduction, rehearsing lots, recording demo after demo, preparing ourselves for the studio. Evan worked us hard! The album was recorded at studio 203 under the watchful eye of producer Andrew Buckton. We had worked with Andrew on our last album and he is incredibly good at what he does. It's comfortable and you know that he will make you sound great. There was also Ben Knapp the studio assistant who helped out a lot. I think that is the entire team.
3. Where did the idea for the cover art come from?
Our friend Stacey Roper who is an incredible artist painted it. We told her the concepts around the album, she had a listen, and there you go! She is very talented and her artwork is amazing! I love the artwork on this album, the cover painting reminds me a lot of how the songs make me feel. She also did our last album cover to.
4. What is your favourite track on The Burning Ground?
Probably DTS, it's a dramatic tragic saga that runs for almost 6 minutes. We used to write songs that were an average of 2 minutes so this was quite a change for us. Especially when it gets to the big breakdown in the middle when the string quartet starts, It was so much fun to record that song. Either that or Sue me, which is a classic tale of disappointment.
5. How would you compare The Burning Ground with your first album, The
Way It Was?
Well the songs are definitely a lot more technical and heavier. Back in the way it was days we were really into simplicity, strong melodies over simple chord progressions. We had just finished our teens we had a lot of teen angst to burn. We are all about mature angst now.
6. Kitsch has been around for well over a decade now, where do you hope
to be in five years time?
Hopefully we will have a couple more excellent albums out and be spreading the kitsch word on an international level, touring overseas and having a bloody good time doing it!
7. Do you think Kitsch has got better with age?
Absolutely, It is incredibly satisfying listening back to our albums and hearing the growth in song writing, musicianship and the way we work together as a unit. Even though I love all our albums for what they are and the moment in time they capture, I definitely think we have got better over time. Both in the studio and live.
8. What are the best and worst gigs you have ever performed at?
Best gigs, the final sommerset shows were pretty special, great shows and quite meaningful to us. We have spent quite a lot of time with those guys. Big day out 2003 was pretty amazing to, we had a great slot and played at dusk to a horde of kitsch fans from all over. Worst gigs, there has been quite lot of bad shows, and incredible shows and everything in between. I tend to forget about the bad shows pretty quickly.
9. What advice would you like to give other budding NZ musicians/bands?
Write, write, write, play, play, play, record, record, record, Keep working!! Make sure everyone in the band shares the same goals and commitment to the band. Never give up! The harder you work at something the better you will get at it, remember good things take time. And make sure you are enjoying yourself or else, what is the point!!
10. What is your most embarrassing gig moment?
Nothing that embarrassing has happened, yet!! There has been plenty of onstage madness for sure, I get pretty close to passing out sometimes after screaming my lungs out, but haven't hit the floor quite yet. I am sure it will happen one day. Sorry!
11. Which member of Kitsch has the worst habit and what is it?
Well , we have had to live pretty close to each other over the last 11 years so we accept each others misgivings, but I guess my constant habit of giving up smoking, declaring that I will never touch a cigarette again, then starting again, repeatedly. I am sure that must get annoying after about 40 times. Then there is the smoking itself.
12. What rumour would you like to start about yourselves?
That the members are kitsch are actually a race called etus from the planet called daet, that is known for its great paradise like living conditions, intelligence and unequalled sexual prowess. We come with messages of peace, nudity and like to brainwash the humans into confronting their true emotions and conscience
Cheers - I hope the album release and tour goes well for you.
1. Congratulations on your soon to be released album The Burning Ground.How did you come up with the name of the album?
Well thank you very much! Its been a long time coming, almost two years now. The burning ground is a title that Sam gave to one of the most important songs on the album. We had a very dark undercurrent while writing this album and it deals with a lot of the more difficult aspects of everyday living, such as isolation, broken love, masochism, and disappointment, so we wanted a title that encaptured the essence that you really are just one person in a big wide world of uncontrollable environments and influences.It signifies the struggle of one person attempting to survive in the modern world.
