After the success of her recent album Bashed Out, Impact managed to catch This Is The Kit (Kate Stables) for a word at this summer’s Green Man festival.
So, how’s touring the new album going?
Kate Stables: Nice! Yeah, I love doing gigs, and so doing gigs is great. There’s been some years when we haven’t had a new album out that we’ve had more gigs and more festivals where it’s been more intense. So in a way it’s quite nice how it’s been surprisingly, sort of mad but good.
The new album seems more popular, a bit of a breakthrough in some ways. Does it seem that way to you?
KS: Yes, we’ve had more of a team, in the past it’s just been me and Jesse (Jesse D Vernon: bass, guitar, violin), my partner doing our own promo but we’ve started working with a label called Brassland who are based in America and that meant that there was a bit of starter budget for getting people’s help to get reviews and stuff rather than just us writing “Hi I’m in a band…”
So do you feel like that’s given you more of a different crowd?
KS: Maybe. I’m sure it has but I also feel like everything changes every year. We’ve spent the last 10 years doing gigs all the time and when you do that slowly more people come to your gigs each time and it builds up that way. Also, we’ve had amazing luck with the radio; 6music have been so nice to us. They’ve been really supportive and great so that, I think, has made a big difference too. So I guess there have been a few synchronised good waves that we’ve been able to, sort of, catch. (Maybe. I hope. We’ll see!)
You’ve been based in and out of Paris for a while. Have you shifted more back to England now?
KS: No, we’re still based in Paris, we still totally live there, it’s just touring mainly happens in the UK so when people see us we’re in the UK and that makes them think that we live here.
Do you feel like being based in Paris has affected how much attention you get?
KS: I don’t know. Yeah, I’m not sure. But it makes it a more difficult logistical gear to be in. But me and Jesse are both drawn to doing things the hard way. But yeah, maybe in a Sod’s Law way it has. Like if we hadn’t moved to Paris nothing would have happened in the UK but then if you can’t go somewhere else then the sort of gods of Sod’s Law go “Well, we’ll just dangle these things over here in England again”.
I love it when it rains, and I love it when the sun comes out. I just went to have a swim before the security came and said “Get out of there!”
How’s the current line-up working out for touring?
KS: Well it’s great but again, logistically, it’s tricky because Jamie [Whitby] lives in Bristol and Rozi [Rozi Plain] lives in London so there isn’t as much rehearsal time as everyone would like. But, they’re just amazing guys who are incredibly good at touring and playing their instruments and being in the band.
And how are you finding Green Man?
KS: I love it. It’s great. I love it when it rains, and I love it when the sun comes out. I just went to have a swim before the security came and said “Get out of there!” It’s a nice one for bumping into loads of people and friends that you know and weren’t expecting to see, I really like it.
So you seem to like the river… Is there another favourite feature that you’ve found at the festival?
KS: (A bit of a pause) THE MOUNTAINS! They’re a good feature! And also just the nice places to hang out, it’s green and lush.
George Barrett
