Red Kites were one of the acts that most people identify as one of the highlights of the Summer Showcases. so we were pleased to see that they had come good in their promise to return to the area, and of course we managed to catch a few words with the band to talk about the showcases and about the band themselves.
People are still talking about your set at the Summer Showcase, how do you feel about being invited up to play the winter version?
We are very excited to have been asked to play the showcase again! The Ironworks gig we played in the summer was by far our most enjoyable yet. We are always looking for opportunities to come up and play Scotland and particularly Inverness, as everyone is so supportive here, so we are really looking forward to the 29th!
Moteh – How difficult was it to get the rest of the band to come up and play Inverness again?
The band need no convincing and are very enthusiastic to come up and play Inverness, as it’s probably where we have our biggest and best audience at the moment – I’m sure the journey will be worth it! Hopefully the trains will co-operate…
Musically where do Red Kites draw their influences?
We all love a huge range of music, and although we each have our favourites, I don’t think we have ever purposefully written with particular influences in mind… The elements that probably come through most are modern folk and rock, and we have been compared to Mumford and Sons and Biffy Clyro in the past. Idlewild, Elbow and Admiral Fallow are a huge favourites of mine, and I was brought up on traditional and world music, so there is probably some of that in there as well. Our drummer Andy likes heavier rock and metal, and I know guitarist Liam and bassist Ben are big fans of jazz and instrumental music too! We really want to experiment with some more ‘complex’ stuff at some point – there will certainly be some stranger sounds this time at The Ironworks!
We were very impressed by the range of songs showcased last time you were up going from the playful to intensely personal, is there style that you most prefer or see the band concentrating on in the future?
We like to approach writing every song from a fresh angle, without worrying too much about our overall sound, which is probably why our music sounds quite diverse. We don’t want to restrict ourselves musically, and it is definitely more exciting for us to be exploring a variety of styles. Hopefully we are able to keep it as diverse as possible while still managing to sound like one band, with some continuity! Though we will always have our lyrically serious and personal songs, I really want to keep everything uplifting and universal as well. At the end of the day, we make music because it is fun, and we want that to come through!
What are the plans for 2012?
We have big plans for 2012, as we are releasing our first single ‘Hold Fast’ at the end of January, and our first studio E.P in April! The song will be online as a free download from our sites in late January, but everyone on the mailing list will be sent the track a month before it is released, so if people want to hear it early they should get on the mailing list at The Ironworks! We are planning another Scottish tour in April to promote the E.P as well, and will have details of a launch event in Inverness very soon! After that who knows – quite possibly a U.K tour in the summer and a few festivals. Going to try for BBC introducing too…
Next opportunity to see Red Kites in Inverness will be at the Winter Showcase, Ironworks 29th of December,2011. Tickets available at www.ironworksvenue.com
Thanks to Red Kites for their time and McIntosh Photography for the images.
