Kiss and tell
It’s
a Wednesday afternoon in Melbourne and turning out to be a quiet
one for Kisschasy drummer Karl Ammitzboll. In a much needed break
mid-tour, the band have found themselves with two days of peace
before hitting Sydney, touring on the back of their second album,
Hymns for the Nonbeliever, which was released in July.
Since the first single off the album debuted at
#10 on the ARIA chart, Kisschasy’s tour schedule has been
anything but relaxing. Capacity crowds at venues across the country
have ensured that the only way is up for these four boys from
Victoria. It goes without saying that Kisschasy are stoked to
be doing what they love, and what they do well, as the reviews
from their most recent concert reflect. Karl, however, is still
endearingly humble about this success.
“The response to the album, to our music,
has been phenomenal. Even though we had an album released two
years ago, we’re still trying to gauge our popularity and
wonder if people notice our music and want to check us out live,”
Karl explains.
If people hadn’t heard of Kisschasy the first
time around, they certainly will now. With the single ‘Opinions
Won’t Keep You Warm At Night’ played non-stop on the
airwaves, much of the appeal of their latest album is the more
‘rockier’ sounds than predecessor United paper People
offered.
“This album is less polite and a little bit
tongue-in-cheek. It’s grittier, edgier and more confronting
than the last album, but it’s where we’re at right
now, we’re more mature so our sound has more substance,”
says Karl.
No
doubt this is thanks to the production work of Chris Sheldon (Foo
Fighters, Radiohead etc) who, according to Karl, added another
dimension to their music and took their songs to a whole new level.
While the band’s sound may have matured, Kisschasy
continue to pass their youthful enthusiasm to the audience with
exceptional ease - whether it’s an intimate performance
or in front of an endless sea of people.
“We come from playing at dirty pubs with 300
people covered in beer and sweat, playing all dingy rock; we thrive
on that sort of performance! We’re learning heaps from the
bigger festivals and tours where you can’t even see the
whole audience and you just feed off the excitement,” Karl
reveals.
And, for the next year at least, it’s all
about getting the music to as many people as possible.
“We’re going to get to places we’ve
never been. It’s strange and cool going to remote places
and playing and seeing them all singing along with you”,
Karl muses.
Kisschasy’s tour “Hymns for the Nonbeliever”
continues across the country throughout October, November and
December.
Fiona McLeod
