When Jack Wilson envisaged the next Kid Kapichi album, he knew that it would represent a change for the Hastings punk-rock quartet. What he may not have foreseen, though, was that the band would consist of a different lineup, the sound would morph and transform into a completely different landscape, and he would go through a year that would test him personally to breaking point.

Speaking to him the day after his birthday and five weeks (ish) out from the release of their fourth album, 'Fearless Nature', it feels as good a time as ever to reflect on that journey and the band's most vulnerable offering to date.

Reflecting on a time that nearly saw the end of Kid Kapichi altogether, Jack says: "Last year was the hardest year of my life; it was just one thing after the other of really big changes in my life.

"It was with personal relationships and then with the band as well. To be honest, it was scary. I've never really been in that mental situation. I consider it a privilege that I got to 30 or 31 before I had any moment of, 'Oh my God, I'm losing my mind', but then I also felt really unequipped to deal with it."

In many ways, the fact that Kid Kapichi were in the process of transforming into a new, introspective chapter, figuring out a way to unfold all the trauma, allowed Jack to properly come to terms with the flux within which he found himself.

"The whole writing process was a blur; I almost don't remember it. There were days when I would show up to write with Ben [Beetham, former guitarist], and we were both just struggling so much. We were very open with each other about it. I'm like, 'My brain's not even working at the moment'.

"This album is a complete product of that; it didn't feel forced at all. I remember being very unsure about a lot of it and second-guessing it, which normally I don't really do. Listening back, it's by far my favourite thing we've ever done."

Anyone listening to 'Fearless Nature' will notice that this is something of a departure from the blistering, high-tempo sound that catapulted the band to the top of the UK punk-rock tree. Tracks such as moody synth-pop tune 'Stainless Steel', ballad-adjacent 'Saviour' and The Streets-esque closer 'Rabbit Hole' underline that Kid Kapichi are that bit older, that bit braver, and ready to break out of the borders that people have placed upon them.

As the black and white album cover – added to by music videos and promo material all shot in the same greyscale – shows, 'Fearless Nature' isn't a snarling, bombastic clap back at the state of affairs. It's a more mature, more considered exploration of trauma, both personal and political, which allowed the band to move in the direction they wanted.

"It was daunting in the sense of like, are we capable of doing this? Am I a good enough songwriter or lyricist to tackle these things? I've always had a paint-by-numbers way of doing things throughout my life, so completely changing the lyrical style of the album was scary in case I couldn't do it."

He continues, "But then the actual procedure of going down that rabbit hole – no pun intended – was really freeing. It felt like the shackles had been lifted and we could do whatever we wanted. The main thing that I felt throughout the process was that I don't care what anyone else thinks."

A product, partly, of the dying embers of their last album cycle, it represents a refresh which, frankly, saved Jack from the abyss. Half decided, half natural progression, 'Fearless Nature' is Kid Kapichi taking back control and determining their own career.

"[The new sound] was a decision, but it also felt natural because the six months before felt so unnatural," Jack recalls. "We were doing like the deluxe album stuff for 'There Goes the Neighbourhood', and it kind of felt like we were putting the brakes on.

"So when it came to sitting down and writing the new album, that felt like a massive breath of fresh air, like we could let the take the handbrake off and just go."

That sense of freedom permeates across the record. Sonically, tracks such as 'Intervention' pulsate with the classic Kid Kapichi verve, but in a more malevolent way than ever before. Elsewhere, 'Stainless Steel' plays with dark electronica, while 'If You've Got Legs' feels like a step into the world of huge, indie-rock choruses made for big rooms, tinged with enough Tarantino guitar to give a cinematic tone to the whole project.

Project, really, is the right word. Jack describes the record's title as "more of a question", with the record slowly answering some aspects of his breakdown while also bringing up new quandaries for him to consider. 'Head Right' sees him dying to be cut out of the limbo of an ending relationship, even if it'll hurt in the short term, before 'Saviour' longs and yearns for the very person he loved and let go.

"I think with each song, some answer questions, some ask them," he explains. "I know that when I wrote it, I was asking a lot of questions. When I listen to it now, I feel like it answers a lot of questions – not to be too arty in the answer!

"It's an album that I think most people will relate to; most people will have been through similar things. On a day-to-day basis, things change – things that you thought you understood become cloudy. Listening back now, I feel like a snake that has shed its skin, like my brain has been reconfigured and I get it now."

Jack's journey to realisation is mirrored in an album that he calls a "grower"; it's a record which develops on each listen, embedding itself in your psyche and gradually taking hold.

"I think we've always gone for instant impact, like capture people's attention straight away; it's a two-and-a-half-minute song, and it's fast-paced, and that's it. This couldn't be more the opposite."

He continues: "When you're in that mindset, you're basically in survival mode. I was like, 'I don't really care what anyone thinks of this'. I think that's why it's the best thing we've ever done because it is just so honest in that regard."

Honesty doesn't come only in Jack's lyrics, but also in the way the band play with texture, with tracks such as 'Dark Days Are Coming' stripping back the noise to deliver an ominous, haunting portrayal of an insomniac spiral.

"Normally with albums, it's been about doing as much as possible, throwing as much at it as you possibly can, layering everything to ridiculous levels and just going for like a wall of sound. I think all bands go through this where they go, 'Yeah, we don't want to do that anymore'.

"We kept describing it as like, instead of making Indian food where you have loads of ingredients and keep layering, we want to make Italian food where we have like three ingredients. I was listening to a lot of Bristol trip-hop – like Massive Attack, Portishead – so we went down that route, but keeping it as minimal as possible."

As there is when any band pivots away from their 'original' sound, there is likely to be some Kid Kapichi fans who aren't thrilled by this new direction, although the extent to which those people are really fans is up for debate.

Even though the band might be made up of different members – founding members Ben and George having made way for new musicians Lee and Miles – and the narratives the band are weaving might not revolve solely around political frustrations, Jack is keen not to break with the past too violently.

"I've started seeing some people reacting to the new tracks – some good, some not so good – but I think art is most exciting when you take a risk," he states.

"Also, [previous songs] still exist; that's still us, and we'll still play those tunes. It's just that we've grown as people, so things change, but that's what I want to hear from artists – I want to hear them telling the truth of what's going on for them – but our old stuff is still a part of us."

It's the future that is Jack's main focus and source of inspiration right now, though. After a spell playing in smaller venues to re-establish their live rhythm and bed in the new boys, they're ready to explode into this new era with all they have.

"Having Lee and Miles has been a massive breath of fresh air and brought a whole new level of excitement to touring and gigging. We've been purposely playing venues a quarter of the size of what we'd normally do, and it felt like intentionally starting again.

"Next year, I'm just hoping we stay in that same place. I hope the album is received well. I hope we get to continue doing what we're doing because I still love it as much as I did on day one. I have every intention of doing this until nobody cares anymore, so I hope that people still care about us and care about this record!"

As clichéd as it might be, in this case, it's true – Jack had to hit rock bottom in order to get back to his best. 'Fearless Nature' is a testament to a drive, a desire, and a determination not to let the current drag him under.

Taken from the February 2026 issue of Dork. Kid Kapichi's album 'Fearless Nature' is out 16th January.