If you like indie rock music, you’re sure to love Sleep Kicks! Their track Neptune is a perfect addition to the genre, sounding flawless in every way possible! If you missed our review of the song, you can also find it at the end of this interview!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released a track titled Neptune, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the song?
Stephen: It’s a banger! Just really fun to play, but then also bittersweet – some of the lyrics just choke me up.
Jørn: Its one of those songs where the melody and lyrics sort of collide, but still make perfect sense. There is a sad story in there, but the music gives it – for me at least – a sense of healing, acceptance, love and some sort of peace of mind.
Terje: As the songwriter, I could go on quite a bit about this. Funnily enough, I kept the song to myself for a while, as I thought the (seemingly) upbeat and joyful melody wouldn’t fit the band. But the other guys talked me into it! This was even before they had any clue about the lyrical content. The song is a tribute to my friend Kyrre, who succumbed to cancer two years ago, The idea is that he didn’t die, he just relocated and got a new position – ruler of the ocean! I figured this might bring some sort of comfort to the people who knew him – and it seems like the story and the universal themes of love and loss struck a chord with quite a few.
Frode: BTW, thanks for the nice words, guys!
How has the reception been for Neptune and where can it be purchased?
Jørn: It has been received very well! Not only as far as good reviews go, but also some really deep and touching articles about the backstory and how it all came about. Which again has led people to come up to us after gigs telling how much it has affected them.
Terje: To me, the most valuable accolades has come from Kyrre’s family and closest friends. To get the approval from his father and daughter is everything that matters in this case.
Frode: Purchased? Do people actually buy music anymore? Well, you can get it digitally from our Bandcamp, that will ensure we get the money!
Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?
Stephen: There will be at least one more single coming up soon. January 2023 by the looks of it right now.
Frode: We’re still debating which song to use, as there are a few really good candidates. A proper luxury problem!
Are there any plans to release an EP or album?
Jørn: Yes, yes, yes! We are thrilled to be releasing our ten-track debut album The Afterdrop on February 24 next year. It will be available on vinyl as well; we are even open for pre-orders – that’s also on our Bandcamp!
Has the pandemic hindered your work much?
Stephen: Not so much hindered, but it definitely delayed and postponed things for sure. As it did for everybody, I guess. We’re just glad we came through it and kept ourselves busy all that time, with band-related stuff such as making videos, writing songs – and of course rehearsing and eventually recording the album! And we even managed to squeeze in a few gigs in there as well.
Terje: We released our first single late in February 2020, and two weeks later we all know what happened. So, all plans for promotion and gigging were thrown out the window. But we pulled through and probably ended up a better band, even!
Your music contains a number of different indie genres. What/who influences you most as artists? What have you been listening to recently?
Stephen: As a bass player, I first fell in love with bass listening to Craig Adams on the early Sisters recordings. Cocteau Twins are also up there. These are probably the influences that I carry through to Sleep Kicks, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention bands like Neds Atomic Dustbin and the Wedding Present – I’ve got a soft spot for the indie pop of the late 80s/early 90s! Then there’s people like Aston Barret, Jah Wobble and James Jamerson – the more traditional legendary bass players. As a songwriter, I definitely come down in the 4AD camp – Brendan Perry is probably my fave songwriter. What have I been listening to lately? This Is The Kit – the Off Off On album is just lush. Speaking of which, there’s also been a fair bit of Lush (cos I’ve been reading Mikis auto-biography) and Dry Cleaning, who are just awesome.
Frode: I grew up as a hardcore fan of the Beatles from the 5th grade, and then later turned in to an actual fan of hardcore, but without letting go of the Beatles. Also, a big fan of the early wave of indie Britpop (Slowdive, Ride, Charlatans) and later alternative metal (TOOL, Kyuss), as well as the lo-fi scene (Sebadoh, Pavement). Now I am not so interested in genres per se, I listen to all sorts of music that feels genuine.
Jørn: But of course, we do recognize the obvious influences such as Interpol, Echo and the Bunnymen, Editors, Killers and Placebo, to mention a few. And not to forget our native heroes A-ha!
Terje: This year’s top albums for me have been Sea Power and Thus Love. Also need to give a honorable mention to the recent EP from Bleach Lab. Absolutely beautiful stuff!
How do you compose your songs? What’s the process like?
Stephen: I take a nice long walk in the countryside, then sit down and make strange noises with synths. Writing lyrics is a totally separate activity for me. I am very good at starting songs, less so at finishing them, but at least I have an enormous collection of ideas to get us started!
Terje: When I’m not busy finishing Stephen’s ideas (haha), my mind is constantly working overtime with my own ideas. They tend to pop up while in the shower or after bed-time, when you’re able to zone out a little bit. That obviously leaves room for the nice melodies to enter. Then they’re left up there to simmer for a while – it could be anything from two hours to six months, or even years, really. At some point, I just feel that NOW’S THE TIME, and I sit down and flesh out the song, by making a demo at home, putting in the hours required til’ every detail is in place, riffs, melodies, structure, dynamics, arrangements, bass licks and drum breaks. So, the band is usually presented with a more or less complete song.
Frode: Then we take it from there and completely deconstruct it! No, just kidding! The rest of us will inevitably put our print on it, and every once in a while, we’ll even come to the conclusion that “this middle-eight doesn’t really work” or something like that. Then Terje returns with a new one next week, haha!
You’re based in Oslo. What is the local music scene like?
Jørn: For the music lover, it’s fantastic. We have quite a few really nice venues, and at any given day there’s a handful of interesting gigs going on. Every international artist on a European tour will pay a visit – unlike how it was some 30 years ago, when you had to travel to Stockholm or Copenhagen to catch the big ones – or anyone!
Terje: I would also say there’s a thriving and quite diverse scene from a musician’s perspective. You’ll easily find every genre, and it’s difficult to pin down the Oslo sound. It can be a little cliquey though, if that’s a word. You have to be on right foot with the right people, and there’s more competition than collaboration, at least that’s how it feels to us.
Frode: Norway is a quite small country in terms of population, and sooner or later almost every Norwegian musician will find him/herself in a Oslo-based band – this is also the case with SLEEP KICKS; none of the members are actually local to Oslo, but we all live or have lived here for longer periods of our lives. And, of course, without Oslo as a catalyst, this band would never have been formed.
Do you have any UK tour dates lined up?
Jørn: Nothing lined up, but we’d certainly love to do some dates in the UK! I guess our sound and our style of writing is mainly influenced by British artists and movements, so that has sort of always been the ultimate goal.
Terje: Yeah, whether it’s playing the Pyramid stage at Glasto or The Dublin Castle in Camden – we’ll take it!
Frode: I’ll play (the real) Dublin castle as well in a heartbeat!
Jørn: Also, it would be particularly nice to play some gigs in Wales, on Stephen’s home turf, wouldn’t it?
Any last words for the fans?
Stephen: Thank you so much for supporting us! I love playing gigs, and when you get that connection between the band and the audience, that’s when the music really starts to make sense – it’s a shared experience.
Terje: We’d love to know you even better, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Ask us silly questions, request cover versions, tell us how you stumbled across our music, send an ice bucket challenge our way… Our hotline is open 24/7!
Frode: Stay tuned for the album release, and make sure to get your hands on that vinyl. And happy holidays to everyone!