Following on from the love they received for their brilliant debut single 'White Feather' at the end of last year, British duo The Kid And I have now returned with their sweeping sophomore outing 'Hey'.
Capturing a warm and captivating vibe throughout, 'Hey' makes for a wonderfully bright and summery release. Filled with supple tones, jangled guitars, and a laid-back groove from start to finish, this new offering sees them fully ready to take on this new year with style and aplomb.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and what has inspired them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Jacob: The first instrument I really fell in love with was the drums at age 12. I had started learning guitar a few years before, but it really wasn’t until sitting down at a drum set that I really connected and fell in love with playing music. Maybe it’s the physical nature of it, losing yourself in playing beats but it’s something I still do to this day, and drive my family absolutely crazy whilst doing it!
Jennifer: I would say my voice, as I was always singing as a child and have continued to explore and develop my voice.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Jacob: When I was growing up my dad would always play Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black especially was a song I had on repeat all the time, which is crazy considering how heavy the subject of the song is. As a teenager I moved towards the Alternative Rock scene a bit more - Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Green Day - things of that nature, anything I could mosh too really.
Jennifer: Growing up I listened to either Elvis Presley from my mum, or Bruce Springsteen from my dad. I loved listening to Michael Bublé but of course I had a lot of love for musicals and still do.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Jacob: The first album I remember owning properly was Foo Fighters ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace’. It was a truly remarkable album to me and still remains one of my favourites of theirs, and was a massive step for me in wanting to become a musician.
Jennifer: So the first 2 albums I remember buying for myself were Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and Beyonce’s 4 album.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Jacob: At the moment I’ve become obsessed with Thom Yorke’s latest solo album Anima, and Dawn Chorus off that album is a song I really wish I’d written, something that I have been trying to steal and emulate in my new songs - I really hope one day to write something as perfect as that song.
Jennifer: Ooh probably Songbird - Eva Cassidy. OBSESSED!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Jacob: When it comes to writing songs, I try and set myself little challenges and games to make it fun, either to write something in another genre, something as quickly as I can, something using instruments that I’m not used to. Most of the time none of these experiments go anywhere, but it starts the process of thinking about songs and exploring something I find interesting, and through actually sitting down and starting it means I’m less likely to start getting in my own head about writing songs.
Jennifer: Going for walks helps with clearing my mind, but I always like to bring a notepad with me so I can quickly jot anything down that comes to my mind.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Jacob: Recently I’ve been really enjoying a lot of Thom Yorke’s solo material, Four Tet, Anderson .Paak, Dominic Fike - I guess in an attempt to broaden my horizons musically, get inspired and push me to become a better musician/songwriter in genres I haven’t written music in before.
Jennifer: I’m loving Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak at the moment! But Young Gun Silver Fox, Foo Fighters and Lady Gaga have been at the top for a while.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Jacob: If I could open a show for anyone it would definitely be Foo Fighters, mainly so I could watch them afterwards!
Jennifer: Someone like Paloma Faith would be amazing! Or Michael Bublé. Definitely someone with a big band!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Jacob: Over the years my favourite bit about being a musician has either been the live gigs or once you’ve finished recording a song. As I started this project during lockdown, I haven’t had too many live gig experiences, but I look forward to doing lots of them when things open up again. And in terms of recording, I’ve been learning a lot recently about mixing and producing whilst recording my own material, and though very frustrating at times, once it is finished it is a truly rewarding experience like no other.
Jennifer: Learning what one of your songs means to someone. The feeling and message could be completely different from the one you originally wrote about, but knowing that they have interpreted it personally is great.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Jacob: The most frustrating thing about being a musician for me is when you hit a wall, whether that be creatively, or technically when approaching an instrument. Also, at this moment in time not being able to gig has been a massive frustration point for me, but that is looking like it will definitely change in the near future.
Jennifer: Well, clearly during this current time we haven’t been able to play live. So definitely not being able to play live has been frustrating.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Jacob: The best piece of advice I’ve ever received as a musician would be from a friend of mine named Camille Hinds, who was the bass player in the Style Council and loads of other really really cool acts. One day in the studio I was having a real hard time recording some drums for a track, properly getting in my own head about not nailing it quickly, and he sat me down and told me about how he’d experienced something similar whilst working on a Style Council track, and everyone has days where things don’t go right and that you shouldn’t be hard on yourself. It doesn’t achieve anything, and has really stuck with me over the years.
Jennifer: While putting your music and soul out there for the world to see, you will come across some negativity and people that may not like your music. It’s easy to get caught up with a negative or hurtful comment but something that a friend told me once was ‘you wouldn’t listen to their advice, so why listen to their hatefulness’. And I think that’s a great way to think.
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The Kid And I's new single 'Hey' is available to stream and download now. Check out the new video for it below.