Brisbane reggae, dub, roots band, Kurilpa Reach today release their sophomore EP 'Can't Put Us Out Easy', a six-track project that sees the group sharpen their songwriting chops.
With an exploration of '70s funk that heightens the group's focus on groove and melody that leaves those within earshot heaving with exertion as their feet stomp the dance floor, 'Can't Put Us Out Easy' finds Kurilpa Reach with a bag of solid hits worthy of your attention.Singer/ saxophonist Luke Miskimmin sits down to discuss the new EP, the return to live shows, finding a new band house and repping the West End/ 4101 community.
Those new to Kurilpa Reach, how would you describe the band?
Great question: Our musical tastes are all over the place, and our music is probably best described as contemporary roots, but is a mixture of reggae, funk, indie rock, psych rock, soul and a bit of disco thrown into there too.
Generally we make music that makes people want to dance and have a great time; we focus on having a strong foundation of groove and melody.
Because our music tastes are all individually eclectic, it means we're able to jump from sound to sound depending on who's leading the charge when jamming; it's all very organic. Recently, we've been trying to be a little more deliberate in our songwriting, recording demos and trying to come up with new ideas from them rather than from live jams.
Tell us about the group's new EP, 'Can't Put Us Out Easy'; how do these songs represent the current incarnation of Kurilpa Reach?
This EP is the best representation of our current sound we have been able to produce in our history as a band.
It represents a maturity and a deliberateness in our songwriting that we didn't have before, and we finally feel like we have been able to capture our live energy in a recorded format which was our goal for the EP.
Also, there's a bunch of different vibes on the EP, from upbeat and dancey to reserved and emotional, but we feel like they all share the KR element which we are really happy about.
Digging a little deeper into the EP, the most recent single 'Reggae Woman' is an upbeat ride that demands stomping feet, while first single 'Sweet Release' has a deep groove that continually builds throughout the song before an epic jam-out. The flow and structure of the EP; what were you wanting to achieve?
As lovers of music, we think it's really important for an EP to flow well to make for the best possible listening experience, and to keep people interested and listening the whole way through.
As with our live shows, we wanted to make sure that even when the songs differ in their genre or energy level, that they flow together and make sense on the EP.
Given the extra time COVID has all afforded us, did this factor into the creation of the new EP, being able to spend more time on the project to further refine every aspect?
We actually did the majority of the tracking for the EP before the lockdown period hit, but unfortunately we weren't able to get back into the studio to finish things off for a couple of months when the restrictions were in place.
This was frustrating as we hoped to release the EP earlier, but like with everything else this year we just had to accept that timelines would blow out, and it did give us a lot of time to listen, reflect and add new elements.
Working with our producer Paulie Bromley at Yama-Nui Studios was such a sick experience, and he helped us a lot in terms of directing our ears towards elements we could add and also subtract to make the tracks more interesting and dynamic, so that when we finally got back into the studio we were locked in and ready to go.
Lyrically, does the band actively pursue certain subjects/ themes?
Not necessarily intentionally, but we do end up writing about things that mean a lot to us. Our songwriting process varies a lot, and sometimes a member will come to the band with something they want to say, but often we get inspiration from jams and write lyrics that come to us and are inspired by the music we are playing.
In saying that, we always end up repping our local West End community really hard, especially when it comes to critiquing gentrification and protecting the live music scene. We also just love writing songs about being with your mates and having a good time, 'cause that's what life is all about, right?
The group's ability to bridge from funk, dub, soul, to roots, reggae and rock is impressive; individual influences, how does each member shape the sound of Kurilpa Reach?
We all individually have pretty different musical tastes, which is where we get our melting pot of a sound from.
For most songs, we are all equal in the writing process, trusting each other to play what fits each section, but also we are lucky enough to have relationships with each other where we can say we don't like something or suggest a better option.
As a lot of our music comes from jamming together, that's why we can shift from reggae to rock to funk, often depending on who starts a jam with a killer riff or idea.
It must seem like forever ago, but the group's six-show season at Woodford Folk Festival; how was that experience and did the group come together, gel even better (kinda like a bonding session)?
