We were fortunate enough to catch up with KABELLE following the stunning release of ‘Wonder’. Enjoy the full interview below!
Please note KJ = Katie Jones (singer) and AG = Adam Gordon (production/keys).
Hi guys, what is your songwriting process?
KJ: I usually see an image straight away with writing. I then hear the melody lines before the lyrics slot in. Imagery definitely plays a huge part for me.
AG: Typically, it’s thematic, getting an idea of mood, which feeds into the initial instrumentation and helps with the basics, such as tempo, before I start getting the groove and initial chord progressions down.
Tell us about your latest release, ‘Wonder’?
KJ: Adam sent me this track, and I fell in love with it instantly. As soon as I heard the intro, I knew it was going to be a special track to write. The main theme of ‘Wonder’ is essentially about putting yourself first and how it’s very easy not to do in life.
AG: it’s a song that really represents us and what we want to say; it’s uplifting with a positive message we hope comes through sonically as well.
Kabelle was formed in 2021 during COVID lockdowns; what was that process like?
KJ: The country had spent a year by this point understanding lockdown and getting through the worst of it. It was definitely an exciting experience meeting Adam online through a musician connecting site; we had a great connection off the bat. It would’ve been brilliant to be in the room together a lot of the time, but we did what we could, and luckily with software nowadays, we could do so. This project kept us super focused on creating something that worked for us both.
AG: Cubase and its remote collaboration both saved us and nearly drove us crazy! It’s a great example of how the process is constantly evolving – this simply wasn’t possible in the past.
You have a debut EP due for release in early 2023. Can you tell us any more?
KJ: It’s a bit of a secret, but we do have a 7 track EP that we cannot wait to share early next year, but the name is under wraps.
AG: it’s something I’m incredibly proud of and can’t wait to share with everyone.
What message do you think your music conveys to your fans?
KJ: The main thing for me is wanting our music to relate to people. Positivity in our sound is a huge factor but also writing about situations people can picture, or they’ve experienced, and the music immediately takes them there. With our EP, we really do want to take our listeners on a journey.
AG: We really took time to find a story through the songs, a message we thought was important and worth sharing with others. In some, this is positivity like our single ‘Wonder’, whereas, in others, themes like loss and mental health struggles are there.
Who are your musical influences?
KJ: With the band, I’d say Chvrches, Naked and Famous & The Midnight, but vocally I’d say Hayley Williams, Christina Aguilera & Beyonce.
AG: I’m a fan of electronic music pioneers, like Gary Numan and Kraftwork, and the new wave movement in general – these are the sounds that shaped my songwriting.
Who are your non-musical influences?
AG: He’s a pretty popular guy now, but the climber Alex Honnold is a massive influence on my approach and outlook. I personally consider him the most impressive athlete of all time, achieving what he has; the fact he’s also so focussed on charity too is inspiring.
What’s the best gig that you have ever played?
KJ: I won’t ever forget our first gig at ‘The Waiting Room’ in London, as it was our first time performing our music to an audience. I have been lucky to have performed in a lot of places around the world before meeting the guys, which I can’t wait to do with them. I did a huge festival in Beijing and that will always be up there as the most exciting gig, but it was absolutely boiling. It was definitely too dangerous for us to actually be working.
AG: Yeah, the Waiting Room debut will always be a great memory. The hands were a bit shaky on the keys, given we were playing songs we’d barely ever played together (physically) in front of everyone for the first time.
What scares you most when releasing music?
KJ: I guess the biggest fear is everything else around releasing music now. Social media can be a hugely negative place for anything creative at times; although it has its pros, it’s hard to ignore the latter.
AG: My response to the response scares me the most. It’s easy to get into your own head and overthink things rather than enjoy that the work is now public and can be shared.
What do you think are the biggest obstacles for bands/artists today?
KJ: Record labels are not signing songs unless they have an idea it will become viral. There have been many artists have spoken about that, and it sparks how the music business has changed so much because of social media.
AG: yeah, I’d agree social media is a minefield with a lot of processes to navigate and learn in order to be successful.
What advice would you give to other bands/artists starting out?
KJ: Stay true to the music you create, and make sure you are totally happy with the people you are creating it with.
AG: Just be you, be authentic.
What are your hopes for the next two years?
KJ: The EP release, an album release. A UK or International support tour followed by our own. 🙂
AG: We keep finding ways to share our music with as many people as possible.
FVMusicBlog November 2022
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