Adelaide electronic duo Kimonono (comprised of Caitlin Feagan - vocals, synths and Dan Linke - synths, guitar) have just dropped a new single. Starting in 2015 and with one EP under their belt, the duo have just released 'Dream Dungeon'. Yewth sat down with the pair to have a chat ahead of the single launch this Friday at The Metro.
First off, what was the inspiration behind the new single?
It started as a cover of 'Bad Blood' by Taylor Swift, but only after we started working on it Dan divulged that he’d never heard the song. Taking this fact into consideration, we turned it into a whole new and entirely different beast.
Where did the name of the single, 'Dream Dungeon' come from?
It’s a lyric from the song’s chorus. It seemed to fit, but then whenever we play this song we think of basketball. It’s a mystery as to how we made this connection.
What would you say has changed about the band's sound since your self titled EP?
Our production quality has definitely improved 1000%. We’ve also had a long time to hone our sound. While our first EP was quite more experimental, we’d also only been together three months at the time. We’ve had a lot more time to focus towards a much more alternative pop direction, kind of like in a similar vein to Purity Ring and Grimes, but more grittier.
So where do you see Kimonono's music heading in the future?
We plan to keep working on our second EP (provisionally titled Kimonono II) - we already have four songs written over the past year that are already locked in, so we’re thinking maybe one more song needs to be written before we focus on the nitty gritty and give our song children some spit and polish.
Do you have anything else in store for the rest of the year?
We have a few big things in the pipeline, and hopefully we can have a launch for our second EP heading our way before the year is out. We’re both working on side projects as well, so it’s about finding a balance between the three, really.
In saying that, do your solo projects come into play when you write as a duo?
Dan’s solo output is a lot more experimental and instrumental-based, while Caitlin’s material has a heavier pop direction. When we get together, the mix of different genres helps separate us from what you’d normally define as your typical alternative pop.
And finally, how did you guys start?
Patrick Lang from Futuresounds Adelaide contacted Caitlin back in 2015 to see if she wanted to do a solo show under her Alice Girl moniker - however, we saw this as an opportunity to start a serious project together, as we’d be floating ideas throughout our time together at university. We sent Patrick a song that he really liked called “Ghosts” - which ended up on the first EP - and the rest is history!
Head down to the The Hotel Metro on June 2nd at 9pm for the launch of the single 'Dream Dungeon' presented by Futuresounds Adelaide.
Kimonono will be supported by Pale Gold and Celestite for an awesome night of local Adelaide experimental music with free entry!
Follow the band on their Facebook or Soundcloud to never miss an update.