It was honestly the best thing that could have happened to us.
Woodford is such an incredible festival, which really opens artists with welcome arms and we were lucky enough to gain a following of people that kept coming back and seeing us throughout the festival.
As a band, it felt like gratification for all the hard work and bad gigs we had to play to get to that point, and being able to perform on awesome stages with awesome crowds gave us the confidence that we can do this for real, and inspired us to work even harder to make our musical dreams a reality.
Live shows; you have an upcoming Gold Coast date with Electrik Lemonade; getting back on stage, performing to an audience (even if they're seated) must be energising the group?
One hundred per cent! We have played a few seated shows in the last few months, and honestly we have really enjoyed them.
Although it's initially strange to see a room full of people seated as opposed to a sweaty bunch of people dancing their heads off, once you play a few songs and feel the energy come back from the crowd you almost forget about it.
Other shows planned? Is touring a viable option yet?
We have our EP Launch on 5 December at The West Room, a new, awesome live music venue opening up in West End. We have been preparing like mad for this one and are keen to make it an awesome show with a few surprises! It'll really be a celebration of our EP and a huge night with our horn section helping us sound as phat as possible.
Beyond that, we are working on some things in terms of touring, but even still the scene is so uncertain that it's hard to nail down any dates. Fair to say the moment we can, we will be back on the road.
The band lists other West End groups like KOOII, Laneous, Kingfisha as influences; how important were these bands in forming Kurilpa Reach?
I wouldn't say they were central to the formation of the band; artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley and Ocean Alley were what we originally bonded over.
However, having grown up in West End seeing Kooii and Kingfisha live over the years gave us a really good window into what a band can do even if they don't necessarily fit into one sound. I think they became a stronger influence sonically a little later into the bands life.
If you can sift through the madness and rubble of 2020; what positives have you gleaned from a very difficult year?
This year has been pretty horrible, but it started really well for us; bringing the new year in at Woodford and a bunch of packed-out shows in and out of Brissie was really great, we also put most of the work into our EP before lockdown so it was really frustrating for us for all that traction to come to a halt.
We had also been house-hunting for a while and we've finally found a band house which is super exciting for us. The band room is massive and we're able to practice and song-write so much more.
The power of 4101 and West End in 2020; the suburb/ area has changed substantially the last five years, but I feel it still retains its character as an oasis of sorts for all sorts of different creatives: the weird, the wonderful – what does the place mean to you?
Yeah, it definitely is! Pablo, Vicente and Will grew up here and we all went to school in the area so we're all very attached to the place.
For us, it's a fantastic place to be if you're involved in the arts. There's always so much going on and gigs and events to go to, and it's very easy to surround yourself with like-minded creatives. I'd say the majority of our friends also live here, so it's actually pretty uncommon for us to venture out of the Kurilpa peninsula.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why?
I think we've discussed this before, but I'd say the main places that get thrown around would be London, Berlin and Melbourne.
All three of these places have fantastic music scenes with bands and artists we're all fans of. I think London would take the crown as their reggae and jazz scenes are popping. It would be so competitive though, plus it's so expensive.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party (why)?
Great question! We'd have to start with Jono Sri, our local legend councillor in Brisbane that has done so much to support the live music scene here, and also a gun saxophone player with The Mouldy Lovers who are West End scene legends.
Giles Peterson, a radio presenter and owner of multiple record labels in the UK would be so cool to hang out with. He is super influential in the jazz and neo-soul revival in the UK, and has supported some sick artists in becoming popular into the mainstream like Tom Misch and Jordan Rakei.
Finally, David Attenborough. I mean, who wouldn't want to meet him. It would be so cool to have a conversation with such a legend who has been advocating for and educating the world about the importance of the environment for so long, and surely he would have some incredible stories to tell.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us?
We haven't actually done many shared meals as a band which is a bit unfortunate, and our meal prep on tour wasn't exactly gourmet to be fair. However, the Burdell brothers make an awesome meal of completos, a Chilean version of a hot dog that's absolutely delicious, so that would have to be our KR go too.
