Interview: Kasms (English)

Here is the interview I had with KASMs at the occasion of my trip to London.

1/ What does KASMs mean?
Rory: KASMS is a nickname. It’s a big hole in the ground, a kind of . . . gap in the ground.
Rachel: Yeah; a hole that just goes on and on as if you fell down it, as if you fell for a really long time.

2/ Why did you choose that name?
Rachel: Because we couldn’t decide on anything else. (Everyone laughs) No, no, we all like that one. We were gonna be called “Vom” before, as in “vomit”.

3/ Are you more psychedelic or electric?
Rory: Errm… I’d say we’re more electric, right?...Are we psychedelic? (To the others)
Rachel: I think it would be in the way that flaming lips are psychedelic, in a more like “crazy circle wave.” (They Laugh)
Rory: FLAMING LIPS?!
Rachel: Yeah… Their early stuff. I mean in the way they’re psychedelic in a crazy noisy like “aaaah” way. WAIT! I’m not saying we like Flaming Lips...I’m just saying we got those vibes...

4/Why should we buy your album?
Rory: Cos it’s got a really nice front cover. (They all laugh)
Rachel: Yeah, mystical mermaid... what more could you want? (Laughs) Because it would change your life forever? No I don’t know, we put quite a lot of effects in the artwork so even if you don’t like the music, you can throw the record away...(Laughs)
Rory: ...And put the cover on a wall.

5/ What do you think about when you’re on stage?
Rachel: KILL. KILL. KILL! (Laughs). I think about my life, no I don’t know, I like to go crazy because people can be very rude in a gig, sometimes not dancing or even looking interested so I feel like if I jump around they might get into the music and start dancing but it never happens. We just want the audience to be involved.

6/ What do you think about the new London scene?
Rory: I think there’s lots more new music in London. There are more good bands now and that’s good.

7/ Who writes the lyrics?
Rachel: Me pretty much, yeah. We all do our own thing, like Gemma writes her bass line, Rory does the drum line.
Rory: There’s no songwriter in the band.
Rachel: Yeah, we all do an equal share.

8/ What is the best gig you've ever done?
Rachel: I think it was the other night even though you probably hated it (to Gemma).
Gemma: Paris, definitely.
Rory: I don’t think we played our best gig in Paris but it was so much fun.
Rachel: Yeah. And the other night was pretty fun even though I got a punch in the head by one of the audience. I think that was the most punk/rock gig.
Rory: I think our gig in Paris was the most fun gig because we had to leave England.

9/ What’s your favorite song to play live?
Rory: Mackerel Sky.
Rachel: Yeah, that’s quite a fun one.
Gemma: I like "Bone you".
Rachel: Yeah "Bone you" is really fun. I like our new one, it’s the last track on the album, called "Murmer". I like it when Gemma sings, it’s nice.

10/ What other bands do you like at the moment?
Gemma: Dinosaur Jr.

11/ Do you know any French bands?
Rory: Yeah, les Negresses Vertes
Rachel: Housse de Racket (Laughs). We saw them live, they were playing with koko Von Napoo
Gemma: Stereolab

12/ Do you think the crowd in Paris is different from the English one?
Rachel: I think it was more fun because of the fact that some boys were telling me to jump on their heads and that would never happen in London, people in London are very reserved.
Rory: Even the young people in England are quite reserved, not really shy, but they are more worried about what is going on onstage. I played some gigs in France and generally the crowds were quite young; I think young kids here like going crazy, it’s a good atmosphere.
PE: I think it’s because we’re not used to having bands like this, you know.
Rory: People in London get up to bands everyday and they don’t really care anymore.

13/ Do you have anything else to add?
Rachel: “C’est super!” (Laughs) it’s the only thing I can say…Oh no wait “je suis une salope.” (Everyone laughs)