Audioholic Media

It’s almost impossible to read through an interview about the Black Kids without seeing the words buzz and hype. So let’s just get those out of the way now:

Buzz. And hype.

A five-piece band from Jacksonville, Florida comprised of three guys, two girls, two siblings, five friends, and two black people, the Black Kids got their big push after playing the Athens Popfest last summer. The performance garnered an eruption of media coverage for the band, who spent the following year booking tour dates and building a fanbase with only their four song EP, The Wizard Of Ahhhs, to show for themselves.

With this summer’s release of their first album, Partie Traumatic, the Black Kids have proven that their music can live up to all of the media attention buzz (and hype) without taking itself too seriously or sacrificing whatever it is they do that makes you wanna dance your ass off.

Audioholic Media: A lot of your popularity has been (notably) born from articles on blogs and discussions in Internet music communities, but the blogger community can sometimes tend to run very hot and cold, championing bands when no one knows them then dropping them as soon as they achieve some level of popularity. Have you experienced that since last year?

Bassist, Owen Holmes: That’s exactly what we’ve experienced.

AM: In what way has being the-band-that-everyone-feels-like-they’ve-discovered altered your perception of the music industry?

OH: Well, I guess I’ve realized that it’s a little more cutthroat than I thought. But for the most part, I understand why the game is the way it is. It’s human nature to want to find something nice and keep it to yourself, and then back away from it once everyone else finds out about it. I’m guilty of it myself. Then I realize what I’m doing and realize that it’s stupid. Take the group Fleet Foxes, for instance– I was put off because everyone raves about them, Pitchfork posts an effusive review of their album, etc., and so I don’t give them a chance. But I bought their record last week, and I absolutely love it and can’t stop listening to it.

AM: I’ve read that after the Athens Popfest, a lot of record companies were in a race to get Black Kids on their labels. Up to that point, you’d done everything on your own. What ultimately made you decide to sign with (U.S. label) Columbia Records?

OH: We felt most comfortable with their peeps, they have a great history (Dylan, Springsteen, et al), they’d just signed some great indie groups (MGMT, The Ting Tings), and they offered us a handsome sum (though not the most money, I might note).

AM: The music you create paints you as a fun, party band. I haven’t been able to catch your live show yet, so is that something you try to exemplify through your live set as well?

OH: As we’ve said before, ideally, we’d want everyone to forget we’re onstage and just have a party amongst themselves. Hopefully we achieve this to some degree.

AM: It’s no secret that you’re very well-received in the UK while you’re considered a bit “underground” here in the States. I once spoke to someone who noted that Americans take our music much more seriously; we use our music tastes as bragging rights whereas people in the UK listen to whatever makes them the most happy. Do you agree? Is there a notable difference between music fans in America and those in the UK?

OH: I hadn’t looked at it that way, and I wouldn’t disagree. The difference I have noticed is that American listeners are more scrupulous. They like their shit tight, whereas the Brits seem a bit more forgiving of a bum note or two.

Also, it seems to me that Americans are more inclined to appreciate the band as whole, whereas the Brits focus more intensely upon the “frontman.” (That’s the jaded bassist in me speaking.)

That said, the size of the city you’re playing– regardless of if it’s in the U.S. or the U.K.– has similar implications (i.e. audiences in bigger cities are typically more scrupulous, etc.).

AM: You garnered a lot of recognition very quickly. Does being considered an “indie band” at home make the process feel any more or less legitimate for you?

OH: That doesn’t matter so much as knowing that we’re generally “indie,” in that we’ve always called the shots when it comes to the music, we come up with our own ideas, we work our asses off, etc.

AM: Musically you are a straightforward pop band but your lyrics lean more toward the abstract. Is that a conscious dichotomy for you?

OH: I guess that’s how we’ve managed to straddle the line between being an indie band and a credible pop band– generally our music and melodies are immediately accessible, but the lyrics are often a bit off (i.e. perverse, witty, etc.). I suppose this speaks to our influences. Morrissey comes to mind.

AM: Your tour schedule looks pretty hectic until March. Do you have any plans once you’re back from Europe?

OH: Two weeks of rest over Thanksgiving, then a week or so of U.S. holiday shows, then Japan, then home for Christmas, then Australia in January, then a Kaiser Chiefs support tour in the U.K.

AM: Why are you called Black Kids? I’m kidding. I would never make you have to answer that… again.

OH: Bless your heart.

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Partie Traumatic is currently available on iTunes.
Visit the official Black Kids website at blackkidsmusic.com.
Also find the Black Kids on MySpace at myspace.com/blackkidsrock.