Kinesis - Bolton, UK, Summer 2001
By: Toby L
Age is a major factor in branding music; the people that need to do it for the kids have to be, at the oldest, in their early-twenties and this is a rule that virtually exists unrivalled throughout the whole industry.
This is when the controversy arises - should how old the people making music are determine the sound's credibility? As Travis would have it, all bands are invisible, because what they do is designed for the ear as opposed to the eye and this is what should matter - not the appearance. On the other hand, though, consumerism is all about packaging and presentation; the fact of the matter remains that if you make good music, that's great - but ensure you look the part as well, because - otherwise - you haven't got a chance in hell.
With this band, though, the so-called rules have been really turned on their head. Where others may meet criticism for that receding hairline of theirs or those references to the good ole days in their words, Kinesis' main threat is that they could be deemed too young to be musically competent. Our advice: don't hold on to that last thought.
You know you're in the company of talented musicians once it's revealed that such an original guitarist as Conor McGloin is only 16 years old - and learnt to play in just two years, self-taught. On the other hand, there's bassist Tom Marshall and drummer Neil Chow - both of whom started playing said instruments as soon as the band came into existence - a mere matter of months ago, and, boy, they can both do the job well. Finally, the band unit is rounded off vibrantly by the inclusion of Michael Bromley as rhythm-guitarist/lead-singer, whose vocal performance oozes with passion and sincerity. Simply, there is no room for phonies here.
But - the age. The average amount of years spent on the planet, for each member in Kinesis, is 17. Are they still able to be musically relevant therefore? In frank simplicity - yes! Despite the fact that society would deem this lot to be a bunch of youngsters, this bears no relevance on what they produce.
They all live in northern England - Bolton specifically, which is famous for turning out the bands, err, hmm, erm... I think we'll have to get back to you on that one. Today, we're located in an industrial retreat for musicians within the UK town - a rehearsal space called the Ionian Studios.
'There's not much to say about Bolton really,' murmurs Michael, with a look of the unimpressed on his face.
Tom is more direct with his views. 'It's a total shithole!'
'It's inspired us to be angry so we get out of Bolton,' Conor prefers to reason.
'Living here has made us what we are,' mentions Tom. 'I don't know where else we could have lived to make us like this.
'We practice on Friday night - I run the drums up to Neil's house and, more or less every week, there'll be a fight going on! You get people - like the local townie guys - who are pissed on cider or something and then you'll get the rest of them from the pub and it'll all be kicking off!'
Conor continues. 'This studio's been under siege before! We've had to block the doors here - we've been behind there (points to direction of doors), armed with pool-cues and ready with guitars to beat them off!'
Aside from battering local drunkards, do the band ever have time to contemplate on whether or not their age should be something that's promoted in the image of Kinesis?
'It doesn't really matter to us, but the press are going to pick up on that and probably say that we're 'Four lovely, young tykes from Bolton,' begins Conor, laughing as he does so. 'The headlines will all be about our age and stuff - but it's better than being old; I think I'm half Noel Gallagher's age!
'Being young means that we're quite innocent and naive - we haven't yet been corrupted by the industry and that's important to us, but the actual age isn't so much.'
Some may say that a lot of bands lose the passion they once had when they grow older and mature - do you think that there should be a cut-off point in many band's careers in regards to when they continue their career?
'I think that it depends on the kind of music that you're making,' remarks the frothy and zesty-voiced frontman. 'I think that every band's got a life-span or a time when they should say, 'We've been fairly successful - we should stop it now,' but loads of them just carry on... A lot of bands that I like have just gone past that time and they really shouldn't be going anymore; if they had stopped, they could have been legends as well.'
'Bands that constantly re-invent themselves extend their life span, so I think what U2 are doing is sick,' spits Conor. 'They're trying to reclaim 'the best band in the world' thing, but they're obviously not that; they're just not pushing any musical boundaries anymore.'
'I think it's probably an asset that we're young and we can write lyrics about what it's like to be young - and not be a dumb townie,' Marshall states, prior to guffawing to himself.
'We haven't got any lyrics about relationships with girls or anything because - at the end of the day - is anyone interested about how (looks at bandmate) Neil's going out with his girlfriend?'
Michael sniggers. 'I am!'
Tom replies back, 'Well, yeah, on a personal level, we are, but - on the grand scale of things - there are more important things to write about.'
