Welcome to In Conversation, a special interview column on the site where we sit down with artists and dive deep into everything music. Dobbin chatted to Thom and Jade of Kulk about an extremely special live session, why they’re a two piece band, and stage setup right down to footwear and ear protection.
Dobbin: Starting off with this live session at Earth House – tell us about how it came together? Simply as a visual piece, the live set is amazing. The natural light, Thom walking in whilst the feedback goes at the start, and the pillars occluding the shots are so cool.
Kulk: We were so humbled to be approached by the amazing team at Earthouse Sessions and be the first to create a session in the beautiful recreation Iron Age roundhouse in Dorset. Ali White, who directed the session, got in touch via Instagram, he showed us a picture of the place and we were floored. We absolutely love Dorset for its neolithic and historical sites which we often go and explore when we are playing shows in the area. The space is so fitting for us and it was a pleasure working with the team. They are all amazing at their jobs. It was surreal they worked so hard for our noise.
Dobbin: The audio is fascinating. I suppose there’s a history of these spaces being used for music. How were the acoustics when you were in there?
Kulk: We heard a space like this would likely be communal living spaces, im sure they would have probably told stories around the hearth, in a sense that’s sort of what we were doing there we just didn’t stay the night. The acoustics were surprisingly dry probably due to the wood above. It sounded huge. We were expecting it to sound not that great in the space and rely on the close mics. Instead we actually loved the sound and then when it came time to mix the session we put a lot of weight into it sounding like it did in the moment.
Dobbin: If I recall correctly this show has been your 2024 set. The last song, “Out Of Reach”, has been your final track at shows, if I’m correct. Since it’s track three on It Gets Worse, what convinces you to make it the pivotal closer? It’s absolutely a groover and very cool to see the electronics stuff meeting the guitars. You also speed it up a bit live – is that deliberate?
Kulk: Everything has been getting a little fast, I think it’s nice to play the songs a bit different from the record and recently we’ve really gotten back into bringing the BPM up. Out Of Reach makes a great closer because right when we’re getting to the end it feels huge and the ending is so abrupt. The absence of sound in that moment is the heaviest thing we could do, that’s what makes it really memorable.
Dobbin: There are a lot of awesome two piece bands right now in the UK scene – Tuskar particularly spring to mind when it comes to your style, but there’s also Zetra, Death Goals, Modern Technology, and fakeyourdeath, to name a few. The format is limiting but also creative. Are there any two-piece-ers who inspired you? Was it the plan when you started playing, or did you arrive at this format?
Kulk: We have always been big White Stripes but Kulk has always been an extension of our relationship so the thought of it ever being more than just the two of us never occurred. It’s a format that’s definitely becoming more popular largely because it’s easier and cheaper to exist as a band in these times. Sometimes it makes songwriting and building the sound really hard but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dobbin: I’ve always felt Kulk are hard to categorise in a very positive way. You can fit on a lot of kinds of show, and appeal to lots of types of people whilst still being ‘really out’ there with your sound. Human Worth makes a good home for you as a result, it’s full of sonic misfits. Tell me a bit about putting your record out through Human Worth, and perhaps any other spaces or events where you have felt your music has thrived, where people really “got you”? I’m trying to avoid putting a genre in your mouths here, and keep it community focused rather than categorical.
Kulk: I like to think we fit into everywhere and nowhere, we are definitely outsiders in most scenes but we have also been so lucky to have been accepted into an awful lot of them by some amazing people. Owen of Human Worth is the best label dad we could have ever asked for. He really cares about giving everything he can to all his releases. It’s really meaningful to have someone match the care you have for your record and get excited about it in the same way too. Arctangent felt like that as a moment, where all the outsider-ism clicked and felt more like a lot of togetherness, like there was potentially space for us somewhere. This last record I have noticed a sharp uptick in the amount of people who “get us” . I think we’re just starting to narrow in on what the ultimate form of what Kulk is.
Dobbin: Thom, I think you’ve always played barefoot each time I’ve seen you. It’s very fitting for the video, and presumably it helps with the pedals, but at this point it’s a mainstay. Ever regret it, for example, trodden on a nail mid set?
Kulk: It’s actually for balance, I was always falling over with shoes on, I need full toe capability to stand on one leg. There have definitely been times the stage has been less than clean and I’ve gotten back to wherever we were staying to discover absolutely rancid feet, once there was an alien plaster stuck to them.
Dobbin: Sorry if you get this a lot, but have you seen Sound of Metal? I think a good number of people who have seen that film will think of you two when they see you live. If so – Jade, you do use ear protection, right?
Kulk: Great film. Weirdly no one has ever said that but yes I do wear ear protection, I definitely don’t want to loose what we have going just yet.
Watch Kulk’s live session on Earthouse Sessions YouTube on January 31st. Today, they start a weekender with Believe In Nothing and Troy The Band. The shows are in Hastings (31st January), Ashford (1st Feb) and London (2nd Feb) – check their socials for the dates.