In The Studio: Kagoule

In September they toured with The Magic Gang, in October it was Spring King. Now Nottingham trio Kagoule are working on a project of their own: a second album - and they’ve hooked up with MJ from Hookworms to do so, as frontman Cai Burns explains.

Hey Cai, we hear you’re working on a new album - how’s it going?

Yeah! We've had it in the works for a while now but just started getting it down with MJ at Suburban Home. Sounds absolutely golden.

When did you start writing this one?

We kinda just kept on truckin’ after ‘Urth’. We've just got to let it happen as and when it does as our creativity definitely comes in bursts. After the release of ‘Urth’ we were all pumped up and our creative juices were a-flowin’.

Has it been tough juggling the album with your time on the road?

I think being on the road has helped to be honest. It gives me time to write lyrics and actually think about the record. I do a lot of the writing at home so they haven't really got in the way of each other yet.

How do you think this record will show a progression from ‘Urth’?

‘Urth’ was a compilation of songs written over our teenage years. It has its charm because of that. I can see why some people go off bands once they lose that that youthful innocence. This record is our first attempt at writing an actual album with every track in mind and written as a whole. We feel we have become our own and know what we want to be.

Where have you been looking to for inspiration?

Our taste seems to change every week so there's definitely an eclectic mix and some strange fusions on there. Maybe there's too many influences. I just want to include them all.

You’ve been recording with MJ from Hookworms, haven’t you? How did that come about?

We were chosen for the PRSF Momentum funding a few months ago and it changed everything. Before that we had the new songs but recording a record was just not doable at the time. As soon as we found out we had the funding we got on the phone to MJ. He was a friend of a friend, I heard a few records he had done, we love his band, only heard great things. So yeah, we decided to approach him and he seemed really excited about it.

What does MJ bring to the table that you might not get from another producer?

I really didn't want to make a 'heavy' album and I feel a lot of producers try to push us that way. MJ knows how to make things sound big and lush without being super fuzzed out and trashy. It’s a different kind of heavy.

What’s the main thing you’re currently looking to achieve with this album?

We just want to make a record we are proud of and feel is a progression from our debut.

What’s the best thing about being a “DIY” band right now?

Everyone is there to help each other out and things get done much quicker and better. Our experience with a label was way more stressful, expensive, last minute and the end result was often trash.

Taken from the November issue of Dork, out now. Kagoule’s album is out early 2017.