Interview: Kate Boy
We spoke to Markus and Kate of Kate Boy ahead of their debut EP release.
KATE BOY has been on our radar as of late. After releasing ‘Midnight Sun’ and a hypnotic video to accompany it we’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of their debut EP, One.
Speaking to Kate Ackhurt and Markus Dextegen from their home town Stockholm in the lead up to its release, we discovered some very insightful thoughts to the minds behind Kate Boy.
Kate, you’re born in Sweden?
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Kate Ackhurst: No I’m not born in Sweden, I was born in Sydney, I think something that got confused is that I have Swedish ancestors, I have some Swedish heritage and I said it once. I’m pretty Aussie.
So how did you end up in Stockholm and forming Kate Boy?
KA: I was actually living in London at the time when I decided to come over and it was just so close. And I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to get to Stockholm and Sweden and see what it was about because of my ancestors, but also because I love Swedish music. I’ve always been about music my whole life so I wanted to just come over and see if I could meet some like-minded musicians and that’s what I did! I met the guys the last day I was here and we hit it off immediately and we wrote Northern Lights within an hour of meeting each other and the rest was history, so then I moved here.
So how did you guys meet?
KA: We met though a mutual friend, who thought that we would really get along. They just said you guys should hang out just to hang out because I think you would be good friends, not to make music or anything, just because I think you would be good friends. You don’t have to worry about making music together. So we were just hanging out, but we ended up going down to the studio together because we had been talking about music so much and we were just having so much fun.
A lot of you your songs like ‘Northern Lights’ and ‘Midnight Sun’ are very much a Scandinavian tribute, do you have any Australian influences?
KA: Yeah one song we wrote on the album, 'Temporary Gold', we wrote about the mining dredging over the Great Barrier Reef. We came over for a vacation a few years ago
Markus Dextegen: Maybe two years ago.
KA: Yeah coming up two years ago, and that had just started being discussed, and I was just like appalled and I was so upset and we were writing that day and that just sort of came out. So that was a song about that, and then it didn’t get approved, and I was happy, and I’ve just heard the dredging has been approved again so I was very upset about that. Someone said to us our sound is kind of like the warm Aussie sun vs. the cold icy Swedish winter, and I feel that as well so even if it’s not topically about the place, the feeling is there.
Your music is really layered and intricate, and it is very much like Aussie summer VS Swedish winter, so what are your processes and thought processes like when writing music together?
KA: Um, I can’t think what our thought process is, what is it? How do I do it?
MD: I think that if we want to write something the first thing we do is think alright how do we get in the vibe to create something, and its so hard to understand that process really because the best things you have done that you personally think are the best you can think, I have no clue how that happened.
KA: I guess the thing about the thought process is about not having a thought process. When you start analysing yourself from an outside view, I just think that’s a really bad thing to do and we’ve tried that and we’ve created errors. You’re just playing, you’re just having fun
MD: Yeah and we’re not trying to force anything that is not you. We're not trying to mould some idea that is like this or that.
KA: I guess in some ways when we’ve being touring a lot, we get inspired so I guess in that way there is a thought process from inspiration.
Do you have any favourite songs, or do you try to love them all equally?
KA: Markus really likes ‘Lion For Real’. It's like you are going to have a favourite child but you have to share the love equally. At the moment my favourite is ‘Human Engine’. It’s really fun to play live and I’m excited to play it live once people actually know it because its fun to play and no one's heard it.
Who do you think the ultimate Kate Boy appreciator is, the type of person you think gets your music?
MD: I think the ultimate Kate Boy appreciator is the sort of people that you never have thought would be, that would really surprise you to find as fans of our music. And that makes me happy. It makes me happy when there is a broad kind of appreciator.
KA: One thing that makes me feel so lucky, is that anyone who waits to speak to us after the shows, they are all people that I would want to be friends with. They are all kind of like our age, everyone just seems really, really lovely. I just really like the people that listen to our music, so that’s the ultimate Kate Boy listener.
You filmed the video for ‘Midnight Sun’ yourself, in your apartment Kate. Does the band have a background in film at all, and what was your inspiration?
KA: No we don’t have any film background, we’ve always kind of done the videos ourselves, except for one, and we really enjoy that process. It’s really difficult because we don’t have any film experience, but at the same time its really rewarding. We started out with the first videos kind of hiding and being a little bit more in the shadows, and playing with a monochrome palette. We thought with ‘Midnight Sun’, this is such a colourful song we need to bring colour in, and we wanted to be a bit more personal so we thought it would be nice and welcoming to shoot it in the apartment where it's kind of as personal as you can be. And then the colour comes in with the studio kind of setting and it’s like the Kate in her apartment, vs. Kate Boy in the studio. We just wanted to be a bit more open with the videos this time, just to keep moving and doing something different.
Can you describe One in one sentence?
KA: There would be like 4 words. Originally, we’d been running with this thing throughout the album, and its like 'human, equal, evolve, one'. And one just seemed like the way we wanted to go for what we wanted to call the album, its our first one, we’re unified as a band and that’s what we want with people in general.
What would your dream festival line up be to both play at and participate?
KA: I’m loving the Tame Impala album at the moment, and we’ve played a couple of festivals they’ve been at and we’ve always missed them. I definitely want to seem them live. Who else would you want Markus?
MD: Hmmm good question?
KA: It’s a bit early for us. I would also want Prince on there
MD: I would want to have a label called Drumcode, they are sort of party DJs from Sweden. I’ve never seen them even though we go about the same places all the time.
KA: Its like a Swedish Techno label. They put on some really great parties, and run dance floors, then Prince can be in there for old times sake
MD: This band Brns, 4 man band, it’s hard to explain it but they’re awesome.
KA: I’d want Little Dragon there too because I’ve never seen them live, and I think they’re amazing. I would also want Moderat on there. They bring me to tears when I watch them live, they’re incredible.
Do you have any plans for a trip to Australia?
KA: Yes, we’re coming for Christmas! We’re looking at doing some shows earlier in the year as we’re planning on being there for a couple of months just to write and feel inspired.
One is out Friday November 6.
Words by Madeline Kilby
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