Could there be a more apt location for a band to form than inside a microbrewery?
While you think about that, the two founding members of Kid Le Chat did exactly that when they first crossed paths in Rio de Janeiro.Surrounded by the sound of heavy machinery and the smell of boiling hops, the expat Australian David Wilson and Brazilian-born New Yorker Leo Moretti (the brother of the Strokes' drummer Fabrizio) began exploring electro/ acoustic timbre that would lead to the self-titled album 'Kid Le Chat'.
After enlisting the talents Michael Sue-Poi on bass guitar and Sam Ubl on drums, two releases and a slew of raucous live shows later, they're gearing up to drop their new EP with the lead single 'Short Term Memory Loss'.
Beware, its crunchy guitars and angular rhythm section will hook you in. "We wrote this song on the subway going into Manhattan and there was a brief blackout of the train's lights somewhere under the Hudson River," the band says.
"It didn't last long but long enough to give us a quick scare. I guess the song is about the sense of not knowing where you are even if you think you're heading somewhere."
Who is Kid Le Chat? We met in Rio de Janeiro at a mutual friend's brewery and we subsequently set up a mobile studio there to take advantage of the free beer and popcorn.
We sound like... A Frankenstein creature: Mix of the music we love which would include new wave and synthwave with a twist of shoegaze.
Our first gig was... At our friend's bar in Rio de Janeiro, above a place that specialised in serving meats on a stick like kebabs that were actually pretty delicious. It was a pretty cool crowd and it went pretty smooth for a first show.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision? Leo: We initially wanted to call ourselves Yacht Club, but unfortunately that name was taken so David came up with the name inspired by an old poster of a French soap, Savon Le Chat and my cat Fuzz, who was our studio mascot.
In the studio we usually... Start a song with some kind of sound or timbre that inspires our ideas rather than sitting down with a guitar or whatever and strumming out a tune.
Out of that, a good 70 per cent of the time it turns into a nothing burger, but the other 30 per cent has resulted in our two albums and upcoming EP, so it is a process that seems to work for us.
If we could tour with anyone? Leo: I think logic would dictate that we would probably enjoy touring with our heroes, but I'm always wary to meet heroes because I find it important to separate the work from the person.
Spending any extended period with anyone might ruin their work for me, if he or she turned out to be a prick; I wouldn't be able to listen to work without the blemish of a bad interaction.
So ideally touring with a band of kindred spirit like minded individuals would be cool.
Social media is... Leo: Social media is going through its terrible teens fomenting division and hate, but I believe it will get past this dark stage of its existence eventually (hopefully sooner than later) and go back to being a source for the amazing wealth of information and connection that we know it can provide.
My favourite app at the moment is... Leo: I'm a big drum machine fan and I love music apps.
Patternator is an incredible drum machine app, visually and functionally, and it also offers the possibility for users to create and share drum kits they make using the app. So my thing of late has been to create drum kits in this app. Very inspiring.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... Leo: watching David dance on stage. David: Watching Leo strike up casual conversation at a party.
Life on the road can be... Awesome and unhealthy.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... pizza.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in... David: Flying into Rio from NYC and having my guitar embargoed by customs requiring that I take out a loan to pay an exorbitant amount of money to get it returned to me.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band? Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot because his energy is intoxicating.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Tokyo would be cool as it might feel like living in the future.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party? Leo: Oliver Stone because I love his work and he seems like a person with whom it would be easy to have a conversation with. Jerry Seinfeld because his comedy is a mainstay with me. Conan O’Brien, whose podcast has kept me company during lockdown.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? David: Anything fresh from the ocean with the exception of octopus.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... pizza.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... middle school gym class.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? David: Laundry sucks.
Do you have any phobias... please explain? Leo: I can't watch any scene from the movie 'Jaws'. It's not so much a fear of sharks, but just a fear of that particular movie. I was obviously traumatised by it at young age.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Not fans.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Leo: Sometimes David muses about disguising himself as an officer of the law and knocking on a neighbour's door to inform them of a loved one's passing.
