The Kind Hills Interivew

LET YOUTH TAKE OVER
Hailing from all corners of the globe, The Kind Hills stand as a testament to the transcendent power of music. The band, a cohort of long-standing friends who met while studying in Australia, now create captivating soundscapes from their respective homes worldwide. Their innovative approach to songwriting and recording has given rise to a deeply personal yet universally relatable body of work. The Kind Hills' new album, Clusterluck, set for release on July 28, is a magnificent embodiment of this ethos.

 
A shining beacon of 'bedroom pop,' the album is a labour of love from Roman (Lucerne, Switzerland), who wrote and recorded the majority of the tracks amidst challenging personal circumstances. Far from being a limitation, this adversity has shaped the heartfelt and inspiring nature of the album. Each track is a testament to resilience, replete with ethereal melodies and introspective lyrics. The album's lead track, Let Youth Take Over, encapsulates this enchanting spirit. A deft blend of contemporary indie pop and folk-rock, featuring arresting performances and melancholic melodies.

 
Known for his work with world-renowned bands like Sigur Rós, Cameron Allen of the legendary Aussie band Pollen lends his expertise to the album, mastering the tracks produced by Roman.

The Kind Hills Interview

How would you describe your music?

Within the band we call it 'Music to fall asleep to' and we obviously mean that in a positive way. It's warm and laid-back indie pop music. Simple, dreamy and relaxing. It's the perfect soundtrack for a quiet moment in the nature or for a long road trip.

Can you tell us about your new album? What was the inspiration?

The album's called Clusterluck and it features 10 songs that feature quite a lot of keyboard and synth sounds to achieve those sleepy vibes we were aiming for. A few tracks are a bit more upbeat, but in general it's all pretty slow and steady and the songs are pretty tight and to the point. There was no particular inspiration for the music itself, but once we established the kind of sound we wanted, we did probably get inspired by bands like beach house, ducktails or youmi zuma. We wanted to create something positive with our music and the title Clusterluck felt like a nice and silly way to express that. A lot of us tend to always focus on the negatives so one bad thing happens after another. Clusterluck is basically the opposite.

What are your musical influences?

Indie music of the late 90s! We all have slightly different musical backgrounds that range from punk to more commercial pop, but Aussie bands like Custard, The Lucksmiths, The Mabels or Mr. Blonde, just to name a few, are a huge influence. The last track on the album is a cover of the song 'Heaven' by Mr. Blonde. A song that reminds of the beautifully crazy time in the 90s, when we all met while living and/or studying in Australia.

Do you prefer performing live or recording?

There are different views within the band. Some of us – the ones who are really good musicians – love performing live whereas the others enjoy hiding in a room, playing around with sounds just as much.

What should we expect from your upcoming tour?

Right at this moment there aren't any plans for a tour. One reason is that we are terrible when it comes to planning ahead. We're always fully focused on what's happening right now. But also we all live in different places scattered across the globe so it'll take some excessive planning to get all of us united.

What is the story behind the band name?

There is no elaborate back-story behind the name but we thought it fits our music well. It's laid back. And at times where so many people are so angry about so many things all the time, we think we just wanted to create something warm, something kind. Relaxing music… And 'hills' refers to the lovely Perth Hills, which is just another place where we spent some great times.

How did the band come together?

I (Roman) have been stuck at home for 3 years now which gave me plenty of time to write a lot of songs. And because my usual friends who live close by were all too busy or unmotivated, and because a lot of the songs are somehow connected to my time in Perth, I reached out to those old friends that I've met there a long time ago. So one by one the group grew bigger and bigger. It was so great connecting to everyone again and work together on this.

What motivates you most when writing music?

Well, as mentioned previously I've spent most of the last 3 years at home. Besides cleaning and tidying up, reading books and watching TV, there's not that much I was able to do. Except for writing and recording music! So I didn't need any motivation. It was probably like a medicine and it certainly has enabled me to stay sane during these years.

Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

At the time of writing the album, I was definitely more into electronic indie music, but currently I'm back to my usual, guitar based indie, lo-fi, folk pop. To stick with Aussie examples, my recent discoveries include Greg Brady and the Anchors or Hot Coppers. And I always enjoy anything by Darren Hanlon. I also like the last album by Lime Cordiale, but I'm a bit afraid to mention that because my Australian friends are going to give me a hard time for this. It seems saver to like bands that aren't too successful. 

What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Just the love for music in general. I was surrounded by friends playing in bands since my teenage years and it certainly looked like a lot of fun. I always felt I had a lot of stories and melodies in me, but it took a little longer to become reasonably good at playing instruments.

If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

This is impossible to answer. There are so many artists I'd love to work with. Quite predicably, it would probably be an indie band. They just seem like genuinely nice people. And if collaborating with someone really famous, I'd probably just get a heart attack and that'd be the end of it.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in the music industry?

We're just getting started so any challenge we've faced so far was home made. But it must definitely be to get anyone to notice your music. There's so much noise everywhere, we're distracted by cat videos and dance challenges and we're busy at work and with life in general while the planet becomes hotter and hotter. It's just really difficult to stand out. And for bands who do this full time, living off it must be a real challenge.

What's next, for you?

Next is a holiday. We've been so busy arranging and mixing and more recently promoting the album. We all need a bit of break first and then we'll see what's next. As usual, we have no plan. But we all had such a wonderful time working together and we all enjoy listening to the songs we've created, so I'm sure we'll catch-up again soon to work on some new material.

Can you share your socials?

https://www.instagram.com/thekindhills/

https://www.facebook.com/thekindhills

https://ffm.to/thekindhills (streaming links)