Introducing the swirling psych sounds of Perth's Western Kinsmen Of The Sun

Header photo by Peter Heathcote.

Western Kinsmen Of The Sun are a Perth band we actually stumbled across late last year at a uni band comp, and they blew us away with a powerful half-hour of psychedelic stoner jams that were kinda like a mellow version of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Their tracks, while lengthy, never felt obnoxiously long, and have plenty to say within them both instrumentally and lyrically. They're launching a new single, Heaven, at Mojos in Fremantle tonight, and we decided to get to know them a little better beforehand.

Tell us about about yourselves?

Western Kinsmen Of The Sun were spawned from a collective love for experiment and narrative, the idea that music can achieve more when it delves outside of expectation, to work on our emotions and explore the immense possibilities that music offers. The far reaching musical taste of all of us helps, we listen to an eclectic mix - Nina Simone, King Gizz, Hideous Sun Demon, Stella Donnelly, Leonard Cohen, Kendrick Lamar, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds... They all get played when we get together (not everyone appreciates everyone's taste however haha). Our upcoming EP Liminality was never intended to be what it has become. Initially it was going to be four or five distinct songs, that existed independently of each other but still worked well musically. It’s became a lot more cohesive in a narrative sense - when I realised that the lyrics I was writing were almost unintentionally telling a story from song to song. Following this Kinsman who feels himself through a world that he is yet to fully understand, making deals with devil, reconciling his wrongdoings and chasing the sun. The Kinsmen are Jay (guitar), Macca (bass), Rory (drums), Nick (keys) and me - Finn (guitar/vox).

What kinda tunes we talkin’?

Musically it's pretty diverse. We move about a lot, from rock, to jazz, to soul... We’re a psych band. But not if you see a psych band as big washed out phasers and crazy delays. Identifying as a ‘psych band’ is nice though, because it frees up room for experimentation and doesn't serve to box in what type of music you decide to play. The one thing that kind of separates our sound, especially I think in a live set, is the way that we play with timings. If you watch a live set or listen to our new track Heaven you'll hear us playing in three or four different time signatures in one song. It's self serving, we do it for ourselves because it's fun to play, but to blow our own trumpet I think it sounds pretty sweet as well.

Production/writing process:

It kind of changes from song to song, for most of the songs on Liminality I would bring the initial idea to the table, sometimes just a snippet and other times a fully fleshed out song. From there we play with it as a band and it transforms into this thing that could never have occurred without everybody taking a knife to the thing and re-stitching it to become something that is all of ours, and better than anything that just one of us could create. 

Can you tell us about your new single, Heaven?

Heaven is the closing track from Liminality and the final part of the narrative.

In its religious conception, Heaven as a place of eternal bliss and happiness, removed from suffering, is completely alien to my understanding. I feel that happiness can only really exist alongside suffering, and that's one theme that runs through the EP. If happiness and suffering cannot exist without the other - then how can one hope for never ending, eternal bliss? I think the concept of Heaven can be better found in the defining moments of one's life, where true happiness is felt, if not forever, but in the beautiful moments of our lives when we feel like we’ve have added something unique and lasting to the world. Be it in a memory made, or something new discovered. The song is about Heaven, not as a place, but as a time or times in our life where we’ve beat our hindrances and are living in a moment of clear, unchallenged happiness.

Heaven was recorded, mixed and mastered at Poons Head Studios by Rob Grant (Tame Impala, POND, Melody’s Echo Chamber).

Any shows coming up?

This Friday the 18th of August is the big one that we’ve been working towards! We’ll be launching this single alongside our brother band Spacey Jane (check them out) who will be releasing their debut Single Still Running. Supports come from neo-soul groovers Demon Days and a Jazz/Rock/Hip-Hop eclectic called Casual Sets, formed from some of our favourite musicians from bands such as Koi Child, POW! Negro, and Mosquito Coast. Get more info on it HERE.

We’ll also be supporting Psychedelic Porn Crumpets in Mandurah for their national tour on September 24th, and playing another sneaky little show, yet to be announced, after the AFL Grand Final on September 30th (will be abundant with meat pies, and back slapping).

What’s the rest of the year have in store?

We’ll be diving straight back into recording for the next one, but after this single launch we’ll be releasing our debut EP Liminality later this year. 

Where can we hear more of your music?

Those live shows are a good start, otherwise we’re up on all your digital streams and BANDCAMP, keep your ears out for the rest of the EP later this year.

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