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Multi-cultural, multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalists- KONGOS cover all bases. This four brother rock band has been on the grind, with the recent release of their 12-song Epic Records debut, Lunatic.
With tracks featuring the accordion, epic soundscapes and more, KONGOS are giving a fresh spin to alt-rock.
GroundSounds recently caught up with the brothers for an exclusive interview, check it out below.
What was it like growing up with a musically inclined father? How did he shape your musical influences?
He played us all sorts of music when we were kids – Everything from Opera to Rock/Alternative and Jazz. There was no discriminating against types of music, so it all made an impression on us and finds it’s way into our music. We also listened to his music, which in our opinion was very ahead of his time.
Can you tell us about transitioning from London to South Africa and currently Phoenix, AZ?
Three of us (Johnny, Jesse and Dylan) were born in London and Danny was born in SA. We left London in ’88 and stayed in Joburg for 8 years before coming to Phoenix. Of all the places, even though we’ve spent more time in Phoenix than anywhere else, South Africa left a huge impression on us for many reasons. We made some of our best friends, had an amazing childhood and experienced such a vast variety of cultures and music.
This year has been a momentous one for KONGOS and it is just getting started! What was it like signing with Epic? Congrats on the well deserved success!
Thank you! It was very exciting. Having someone like LA Reid and a team behind us, taking it as far and big as it can go… it’s what most bands dream of.
Can you tell us about working on your debut album Lunatic? What was it like bringing this to fruition?
It’s actually our second album – we self-released a self-titled album in 2007, which we’ll eventually put out (again). Lunatic was a long process that included multiple demos of songs, reworking arrangements out on the road and finally buckling down and recording it when a few singles started to really take off in SA.
“Come With Me Now”, has been on quite the journey, can you tell us about writing and working on this song?
Johnny wrote that song and it also went through many stages, when we first started playing it live it didn’t sound quite like it does now. The groove is actually based on a style of music in South Africa called Kwaito.
What was it like filming the music video for “I’m Only Joking?” What was this day like?
It was madness. It was a 12-14 hour shoot (with a week of prep prior to shooting) that ended up with the cast (our friends) and crew (us) all drunk in a swimming pool. If you’d seen the shoot, you would’ve thought we looked like a bunch of headless chickens running around aimlessly, but with editing and capturing the right energy/vibe on the day, it turned out!
You guys recently finished up touring with Imagine Dragons and the Airborne Toxic Event, what did you enjoy about being on the road?
We love seeing new cities and playing shows to new crowds that have never seen us before. There’s an excitement that is unparalleled.
When you guys are on stage performing, what goes through your mind? What are you guys feeling and thinking about?
Most of the thinking is done before and after a set… set list, what needs to be focused on and emphasized. Afterwards it’s, what sucked… what worked. On stage, if it’s going well, there’s really just a feeling of “this is a fucking cool job.”
What people and books have inspired you most?
Jackson Browne, Arvo Part, Bach, Stevie Wonder, “How to be a rock band for dummies.”
Are you guys currently working on any new material? If so what can you reveal to us about it?
We’re constantly writing and doing demos but we can’t say much about it now – with “Lunatic” starting to really take off, all the focus is on that.
What’s next for KONGOS?
Touring. Lots and lots and lots of touring. We’ll be playing shows in the US and Canada all this Spring, Summer and Fall as well as heading to Europe later on.
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