Words originally for Outline Magazine |
| L-R: Cai Burns, Lucy Hatter, Lawrence English |
Now a cagoule is a kind of an anorak. What does that conjure up in your mind, musically? Limp folk? Some sort of twee indie? Well, you surely have it wrong with this band, who spell their name with a kickin’ K. Kagoule make intriguing rock with twinges of Jane’s Addiction thrown in with some sweet ass feedback and scratchy guitars. They play Norwich Arts Centre this month, so I chatted with guitarist Cai Burns about supporting Johnny Marr and the Nottingham music scene.
How come you’re called Kagoule?
Your guess is as good as mine. Sometimes I ask myself that same question.
You’re quite a new band in the grand scheme of things. How did Kagoule begin?
Kagoule is the first band any of us have been in. We met in school at 14. I'd hit broken instruments with Lawrence until it sounded kinda like music. Soon we needed a bassist to do a school show. I asked Lucy; she had cool hair and shoes.
What’s the music scene like in Nottingham where you hail from?
Either there is no scene or the scene is so big that everyone in Nottingham is somehow involved in it. I can't tell. It's a big family where everybody knows and helps each other out. There isn't this sense of competition like you can get in other cities. Because of that it’s a good place to grow as a band but also can trap you in a bubble, kind of like a zoo for music.
Where do you get the best reception to your music? Is there anywhere you consistently have great shows?
People move the most in Nottingham and Edinburgh. We just did our first European tour and Prague was loads of fun. Belgium too. Argh, there're too many!
Your debut album Urth came out in August. What were the main influences for it?
That album was written over quite a long period of time. It started when we were about 15 and we recorded at 19. Each song was never intended to be on an album or even be recorded. The latest single Made Of Concrete was the second song we wrote as a band, whereas Mike was pretty much written in the studio. Each track has its own time in our teenage lives and its own influences. Urth is more of a compilation of all the stages Kagoule has been through since its beginning. Fugazi forever though, right?
You worked with Arctic Monkeys & MIA producer Ross Orton on the record. What was it like to collaborate with such a big name?
Ross is an absolute dude. He’s so easy to work with. He broke the ice by zipping us around Sheffield in his new car. It definitely warmed up our blood. He knows what he's doing and knows it's good so you can just leave him to it while you drink loads of coffee and make GoPro videos.
You’ve toured with Johnny Marr; what was it like playing with such a legendary a musician?
It was such an honour! You soon realise your idols are just people and they are all loads smaller in real life then they are made out to be. There was a moment when talking to Johnny where I started going on about computer voices that talk in the melody of the funeral song, and had a panic because he was clearly just smiling and nodding at me. I exited swiftly and no harm was done. By the end of the few shows we could've chatted for days. “Back in my day when I was in The Smiths....”. Also when someone that has seen so many bands in their life tells you what songs of yours they like the most, it feels quite special.
If you could support anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
C’mon now. Nirvana of course!
You’ve had trouble doing what you do, e.g. your van breaking down on tour. Is it difficult being in a band at such a young age and dealing with these issues?
Yes, we are so nervous and young and have no skills and we die very easily. Ha! Nah it’s alright really. People are more willing to help out the young'uns and we can look after ourselves just fine. Also we’ve never made a single penny from this thing, and after a while it can really get to you. But we've stuck with it so far and plan to do it for much longer.
When you’re touring a lot is there ever friction between the three of you?
Put three people in a van for three weeks and of course there is going to be friction. Friction is okay as long as you all know when to stop; just take a breather from each other one morning and then get back to it. There's no time to be arguing.
Do you write songs together or do you have different responsibilities when coming up with material?
I write the songs at home at 3am with an acoustic guitar. I’ll make a demo and bring it to practise. We have a bash at it for a while and you can tell pretty quickly if it's a goer or not; the best ones happen the fastest. Lawrence writes all the drums and we'll all try and work out an arrangement, possibly the hardest part, together.
Glue is one of my favourite songs from the record. What’s the story behind it?
Glue was written on New Year’s Eve 2014 and I have very little memory of writing it. When I picture it I see a blonde man with long, dangling lips holding a frog. The song is about anxiety and what not to do when you feel that way. Which at the time is exactly what I was doing.
As a band you have a very signature look in terms of style. Do you think image is an important part of being a band?
It just happened accidentally. We needed art, and Lawrence could draw so we made the most of it. It grew alongside the music and has evolved together. I think image is very important, yes, but too many bands try to do it with what hair they have or clothes they wear. Base yourself on image before there were photos.
Are you looking forward to your show at Norwich Arts Centre?
Hell yes. Last time we played Norwich we ended up heading over there to watch The Wytches. Inside, we wished we were playing this venue, and now we are!
Are you working on any new material?
All the time. We've got loads of new songs that we can't wait to record and we’re working on the second album now. I’m very excited for it all. I can hear it in my head and boy does it sound good.
Kagoule play Norwich Arts Centre on 24th November. Their debut album Urth is out now.
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