Boy Kill Boy

Boy Kill Boy have already been causing quite a stir among those in-the-know. With the limited edition Fierce Panda release of a brace of singles which were hammered by Zane Lowe, Steve Lamacq and XFM, and live shows around the capital and on tour with Hard-Fi, Boy Kill Boy also ignited the passions of the crowd at 02 Wireless and Reading Festival to the extent that they were picked out by both many as one of the highlights of the weekend. Now concentrating on recording their debut album, bassist Kevin Chase takes a quick break for a chat with VF...

Virtual Festivals: So Boy Kill Boy, what's the story with the name?
KC: There are various explanations. My favourite is that if you look in the mirror and say 'Boy Kill Boy' it looks like you're blowing kisses.

VF: So no one's been killed yet, good. How did you all get together?
KC: The others were all mates in school and I came into the picture later. We were all in bands before but were getting to the point where all our mates were growing up and getting proper jobs. We were kind of the only ones left. I was first introduced to the others at a mate's party. These two guys came up to me in girls' dresses and asked 'do you fancy being in a band with us'. How could I say no!  

VF: Any more cross dressing since?
KC: No I think that was a one off, they were just having a laugh. The cross-dressing days of Boy Kill Boy are over.

VF: We hear you're 'holidaying' down in Cornwall at the moment? Alright for some...
KC: Well we're  recording our first album in Sawmills studio. It's not exactly holidaying but it's all very exciting stuff for us and great to be working with our producer John Cornfield again (Muse, Supergrass, Oasis, Razorlight). He helped us on our first single and we knew he'd be the perfect guy to do our album. He carries a case of Bass beer wherever he goes!

VF: What's this about it being a concept album? Pretty brave for your first record...
KC: It's not strictly a concept album. We mentioned that somewhere, but the idea is more to do with all the songs taking you on a journey. It's more a musical idea than anything lyrical. Although I would say that being the bassist. I don't really know what the words are!

VF: Boy Kill Boy are building a great reputation as a live band. How's that going to transfer onto the album?
KC: It's difficult to say because our lives shows probably include only about half of the album. I reckon there are five or six tracks that people won't have heard. We've worked hard on varying the songs between fast and slow, using different dynamics to broaden our sound on the album. There will more depth on the record compared to what people have heard live - what they've heard so far anyway.

VF: What's been your favourite live show?
KC: I've enjoyed different ones for different reasons. When we toured with Hard Fi last April we stopped in Wolverhampton and the crowd there went absolutely mental. It was like they were from a different planet, the whole place completely kicked off. It was the first time we'd ever played live and got that kind of response, so that will always be a special one to look back on. The other would have to be Leeds Festival. We were scheduled for the Carling tent but got bumped up the bill and ended up opening the NME/Radio 1 tent on the Friday. The gates had only just opened so we thought we'd be lucky to get a couple of hundred in, but in the end a couple of thousand turned up. That was the moment I thought 'yeah this is the way forward'.

VF: Any festival plans taking shape for this summer yet?
KC: I'm not entirely sure but we're going to have a chat with our booker soon. It's a real shame there's no Glastonbury as we'd all have loved to do that this year, but we'll definitely be making ourselves seen and heard at the other ones.

VF: You've been tipped to do very well this year. Does that put you under pressure?
KC: There's pressure to a point but it's cool that people are tipping us. There's definitely a lot to live up to but we're confident we can pull it off and would have been disappointed if we weren't tipped. We've only been together just over a year so it's great that we've been noticed quickly, but it has been a real rollercoaster - if you'll excuse the clique.

VF: How did it all happen so quick?
KC: We were quite fortunate because our first proper show, a Plum Promotions gig in Water Rats in London, happened to be supporting Hard Fi, who had just got signed to Atlantic. We thought we'd just be playing to our mates but there were loads of industry in there so we got noticed and the whole thing snowballed from there.

VF: You've had a lot of nice words and support from Hard Fi. How important has that been?
KC: It's been great. We don't ever want to be known as a band that has built its reputation on what another band says, but it's always good when someone you respect musically likes what you do. We have a lot of fun with the Hard Fi guys; they're a crazy bunch

VF: What's next after recording the album?
KC: The date 13 February is going to be a pretty mad day for us. Our single 'Back Again' comes out and we're also playing one of the NME awards shows with Hard Fi. Then we're off on tour for a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to getting back out with the people again. Recording's great because you get well fed and you can watch MTV, but it doesn't compare to being out there meeting people and playing out. It works as a good gauge of what the public really think. At the moment we're just living in a bubble, disconnected to the outside world.

See Boy Kill Boy reconnected with the real world at the following dates throughout February and March. The single 'Back Again' is released on 13 February on Vertigo.

Stoke on Trent, Sugarmill (Feb 17)
Newcastle Academy (18)
Glasgow King Tut's (19)
Aberdeen Moshulu (20)
York Fibbers (21)
Leicester Charlotte (22)
Aldershot Buzz Club (25)
Bedford Esquires (26)
London King's College (27)
Manchester Jabez Clegg (Mar 1)
Liverpool Academy (3)
Bristol Louisiana (4)
Nottingham Social (5)