By: Jamie Steinberg
Q) Your music is sort of psych rock, maybe with a dash of folk. How would you describe your sound?
A) We would describe our sound as “Technicolor.” But we all have synesthesia.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) George Harrison, Harpo Marx, Richie Blackmore, Syd Barrett, Enya, Ennio Moricone…anything epic, soundtracks, psychedelia, anything that tells a good story.
A) I love the 20-year journey behind your new track “Be Merciful.” Tell the fans a bit about the process it went on to hearing it now on your upcoming album Wormslayer.
A) Yeah, it started as an acoustic demo with the legendary electronic producer Mark Pritchard — a bootleg copy became a 7-inch. There was a limited vinyl pressing, but it was such an obscure release. I wasn’t sure if it had even happened, until years later fans would ask me to sign their copies. The song always had a special quality though, and Kula Shaker would play it from time to time and we found it really worked alongside the other tracks on Wormslayer. We kept a lot of Mark’s original ideas: his spooky mellotrons and analog ambient spaces; then we then dialed in the power and energy of a band performance. The result was electric.
Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?
A) I don’t know. Mercy is like pure love.
Q) Your album Wormslayer dropped on January 30th. What are some themes you will explore on it?
A) Oh, just the usual stuff: Good vs Evil, Love, Mercy, Vampires, Winged Beings, Narcissists, Worms, Circus Freaks… etc. etc.
Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?
A) Sometimes a lyric comes first. Or a title. Or a mood or a melody. Music has a life of its own. The songwriter’s job is to take an initial spark of magic and then work on it in a garage.
Q) Mark Pritchard lent a hand on production for “Be Merciful,” but how much of a say does the band have in the production side of the music you make?
A) We produce ourselves, but on this record we also collaborated with our friend Peter Miles. He has an analog studio in Devon with a bunch of tape machines and a Holy well.
Q) “Broke as Folk” and “Good Money” are my personal favorite tracks on the album. Which song(s) hold a special place in your heart off this album and why?
A) Honestly, I’m proud of them all, especially, I love the production on “Charge of the Light Brigade,” fuzz bass et al; and the pure epicness of “Be Merciful,” “Wormslayer” and “Winged Boy.”
Q) What songs off your LP are you looking forward to performing live?
A) Well, first and foremost we’re a live band — so, “Shaunie,” “Winged Boy,” “Wormslayer”…They’re all written to play live. That’s where they’ll come to life.
Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to this new album – Wormslayer – either as a message or emotion?
A) I hope that folk will take heart that an awesome band like Kula Shaker even exists.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) When we were kids we played for the holy deities in London’s Soho Street Hare Krishna Temple. That was a real trip. When you think about it, though, every gig should be like that because, y’know, you’re playing to an audience and each and every one of them have a spark of God in their heart. That’s why we bow to our audience.
Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?
A) Daisy Rickman
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Daisy Rickman is a folk singer from my neck of the woods in Cornwall. A lot of the new up and coming UK psych bands are cool, too – Floral Image and Dream Machine for example.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) “Don’t worry, it’s just the ending of the world. It will be alright if we all keep chanting…”
All Questions Answered by Guitarist/Vocalist Crispian Mills
Watch The Video For “Be Merciful”
Watch The Video For “Broke As Folk”