Unless you’ve been intentionally avoiding bands with string-based aviation devices in the name, Kite Thief are probably a band you’ve come across over the past years and with the release of their insanely good EP Ambivolent comes a chance for us to have a chat with guitarist Josh about just about anything really.
Hardbeat: For those living under a rock, can you tell us a bit about yourselves as a band?
Josh: We describe Kite Thief as a “high-voltage expanse of catharsis; an ecstatic space of rage, and a playful moment in time to lose yourself, without fear.” Essentially we are all about providing a space for rage but we want to have fun whilst doing so! We are from Bristol, a five-piece. We try to mix intoxicating melodies, pummelling rhythms, & unrelenting riffs to create what we have been calling Pop Metal but call it whatever you like. We are influenced by the likes of Spiritbox, Holding Absence and Vukovi. The music invites the listener to face their darkness, whilst simultaneously empowering through acceptance, understanding, love and having as much fun as possible!
Ambiviolent is now a month old, how was the reaction been to the EP?
As I write this, the last single of the EP/ the full release, is due to come out in a couple of days. I think the overall response has been really positive. We have had a lot of firsts with this EP. A lot more radio play than ever before, more reviews etc too. We are really excited to hear what people think about the product as a whole. For a 5-track EP, there is quite a lot of variation so it will be awesome to see which bits resonate the most.
Do you have a favourite track on there or is it like picking your favourite dog breed?
I have a favourite of both! We all have different favourites I think. For me, it changes. My favourite to play live is ‘Judge Judy & Executioner’ because the chorus is so much fun. But in terms of the songs themselves, probably ‘Shush’. Although we certainly all have different favourites I think! As for the dog breed, I can’t pretend it is a difficult choice as I have a Whippet so I’ll have to say those!
Can you give us an insight into how you write tracks and has this changed as you’ve become more comfortable as a band?
Absolutely, the first few singles were written together in a room, very traditionally. Over the pandemic, we began to experiment with a hybrid of this and with doing virtual songwriting sessions where we sit on a Zoom call and work on a Logic project together, usually hosted by Max. This helps us as a couple of us no longer live in Bristol. This is something which has continued on. For example, for this EP, we worked mainly virtually, but also took a trip to a cottage in Devon which we turned into a bit of a studio to work on the songs together which was fantastic. We definitely make more progress when we are in the room together but being able to do them virtually too means that we can do little sessions here and there which help us to keep the momentum up despite living apart.
What’s the goal for Kite Thief? Headlining major festivals, playing a certain venue or just having as much fun as you can?
Ultimately, we want our shows to be as fun as possible, for us and for the audience. We all have individual goals in terms of where we would like to get to, but it is not really our main focus. Fun is the goal, but we find shows to be a lot of fun, so bigger shows = more fun. Right?
What was the original inspiration for you wanting to get into music and was Kite Thief’s style where you thought you would head?
Shooting myself in the foot here… for me personally, I joined my first band when I was about 14. At the time, I was obsessed with Asking Alexandria and Black Veil Brides… so I wanted to be in bands like those and I wouldn’t say Kite Thief is what I was expecting to get into. But I also wouldn’t have been able to imagine what we sound like back then! I think the style will always change. Even now, we have begun working on the next release already and the songs are (so far) heavier than this EP so who knows what we will sound like in the future.
Outside of the day-to-day band life, what gets you up in the morning?
My dog likes to jump in the bed between 7 and 8.30, that will usually do the job!
Finally, are there any bands that you’d like to give a shout out to?
This year, we have met and played with more bands than in the previous 5 years I think! So many people are doing amazing bits. We toured with the boys in Mother Vulture at the end of last year and we love them to bits, definitely one of the best live shows around! But in general, so many of our friends in Bristol are doing great bits, Rxptrs, Blank Atlas, Gurl and loads more!
Kite Thief’s Ambivolent was released on the 15th of December 2023. Give it a listen here: