It’s been an incredible and fast rise for British rock duo Royal Blood.
It was only four years ago that singer/ bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher formed. The very next year (2014) they released their self-titled debut album, going straight to the top of the charts across the world and becoming the fastest selling rock debut in the UK for three years at the time. Now they have released their new album ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’.
When I talk to Mike, the duo are preparing for a big weekend in Australia as a headliner at Splendour In The Grass. It’s amazing to think all this has happened in the space of four years. “We really went through the gears of that thing,” a shocked Mike realises.
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“It’s only with hindsight we’ve realised how quick and aggressive everything happened for us. It was probably one of the most intense periods of our lives. It was a real roller coaster.”
Mike and Ben’s friendship goes back to their teens, bonding over a mutual interest in music and humour, most apparent in their early band named Flavour Country. “I was always very impressed by Ben’s drumming. Even at a really young age he was the hot kid on the block. And we both shared a good sense of humour with music as well.
“We were always in all sorts of ridiculous bands who made songs just because it was funny to make them. That kind of naïve and pure approach to making music, which is kind of what you always want to go back to. I think that’s part of the reason our chemistry is so good.”
"I love that rock music isn’t as much of a dying art [in Australia] as it is in other parts of the world."
Initially playing piano, it was Ben who suggested Mike take up bass setting them on the path to becoming Royal Blood. “Ben had just recently joined a punk-rock band and there was a job going as bass player.
"He was like, ‘Look, the basslines are really easy' and I didn’t have a job at the time, so I picked one up [bass guitar] and blagged my way into that band,” he laughs.
“I really enjoyed it; it was so different to everything that I had done before. I just found I never put it down.”
The last few years have been a massive adjustment, with Royal Blood's soaring popularity leading to supporting heroes Arctic Monkeys, headlining their own shows, more travel and more exhaustion. “I think it’s just more intense because we were doing everything for the first time,” Mike reflects on that busy period.
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“It felt like every time we had healed from the experience, we were doing a bigger experience that broke us again. We were more in survival mode and trying to make sense of everything and working it out as it was happening in real time. Whereas having a year away making a record, we had to get our ducks in a row again and reset and recharge.”
Royal Blood’s debut was a huge assault of grungy rock and a learning experience. For ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’, the band haven’t thrown a huge curveball and completely changed what made fans pay attention. “The two albums were made in very different circumstances.
"The first album was something only me and Ben knew about. It was these demos that ended up becoming an album. This time around it was like this opportunity to really craft something and make a body of work and something cohesive.
“It felt like a real record. Not that the first one isn’t, but this one had a lot more intention on it. We also had more than £500, so we spent more than a week recording it, which arguably lends itself to more problems sometimes; things get a bit elaborate in the studio. Apart from that, it was really just about what we were actually writing and the tunes themselves rather than how we were recording them.”
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Another change was the subject matter of the songs. A quick scan of the album's songs reveals titles like ‘I Only Lie When I Love You’, ‘Where Are You Now?’ and ‘Hole In Your Heart’, and appear to be Mike personally addressing people in his life. “I think it was just about being a bit more reflective and honest in terms of what I was going to say,” confirms Mike.
“There was a brief period at the beginning of the process where, in hindsight, I was fabricating a lot of content. I was quick to catch myself out. So I just started writing about what was going on around me and that meant being a little bit more vulnerable in some of the songs and not being afraid of that. I think you can spot a fake a mile off and when you’re as bad at lying as I am, it’s kind of hopeless.”
With the new album out, Mike and Ben are now gearing up to play live; something they’re excited to do again. “Playing on stage is what comes naturally to us. It’s kind of the reason we do all this nonsense. It’s where we’re probably most comfortable.
“I guess we’re more seasoned being on the road. We kind of know the game and we know what we’re in for. I think having that experience has improved our time on the road, even though we’re fairly fresh in this new album campaign and being back on the road again. It already feels more fun than ever, actually.”
By the time you read this, the band will have played their second Splendour In The Grass. But they’ll be returning to Australia next year for their biggest tour yet. The constant trips to our shores would suggest Royal Blood love Australia, but it’s more special than that.
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It was a trip to Australia when Mike got the idea to start Royal Blood and a car ride home from the airport when Mike asked Ben to form the band with him. “I think that when I travelled here it was just like the cliché working-holiday where it was an opportunity for something completely different.
“The age I was at, I wanted to go as far away from the UK as I could. I really connected with Australia and made some really good friends. The culture of music is really exciting. I discovered loads of amazing music. I love that rock music isn’t as much of a dying art as it is in other parts of the world. It’s great to be back and it’s my second home.”
‘How Did We Get So Dark?’ is out now.
Royal Blood 2018 Shows
Tue 24 Apr - Hordern Pavilion (Sydney)Mon 7 May - The Riverstage (Brisbane)
Wed 9 May - Margaret Court Arena (Melbourne)
Sun 13 May - HBF Stadium (Perth)
