Paul spoke to rising stars Kenai about their new record ‘Hail The Escapist’…
Paul: Hi, please introduce yourself and your role in the band.
Joe: Hey, I’m Joe and I play bass in Kenai.
Paul: How did Kenai get together? Is there any meaning behind the name?
Joe: Kenai formed over time through a combined love for music, we’ve had various line up changes through our history, but, with the inclusion of Tom E Kenai became what it is today. The name of band has been speculated by loads of people, it comes from the Alaskan town. In 1964 the town was hit by a devastating earthquake and it is from that our conceptual E.P. “At Mercy’s Hand” was based.
Paul: Which bands influence the way you sound? I definitely hear some early Thrice – would you say that’s a fair comparison?
Joe: Yeah, I can see the comparison, but it’s not intentional and I don’t think it’s a bad thing either. We wanted to create an album with a lot of depth and keep the energy high. We have a lot of influences to the way we write and perform our music, ranging from Paramore and Kids in Glass Houses to Underoath. At the end of it all though, we write music that we want to play and that people want to hear.
Paul: If you were to suggest one of your songs to someone as a starting point that best summed up the Kenai sound, which would it be and why?
Joe: Our single “The Fall Before The Finish” is a good representation of what the album is. It’s a middle ground of everything on there with hooks, energy and melody.
Paul: Is there any meaning behind the new album title?
Joe: Escapism is a running theme through the album, the title represents our struggle of trying to escape from our jobs and everyday lives. It’s a theme hopefully a lot of people can relate to; trying to get away from the day to day routine and break out into something new.
Paul: Who did you record ‘Hail The Escapist’ with? Was it an enjoyable time recording the album?
Joe: We recorded the album at Outhouse Studios in Reading with John Mitchell, Ben Humphries and Matt O’Grady. We heard the treatment they had given You Me At Six and Architects, as well as the Enter Shikari album, and wanted to work with them. It was a great experience to record there, and the guys really got the best out of us. We only had 2 weeks to record the album, so there was quite a bit of pressure, but it was still great fun and we are really proud of the outcome.
Paul: Are you big fans of message boards etc? Do you take anything that’s said on the internet personally? Is there a difference between a mainstream publication being critical and a keyboard warrior having their say?
Joe: I think as long as people are talking about you, and you illicit a response, then you’re doing something right. It depends on who’s reading it as well. I think a lot of the time, you have to take any review or point of view with a pinch of salt. Its opinion and at the end of the day, your opinion is your own and not someone else’s, so make your own choice. We read reviews, but don’t take them to heart, unless it’s a good review of course.
Paul: If you were a crayon, what colour would it be and why?
Joe: Hmmm… that’s a tough one. My mood changes a lot, so maybe Blizzard Blue, or Neon Carrot, or Screamin’ Green. Actually, I’d rather be a pen, crayons are shit.
Paul: If you could work with any band or artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Joe: It’d probably have to be Picasso. Think he could knock up a fairly decent album artwork.
Paul: What’s next for the band? What’s the plan for the rest of the year?
Joe: We’re looking to book up some more shows and tours for the rest of the year, hopefully a lot in the summer. We want to really promote the album to as many people as we can. We have shows being confirmed at the moment which should be going up soon. We’re also writing new material all the time, so we’re looking to get some new stuff down maybe by the end of the year.
Paul: Where do you hope to be in three years time?
Joe: We want to be touring still and writing new music, that’s the main thing about why we’re in a band, so we want to be able to keep doing it.
Paul: If you have any messages for our readers please leave them here:
Joe: Thanks for taking the time to read this. Check us out on facebook (/kenaiuk), myspace (/kenaiuk) and twitter (/wearekenai). Come to a show, buy the album, say hi. Cheers. For ten years punktastic has provided an open forum for people with mutual interests and it’s refreshing to see such a vibrant and passionate community of people interacting. Props to Punktastic readers!