The Australian band, The Paper Kites, has managed to increase their fanbase all over the world with their acoustic-indie productions. With a sound that was never based on intricate and grandiose compositions and with disarmingly honest lyrics, The Paper Kites always managed to “tickle” our most sensitive strings.
Having just completed their first decade in the field of discography, they are now preparing for one of their most special releases, the album “Roses”, which will surely not leave any fan unsatisfied. With the release of the album’s first official single, “For All You Give”, we saw the participation of the British singer / songwriter, Lucy Rose. Without a trace of secrecy, the band announced that for “Roses”, they’ve collaborated with ten of their own favorite singers from all around the world.
But how was this album created given the restrictive measures for COVID-19 and what are their members’ feelings after the completion of its recordings? What are the differences in their sound since the beginning of their career in 2010 with their excellent debut single “Bloom” and what do they have to advise the youngest artists who are looking to achieve their own success in the music industry?
These and many more, are the things they talked about in a short interview that they gave exclusively to SounDarts.gr which you can read below!
Hello guys and welcome to SounDarts.gr. What have you been up to these days?
Hi! Well we are in Melbourne Victoria. Due to Covid 19 we have been locked away in our homes for the last few months. Luckily we recorded an album earlier in the year though before the restrictions were implemented!
How would you describe your sound? What are the differences in your sound since your beginning back in 2010 with your debut single “Bloom”?
The best description of our sound that I have heard is ‘indie inspired guitar pop’. When it all began in 2010, when we wrote Bloom, we were very muchly an acoustic band. These days, while we still love the ‘singer songwriter’ sound, we are not restricted to it. Allot of our songs are full band, with a big sound. Electric guitars, synths, etc..
In 2018 you released two albums, “On the Train Ride Home” and “On the Corner Where You Live”. Are these albums part of a bigger project? How did you choose the songs for each album’s tracklist?
These albums sort of work in partnership but are not part of a bigger project. It took us a long time to carefully choose the songs. We wanted each album to have a different feel to them, we wanted them to work as a sort of ‘part A – part B’ kind of thing, but we wanted each to stand up in their own right as an album.
It has been two years since the release of your latest album and until May you were in the studio to complete the recording of your new LP. How did you feel about the fact that your album was completed during the lockdown?
It was a little tricky at times! When we first started recording, there was not really an restrictions, but as the recording progressed, the restrictions got stricter! In the last few weeks, we were only aloud to have 2 of us in the studio at a time. We ended up recording allot of our parts separately, and even a few parts from home. We were lucky to get it finished when we did!
Sam announced that your new album will be a cherished collection of songs. So, what should we expect from your new project?
There is 10 songs on this album and every song features a different female artist. We chose some of our favorite singers from around the world to feature.
One of our favorite Paper kites’ songs is “A Maker Of My Time” which was released back in 2012, because of its fragile lyrics and performance. Is there a story behind its writing?
There is no particular story behind its writing, but we had a great time making the film clip for it. We took the actor out to the middle of the Australian desert and spent the day filming him walk, run and dance down the dusty road. In those days, we used to make all our videos on our own with very little assistance. It was a memorable experience.
Are there any artists that you would love to collaborate with in the future?
This is a hard question to answer given that we just had the opportunity to collaborate with 10 of our favorite artists!
Which do you consider to be the highlights of your career so far?
I don’t have one particular highlight. We have been very blessed over the last 10 years and had countless amazing experiences. Our first overseas tour in America was great, recording Twelvefour in Seattle was very memorable, as well as the first time we played in Amsterdam in 2016
In your opinion what are those elements that can lead an artist or a band to success?
I always tell young and upcoming musicians to spend their time and resources focusing on their songs and sound. It’s the most important thing. You could have the best marketing team, the coolest Instagram, and the greatest strategies but if you cannot create quality songs that people want to listen too, it will never really get anywhere.
If you could give your younger selves a piece of advice what would it be and why?
If I could go back in time and give advice to our younger selves, I think I would talk about the importance of family and friends. And maintaining strong and healthy relationships at home. The life of a touring musician can be hard, and it can be easy to lose touch with your home life, but family and friends will always outlast a band, and is so much more important.
What are your next professional plans?
We are in the early stages of releasing singles from our upcoming album. From there, we have to wait and see a little bit. We have no idea when we will be able to travel and tour again!
What’s your motto in life?
Be kind
Interview: Thodoris Kolliopoulos
for M.M.
