Starting life in 2016 as the solo project of vocalist Matt Donnelly, Chasing Kites arrived at their full and final lineup in June of 2022, thanks to a series of ‘Band Members Wanted’ advertisements and the miracles of social media. The band have since gone on to be chosen as BBC Bristol’s ‘Big New Sound’. With echoes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Verve and The 1975, the band intertwine dynamic hooks, 80s synth textures and vivid narratives.
The Bristol-based indie-rock four-piece are back and currently promoting their latest offering ‘Late Night’. Recorded with Sam Winfield (Amber Run, Bring Me The Horizon) at Studio 91, depicts the complexities of night-life romance and the struggles for mutual admiration. We caught up with band member Nathan Price to discuss the band’s musical journey.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi. Congratulations on your career to date. For readers who are unfamiliar with your backgrounds, how were you introduced to music?
Thanks so much for having us. I think we were all introduced to music by our families. Our parents obviously showed us some of the older stuff and the classics, and then older siblings caught up in the indie revival of the early 000’s showed us some great bands too like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes. From an early age I think we were all pretty fascinated by bands and guitars and stuff.
Were you ever inclined to pursue other careers?
Unfortunately, we all *currently* have other full-time jobs. Still waiting for a call back from Simon.
Not for long, I’m sure! What was the emotional drive in you becoming artists, particularly musicians?
I think we were all really brought up in a musical environment and can put our interest in playing music down to our families and friends being heavily into music. After getting your first instrument as a kid and then learning a few of your favourite songs, I think there comes a point where you decide this would be a really fun thing to do with others in a band.
Please share with us the origins of the band. How and when did you decide to form?
The origins of the band can be traced back to Matt’s time at Uni. After multiple attempts to start a band, he was eventually introduced to Liam, who together started writing and recording successfully before a COVID-induced hiatus. The final line-up seen today can be attributed to multiple musicians wanted adverts and the miracles of social media.
Respectively, of your many accomplishments, what are you most proud of, and why?
We would probably say being chosen to play Dot2Dot festival in our hometown of Bristol earlier this year. We were on the bill with some seriously talented local musicians which was a huge honour. We’ve also been lucky enough to support some great bands – Lottery Winners, Adult Leisure, Windshake – to name a few!
We know the industry is tough and very competitive. What is your advice to budding musicians?
Well, to be honest, we would still consider ourselves to be “budding musicians” – so would be all ears to advice from older and wiser pros. But from our experience, we would probably say just enjoy it and do it for the right reasons. Get into music because that’s your passion and what you enjoy. If you work hard and have some luck along the way, the rest should follow (?).
Please tell us more about your latest project, Late Night
Late Night was actually recorded last year at Studio 91 with Sam Winfield and has been a set favourite of ours for some time. It just has that great energy which we think perfectly sums up our sound, and who we are. Lyrically, Late Night is a conversational depiction of the complexities of night-life romance and the kind of struggles between two people for mutual admiration.
What other projects are you currently working on?
We’re currently writing and gigging as much as we can. Our focus is on writing the best songs we can and creating the best live sound we can. In terms of new releases, we plan to continue releasing a string of singles for now, with our aim to be back in the studio in October which we’re very excited about.
For further info on the band, visit the following links:
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