'Yeah; a lot of bands don't see the bigger picture and think that the world stops in their neighbourhood - it's very small-minded,' remarks Conor, aiming an element of disgust towards those that do produce such music. 'Because we're quite young, we haven't been involved in a lot of things and I think we can look at things a bit more objectively.'
In that case, do you think that the music you write has universal appeal?
'Probably in the sense that you don't really need to know that much about where we're from to listen to it and understand it,' responds Mike.
'I think Bolton could be any shitty town in the entire world,' envisages McGloin. 'It's not as though we're from Manchester (large city close to Bolton) and we have its entire culture behind us to live up to... The London music scene is very self-celebratory - we just come from any small, nothing town in the UK.'
'Worship Yourself' is the debut release by Kinesis. An eight-track mini-album, it's been put out by their own White Noise label-imprint and is distributed by Cargo Records. Featuring a fierce and snarling opener such as the At The Drive-In-tinged '...And They Obey', the record - which barely reaches just over twenty five minutes - demonstrates their stunning ability to pen words of genuine significance, politically and emotionally. It's by the time that final track, 'The More You Have The Less You Feel', rings out that you realise you've just listened to something very special.
On the album's title, Tom comments, 'It's on two levels. A lot of people get into religion and they kind of forget how to look after themselves.'
'You can look at religion as a fundamental basis for all major wars - and organised religion is meant to promote peace and respect for each other, but it is actually the cause for the most number of deaths in the history of the world,' adds Conor.
'In worshipping yourself, basically you're setting an example for others. If you look after yourself and the small number of people around you, then it would spread... But not in a corny, love-each other kind of way - none of that hippy shit!'
What are your beliefs on the current music-scene?
Co-chief lyricist with Michael in the group, Tom, responds first. 'Recently, in the last six months, I don't know why, but I've been listening to lyrics and they come at you straight away and they're not very good - and it won't matter what song it is - I'll just have to turn it off. I'll see it as terrible and hate it - that's especially from a lot of bands in this studio, though!
'The nu-metal lyrics like, 'I hate this,' and, 'I wanna get out of this' - they're just like nothing, they don't mean anything... It's just crap.'
Conor agrees, 'Hopefully, people will see nu-metal as the manufactured movement that it is and we're gonna try and put something real, something necessary back into music, because a lot of bands aren't necessary anymore; they may sell lots of records now, but they won't mean anything in ten years' time.'
'The only good band that's come out in the last four years - that I've actually liked - has been Muse - and I've not actually loved them, in the same way that I could love the early Manics,' brings up Marshall.
Conor raises another point. 'I don't think any of the bands around at the moment have much vision. Muse sell themselves as a bit pretentious, but not afraid to go over the top sometimes. A lot of bands feel cordoned off by being seen as uncool, but Muse seem to be pushing themselves a bit, going out of their way to try new stuff, while a lot of people are simply trying to fit into target demographics and writing songs about having a nice day... (Smiles) A lot of stuff that approaches the charts now is complete shit; sometimes you can subvert the mainstream, but some bands have had to kiss a lot of asses to do that...'
It seems as if you're trying to transmit a lot of strong messages and issues over to the listener, so, bearing this in mind, what kind of audience are you trying to target and how do you want people to perceive your music?
'We want to interest people that have to do a bit of research to find out the music that they like,' opens Michael...
'... An open-minded audience,' Conor follows.
Neil's sole contribution to the interview is far more straight forward with his hopes for what people will feel about the music. 'I just want them thinking that we're top!'
Right...
Conor ignores the last comment. 'We hope that people will think there's a new side to our music, something that isn't just stale, soulless and crap.'
Suddenly, Tom throws in his stance on the topic. 'Music is art - and art should represent the truth; we try and do that - a lot of others don't.'
Conor concludes, 'Basically, we want to create a truth so beautiful that you can no longer refuse to accept it into your life...'
Well, blimey. By moulding sentiments such as these, it's no wonder that Kinesis are generating the buzz that they are.
With record-companies, publishers and a whole manner of industry-types queuing up to work with these guys, maybe it won't be so long after all until you can't stop yourself from making Kinesis the soundtrack for your life. Until that moment, however, wait patiently for that boost of energy and panache they look certain to provide to a scene that could do with something earnest for a change.
If you hold prejudices against the minors of today when it comes to them wandering into a recording-studio or headlining that top-notch festival, re-evaluate your situation, because this lot ain't kidding around.
Artists in this article: Kinesis