Dunoon doesn't often get much of the limelight, but with the buzz surrounding the four lads who call themselves The King Hats, that might be set to change. They've paid their dues over the past few years and with the release of their debut EP 'First Light' early this year good things will hopefully be continuing to come their way. The King Hats have a incredibly tight sound, tying in the heavy aspects of post rock, the melodies of indie rock and the lo-fi sentiments of bedroom DIY. Carlo from the band was kind enough to have a chat.
Hello, how are you?
Very well thanks.
It's the question everyone hates, but could you tell us a little bit about your music and your influences?
Our music is really a product of us being in a room and just creating whatever comes naturally. We never set out to sound like anything in particular, and we’ll let any influence get in there. We love the sounds and epicness of post rock and soundscape. We love the raw, visceral energy of punk. We love the humble and intimate lyrics of folk music. The list could go on and on. In short we love music; especially when it's good. That's why we love creating it, and playing it; and why it's so touching when someone listens to your music and loves it too.
What's your song writing process like?
The seeds are usually in some riff Bert or Alan comes out with. Sometimes it’s a riff that one of them has been working on sitting in the flat, or it just comes from us arsing about in practice. We’ll just jam around that riff and slowly it begins to take shape. It feels quite natural actually. Sometimes there can be lengthy “discussions” over seemingly silly stuff like “that break should go there” and “the chorus shouldn’t come in here yet”. Seemingly silly, but I guess if we didn’t care then what would be the point? We ultimately come to an agreement; but it’s more because we come to something that feels right. We’ve always said, it’s like the song already exists, and what we’re doing is trying to piece it together.
What could we expect to see from a live show?
Four boys thrashing about, screaming, and generally have the time of their lives.
If it were all to end tomorrow, what would you say has been your greatest achievement?
That’s a tough one, but could probably narrow it down to three things. Playing T in the Park is definitely up there; with the judges involved in the selection process, it’s a pretty nice feather in our caps. Our single launch for King Tuts Recordings was pretty special. The place was absolutely heaving; we’ve still never seen Tuts so busy. The last one would be the EP launch back in January. People have said such nice things about the EP, and it’s a real sense of achievement having put it together all by ourselves.
What have you got planned for 2012?
First and foremost we just want to gig as much as possible. We’ve been getting back out on the road, and it’s been really fun; we just want to keep that up. The next one we’re really looking forward to. We’re supporting Frightened Rabbit in Dunoon on the last night of their Highland tour (22nd April). That’s going to be pretty special as we’re all from Dunoon; so it’ll be a nice wee homecoming.
Then late summer we’re looking to do a proper wee tour ourselves, and hopefully some festivals too.
We’re also in the process of building a studio, and we’re always writing. So no doubt once that’s set up we’ll get back to doing some more recording too.
It’s absolutely fantastic. There really are some cracking bands out there at the moment. Music is so embedded in the culture that there is just so much good music being created all the time. It’s really fun to be a part of it all.
What other Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?
Loads! WeCameFromWolves, Departures, Penguins Kill Polar Bears, Honeyblood, Crusades, Vukovi, Young Aviators, Carnivores, United Fruit, Marvel Heights, Open Swimmer, Blank Canvas, Pensioner, Naked Strangers, People, Places Maps, Lady North, Friends of America. We could probably go on, but they are all cracking bands.
Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?
How many Freudian analysts does it take to change a light bulb?
Two. One to change the light bulb and the other to hold the penis…LADDER! I meant ladder!
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