2. Tell us about the other people that worked on the album with you.
I guess one of the most important people to mention is our good friend and sound engineer Evan Short. We have quite a history with Evan and he has helped us out in one way or another on our previous releases. He also has done live sound for us over the last few years. We really wanted to add a fourth member to the band so we could have two guitars and really open up our scope for more texture. Evan stepped in and basically gave us 18 months of his life to help us write and arrange songs, record demos and ultimately produce the album with us. Sam swapped bass for rhythm guitar and Evan took over bass duties. We did a huge amount of preproduction, rehearsing lots, recording demo after demo, preparing ourselves for the studio. Evan worked us hard! The album was recorded at studio 203 under the watchful eye of producer Andrew Buckton. We had worked with Andrew on our last album and he is incredibly good at what he does. It's comfortable and you know that he will make you sound great. There was also Ben Knapp the studio assistant who helped out a lot. I think that is the entire team.
3. Where did the idea for the cover art come from?
Our friend Stacey Roper who is an incredible artist painted it. We told her the concepts around the album, she had a listen, and there you go! She is very talented and her artwork is amazing! I love the artwork on this album, the cover painting reminds me a lot of how the songs make me feel. She also did our last album cover to.
4. What is your favourite track on The Burning Ground?
Probably DTS, it's a dramatic tragic saga that runs for almost 6 minutes. We used to write songs that were an average of 2 minutes so this was quite a change for us. Especially when it gets to the big breakdown in the middle when the string quartet starts, It was so much fun to record that song. Either that or Sue me, which is a classic tale of disappointment.
5. How would you compare The Burning Ground with your first album, The
Way It Was?
Well the songs are definitely a lot more technical and heavier. Back in the way it was days we were really into simplicity, strong melodies over simple chord progressions. We had just finished our teens we had a lot of teen angst to burn. We are all about mature angst now.
6. Kitsch has been around for well over a decade now, where do you hope
to be in five years time?
Hopefully we will have a couple more excellent albums out and be spreading the kitsch word on an international level, touring overseas and having a bloody good time doing it!
7. Do you think Kitsch has got better with age?
Absolutely, It is incredibly satisfying listening back to our albums and hearing the growth in song writing, musicianship and the way we work together as a unit. Even though I love all our albums for what they are and the moment in time they capture, I definitely think we have got better over time. Both in the studio and live.
8. What are the best and worst gigs you have ever performed at?
Best gigs, the final sommerset shows were pretty special, great shows and quite meaningful to us. We have spent quite a lot of time with those guys. Big day out 2003 was pretty amazing to, we had a great slot and played at dusk to a horde of kitsch fans from all over. Worst gigs, there has been quite lot of bad shows, and incredible shows and everything in between. I tend to forget about the bad shows pretty quickly.
9. What advice would you like to give other budding NZ musicians/bands?
Write, write, write, play, play, play, record, record, record, Keep working!! Make sure everyone in the band shares the same goals and commitment to the band. Never give up! The harder you work at something the better you will get at it, remember good things take time. And make sure you are enjoying yourself or else, what is the point!!
10. What is your most embarrassing gig moment?
Nothing that embarrassing has happened, yet!! There has been plenty of onstage madness for sure, I get pretty close to passing out sometimes after screaming my lungs out, but haven't hit the floor quite yet. I am sure it will happen one day. Sorry!
11. Which member of Kitsch has the worst habit and what is it?
Well , we have had to live pretty close to each other over the last 11 years so we accept each others misgivings, but I guess my constant habit of giving up smoking, declaring that I will never touch a cigarette again, then starting again, repeatedly. I am sure that must get annoying after about 40 times. Then there is the smoking itself.
12. What rumour would you like to start about yourselves?
That the members are kitsch are actually a race called etus from the planet called daet, that is known for its great paradise like living conditions, intelligence and unequalled sexual prowess. We come with messages of peace, nudity and like to brainwash the humans into confronting their true emotions and conscience
Cheers - I hope the album release and tour goes well for you.
About Kitsch
Retaining its core members for over two decades, Kitsch delivered the next phase in their evolution in 2014, an album of epic depths, prepare yourself for Plastic Lives.
Tapping into modern states of mind, internet anonymity and global
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Kitsch
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