Photography: Nicole Frobush
To find out what to expect, we speak to frontman Crispian Mills as the legendary Kula Shakers are set to release their seventh studio album, and first with the original line-up since 1998. I spoke to…
First of all, the new album “Natural Magic'' will be released. Can you tell us a little about the album and your expectations for the future?
This was the first record we made with the original lineup (with Jay Darlington) since Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts, and it was a really cool and weird experience to see the band reincarnated. We were on tour for our double album 1st Congregational Church and Free Hugs. I can tell you right now that our keyboard player, Henry, wasn't able to tour in North America. And no one could imagine us playing. . There was only one guy and we kind of lost him to Oasis and the Gallaghers. Because when we started playing again in 2006, he was on tour with them. He kind of went out with another woman, so to speak, and we didn't ask him to come back. It just wasn't the right time because he had a different life. As it happens, when we called Jay this time, he was available and it was an interesting time in his life. He told us that he was receiving messages from the universe that this was coming and that he was ready and waiting. we. Like Gandalf, the wizard arrives exactly when he is supposed to.
wonderful!
So we started playing, and the music sounded great, all that magic and all that chemistry picking up where it left off in 1999. So I thought, “Let's make a record as soon as possible.'' Let's do it. Let's get this, lightning in a bottle. ” I think this album could have been called that.
So the last time you made an album together was in 1999, how did you decide to do it again in 2023?
It's a completely different planet. Funny thing is, when bands started playing again after their break, the music business was dying down like the Twin Towers in that streaming came and no one knew what was going on. I did. Record companies were swallowed up by large corporations, small labels and independent labels were all swallowed up, and everything just fell by itself. And now we've ended up in this situation that's built around the internet and people. It wasn't just the music, the whole culture became more fragmented. So we can't appear on TV as a band, so who's watching TV? So it's up to you to define yourself and you have to have faith that your people are out there, but it's not enough to just write songs and play music. We found a way to communicate beyond the music itself. For a lot of musicians, that's a challenge because they're very introverted.
Do you have a favorite song on the album, or is it just you, or do you pick your favorite type of kid?
Well, she looks a bit like the girl I like. You really can't do that. But I love “Natural Magic.” Because it's a little bit fresh and a little different. That track started by chance. I was listening to Can, and on that track he looped one of the beginnings of the track and it ended up being a 4-5 second loop and it sounded exactly like that groove. So, looking back on it now, it doesn't sound like that at all, but that was an interesting starting point for the song. And I love “Happy Birthday.”
There was a version that was just the Hari Krishna mantra, and someone said, “Can you sing it in English?” I said, no, it doesn't really translate, but in terms of what it conveys, I think there's an equivalent word in English, it's a similar meaning word. It's kind of a jumble, you press a button and it gives you suggestions. It's all about affirming life as if it's a positive thing – it'll make you an okay person.
And with the release of the album, will you be doing any more live shows?
Yes, it will be announced soon. There's also a tour planned, which I think will be announced in the new year.
You're still playing really good sized venues and you must be really happy that you've maintained that hardcore fan base over the years…
I think our fans definitely kept us going. And the gig itself takes on a life of its own, it's more than just a band. It's a spirit, a lifestyle, a coming together. Whether it's rock'n'roll, Indian stuff, or 90s nostalgia, I don't think it's just one thing. It has a life of its own and we play the gig and are conscious of something else going on. It kind of happens.
How do you look back on the 90s when you arrived and were categorized in the 'Britpop' group? Do you look back on it fondly and are glad to have been a part of it, or do you think you just didn't fit in?
I think we were smuggled into the music scene in a Britpop box, but when we opened the box the customs officials realized that this needed to be kept securely. Once something is labeled as such, it becomes a kind of orthodoxy, and it has to think a certain way, act a certain way, and fit the stereotype of what a Britpop artist is. I don't think so. And we just didn't fit together at all. So I think some of the tension that we felt in terms of whether we fit in was just for that reason. But now it has become our strength. Because we do our thing well.
I don't have any plans to retire yet, but what do you think your path will be like from here?
Well, I don't think we're thinking that far into the future, but this record was made because something unexpected like Jay happened. And the excitement that we all get from playing together was, “We have to do this, we have to do it now.” So, I think that with music you can make plans to a certain extent, but you also need to seize opportunities, and sometimes the path you want to take becomes clear, and that's when inspiration comes. We still enjoy playing music, and people still enjoy listening to it. So obviously that's the main factor.
What are you asking yourself right now?
Well, I'm at a point in my life where a lot of the music that's playing around me comes from my kids. Because they are the loudest people in my life. I have two boys, ages 12 and 15, who listen to music all the time. They're really into their music and movies. Their playlist is very eclectic, so you can listen to all kinds of stuff from all over the decades. They listen to Tyler the Creator, then the Monkees, their playlist, and crazy music. So at this point, I'm really just a passenger on her 15-year-old playlist. And it's amazing how music has shaken off generational limitations. Music is music, and everyone has access to what they like. For a long time, we really feared that streaming was coming to an end. And it was definitely over in terms of money, in terms of musicians being able to make a living without touring. But I think from a listener and audience perspective, the world of music has opened up again in a way that people didn't expect.
“Natural Magic” will be released on February 2nd via Strange Folk Records.
You can see the band live at the following venues.
2024/04/22 Cardiff, tram stop
2024/04/23 Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
2024/04/25 Wolverhampton, Wolfren
2025/04/26 London, Electric Ballroom
2024/04/29 Newcastle, boiler factory
2024/04/30 Glasgow, SWG3 TV Studio
2024/01/05 Leeds, O2 Academy
2024/03/05 Manchester, O2 Ritz
2024/04/05 Bristol, Marble Factory
2024/05/05 Bournemouth, O2 Academy
Tickets go on sale to the general public from 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 2nd.
Tickets can be purchased via gigsandtours.com ticketmaster.co.uk kulashaker.co.uk
