The Paper Kites Gold Interview

The Paper Kites Gold Interview

Melbourne indie folk outfit The Paper Kites' have a lot to celebrate with their song Bloom being officially certified gold in the US and releasing their new album On The Corner Where You Live, the much-loved band's melancholic, mid-tempo companion to the recently released album, On The Train Ride Home. Give them your tired, your lonely, your lovesick, your unsure, The Paper Kites have a song for each of them on this latest album. On the Corner Where You Live wafts evocatively with noir-ish saxophones, guitars, ambient traffic, even the languid sound of rain. It's levitating and bittersweet; heavy-hearted stories that are resoundingly universal.

The first taste of this immersive record, Deep Burn Blue, floats into the consciousness with heady guitars, driving percussion, and expressive vocals that twist, build and turn as the track drifts. It's this gentle yet assertive manifestation that fans have come to expect from The Paper Kites, and they do it with undeniable class and sophistication. "Music is so much more purposeful and devastating when it makes you feel exposed," says frontman Sam Bentley. Deep Burn Blue describes a girl who won't leave her room, as Sam elaborates, "It's that feeling of being so inside your own thoughts that it's debilitating." (If that weren't gutting enough, the song even references Nick Drake with the line, "You like the sound of a pink moon cry/Lying on the floor as the day goes by.")
View video teaser: Deep Blue Burn

On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You follow up their 2015 album twelvefour. The Paper Kites (which also includes vocalist Christina Lacy, guitarist Dave Powys, drummer Josh Bentley and bassist Sam Rasmussen) have earned a loyal, organic fan base. In the eight years since they formed, what's followed is an impressive reach of their music with standout single Bloom (from their Woodland EP) certified Gold with nearly 700,000 tracks sold across America, which sees them join a small list of Aussie artists (including ACDC, INXS, Midnight Oil, SIA, Kylie Minogue, Flume and Silverchair) who have received GOLD accreditation in the US. The band has also been steadily touring across 4 continents, 24 countries with nearly 200 shows in just under 3 years. With over half a billion streams and nearly 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band continues to amass new fans wherever they go. They've also today announced a 21 date North American and UK headline tour, kicking off in Los Angeles on November 6, before moving through San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnepeg, St. Paul, Chicago, Toronto, Waterloo, London, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, New York and finishing up in Washington on December 1.

On The Corner Where You Live is co-produced with Grammy-winner Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) at his studio in Connecticut – a 120-year old Victorian era home that the band lived and recorded in for 5 weeks. Sam spoke of the moment the album's concept clicked together, saying "It's a collection of stories about these characters all living in an apartment building; I wanted to capture moments, feelings, it's about people and their stories." This album is one best listened to from start to finish, as each story seeps into the next; meditative yet complex, On The Corner Where You Live will not disappoint The Paper Kites' loyal fanbase, and will enamour new and existing audiences alike. Immersed in an aural diet of blues and jazz, the band collaborated with Los Angeles film-noir artist Gina Higgins on the album's artwork, who also painted the cover for On The Train Ride Home and worked closely with the band on the concept.

For fans, the band will make both On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You Live available as a deluxe double gold and silver coloured limited edition vinyl.

Stream Single: Deep Burn Blue             
Video: Deep Blue Burn Teaser
Order: On The Corner Where You Live

On The Corner Where You Live track list:

1. A Gathering on 57th
2. Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain
3. Deep Burn Blue
4. Mess We Made
5. Flashes
6. Red Light
7. On the Corner Where You Live

8. Midtown Waitress
9. When It Hurts You
10. Does It Ever Cross Your Mind
11. Don't Keep Driving

Interview with The Paper Kites

Question: Congratulations on Bloom going GOLD in the US! How does it feel?

Christina Lacy: This was such a huge but wonderful surprise! We feel so grateful to everyone in the US who has bought our music.


Question: What can we expect from the upcoming album, On The Corner Where You Live?

Christina Lacy: We're really proud of the new record. It feels like such a collaborative album that has a lot of us in it. I think it's a continuation of the sound we found in our last album TwelveFour but with some beautiful new songs and textures. We worked with producer Peter Katis in Connecticut and he really helped us bring these songs to life and brought out some great performances on the tracks.


Question: Where did the idea for the On The Corner Where You Live cover, come from? The idea stemmed from the initial concept that Sam (lead singer) had for the album. He imagined the album as a collection of songs written about the stories and lives of people living in an apartment block. We worked with an American artist, Gina Higgins, who created the beautiful paintings that are the covers of 'One the Train Ride Home' and 'On the Corner Where You Live'.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Christina Lacy: Well we won't start preforming songs from the new album until we start touring in November, but I love playing so many of our songs- its great fun performing our upbeat song where the whole band gets to jam out a bit but then it's also always really special performing really stripped back songs where our vocals and harmonies really get to shine.

Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Christina Lacy: We are all big fans of Ryan Adams so I'd be pretty stoked (and ridiculously nervous) if he showed up to a show one day.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Christina Lacy: It's hard to say because they are both so different from each other. Recording is such a fun and satisfying process, but it can also be very tedious and long. Performing live is pretty much always great fun but it can also be super tiring. I guess nothing quite beats playing live to an amazing crowd of people who are excited to hear your music and sing along to your songs.


Question: What is the story behind the name, The Paper Kites?

Christina Lacy: No real story to be honest. We had been playing a few small shows together and realised we probably needed to give ourselves a name. We thought about what would sound good and Sam came up with The Paper Kites white we all seemed to like.


Question: How did the band come together?

Christina Lacy: Sam B (lead singer) and I started playing music and singing together during high school. We started writing songs and recording demos of them and later applied for a music festival in Queensland. When we were accepted we asked a few musician friends to join us so we had a full band, and that's pretty much how the band was born.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?
Christina Lacy: Lots of things really. Obviously personal experiences but also other people's lives and stories. Sam is really inspired by art and film too. Anything that sparks creativity in you can be your inspiration or motivation I think.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Christina Lacy: Freya Riding, Leon Bridges, Allen Stone, War on Drugs, Emma Louise.


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

Christina Lacy: My first and biggest inspiration I think would be Brooke Fraser, especially when talking about singing and vocals. She was the first singer/songwriter that I really connected with and I think she inspired the way I learnt how to sing the type of songs we sing.


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

Christina Lacy: Personally I really want to sing with Gregory Allen Isakov. I love his songs and his voice so much and I'd love to sing some harmonies with him one day.


Question: What's next, for you guys?

Christina Lacy: Well the new record is out and next for us is touring these new songs (and a few old ones) and sharing them with the world. We can't wait!


Interview by Brooke Hunter