We spoke to Swedish synth-poppers Kate Boy about their debut album, touring the world, and bringing tribal drums to nightclubs:
How would you describe your music for people who don’t know you?
Our musical collaboration has always been about colliding different worlds. We love hypnotic mechanical music, but we equally love the human heart of a pop chorus.
You’ve just released your debut album! Are you proud of it?
Yes! Being our first album, we really took our time with it. We wanted to capture the first seeds of KATE BOY, so we included some of the very first songs wrote together. However, we also wanted to show the process of how we have evolved into what we are today. A huge amount of our inspiration for this album came from touring so much and connecting with our listeners all around the world, so we really wanted this album to be about capturing the journey of KATE BOY, and to show our fans how making our first record connected us to everything and everyone. We’re proud that we’re now able to share it with the people who inspired such a huge part of it!
Was it easy to write and record?
‘Easy’ wouldn’t be the word to describe it! It was a good challenge because we were constantly growing and moving throughout the whole process. We made the album in-between touring, so as soon as we were back in Stockholm we would gather all our inspirations and ideas from our time on the road and go down into the studio to flesh them out and build them into songs. We are all also terrible perfectionists, so we definitely take our time with the tweaking! But, in the end, it has been such a rewarding and fulfilling process.
What’s your favourite song on the album?
It changes all the time, but at the moment it would be either Human Engine and Lion For Real.
You’re also in the middle of a tour – how are the crowds responding to the new songs?
It’s been our favourite tour to date! The reaction to the new songs has been really amazing. The album is out now, and that means that most people know the songs that we play and sing along with us! Or, if we do a different live version of a song they already know, it means that they can still get into it and enjoy the song in its new form. The new songs have brought a whole new energy in the room, and playing them has been so much fun.
What’s the best thing about playing live?
The best thing is the way that you are forced to live in the moment. I mean, REALLY in the moment. You can’t let your mind wander or think of anything other than right now, because otherwise you make mistakes or disconnect with the people. Quite often it’s hard to be 100% present, but when you are performing it’s the only thing you can do.
What’s your favourite song to play live?
It’s hard to pick one. Lion For Real is always fun to play, though; we play live drums in that song, which gives it a little animalistic or tribal feeling, but in a club with strobe lights! It’s really fun.
Out of every song ever recorded, which do you wish you’d written?
JOGA by Björk, because it’s perfect. So much emotion, exquisite melody and lyrics, production. Everything. Perfection.
