In Conversation With #131 - Them Bloody Kids
London based alternative rock trio Them Bloody Kids have just released their politically charged album ‘Radical Animals’ - which sees them explore the ideas of humanities lack of empathy, fear and inequality. They took a moment to to tell us how the album came together.
Hey there Them Bloody Kids - how are you? So your debut is out now - how does it feel to have it finally out there in the world?
Amazing to be honest, there's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears gone into this album, and to see it finally released is an awesome feeling!
It is called ‘Radical Animals’ - does that have a special meaning behind it?
I think really it's a statement about the state of the human race, not just now, but for hundreds of years in the past, and probably thousands in the future.
Where was the album recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Well we recorded the drums at a studio in London and the rest in Whitehouse Studios Reading. For a funny behind the scenes story I guess, the stand out one was when we were recording the screams and laughter that are behind the tracks Molly and The Demon, Darren got smashed and just started wailing in the vocal booth and laughing and screaming, to be fair I don't know if it was the stress of the album or if he just needed to blow off some steam but we got what we needed and I was crying with laughter!
This album has quite the political tone to it - was that your intention? Do you see yourself as a ‘political’ band?
I'd say we are a political band in the sense that all music is politics, we talk about problems we have with the world and if people relate to that, that's fucking awesome. I'd love to be able to change the world with our music, but there's too many arseholes in politics. Short answer yes.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
I guess the key themes are disgust of the system, mental health and the sesh!
Influences are definitely bands likeSystem of aDown,Muse,Black Sabbath,TheOffspring, Metallica -there's loads!
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
Darren likes the lyrics on The Angel because he got them mixed up for ages. He thought I (Seb) was saying "Daddy kept you waiting trapped inside that cage" when really it was "God he kept you waiting trapped inside that cage" We had some laughs about it and I still sing it wrong on purpose in band practice.
Mine is probably from Do What You Do, I think my favourite line is probably the opening line:
As I walk through the concrete jungle
My mind crumbles like a biscuit in a brew.
It sums up my emotions when I moved down to London, from being a big fish in a small bowl to a small fish in a fucking ginormous ocean. I can say my mind successfully crumbled.
Now the album is out there, what next for you?
Tour the shit out of it and begin writing the next album!