Kiosk - Interview

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 17 / 8 / 2003

intro

Kiosk is the new band of long-term Julian Cope guitarist Donald Ross Skinner. Anthony Strutt talks to him and vocalist Krissie Nicolson at Kiosk's first London gig about the group's first 18 months and their plans for its future

Kiosk is the new band of long-term Julian Cope guitarist Donald Ross Skinner. The rest of the group consists of his brother Gavin on drums, Magnus Hoover Box (his actual real name) on bass, and new boy Clunk on guitar. The project is fronted by the rather wonderful and lovely Krissie Nicolson, whose stage presence reminded me of Altered Images' Clare Grogan, but who vocally reminded me of Siouxsie Sioux and P.J. Harvey fronting a more restrained Stooges. The band has just self-released its debut single, 'Stratospheric', on 7" vinyl. Check out the band's website at www.kiosk.me.uk for more details I spoke to Krissie and Donald at a gig at the Pillow Club in King's Cross in London. While it was Kiosk's fifth gig, it was their first London show. The Pillow Club is run by Krissie's sister, Clare, who also has a band with a rotational line-up called Pillow. Pillow also played a set at the gig, with Clare being backed by all the members of Kiosk except for Krissie. PB : How did you first form the band ? DRS (Pointing at Krissie) : It was through her brother. KN : Don and I have known each other since we were 16. We first met through my brother who was playing in a band with Donald. DRS : You ended up in the band, didn't you ? KN : Yes, I did. I was part of the Sad Provincals (Laughs) and then we splintered off to do our seperate things and I was looking to start writing with someone again. I was speaking to my brother and we all ended up in my brother's studio and me and him just zoomed in on each other and we forgot everyone else (Laughs). PB : So Kiosk has been about a year's worth of work before this gig ? DRS : A year and a half because the first stuff we did was really different from what we ended up doing. PB : The sound has, therefore, changed a lot from the beginning. For some reason I expected it to be keyboards, guitar and drums. DRS : It started off like that. It was a bit more poppy. KN : I think we started off with other people's ideas and we then narrowed it down to me and Donald. We decided that we had more to offer. PB : Have you all contributed to the music ? KN : No, Donald had written everything really. I'm just the bimbo out the front (Laughs). PB : There's nothing wrong with being the bimbo out the front. You're blonde. You can get away with it. KN : Exactly my excuse is that I can reel them off, but he is the legend. When we get everything signed, I intend to get myself felt lyrically and musically, but I'm learning from Donald. PB : Who's been about a bit. KN : The old git ! PB : You gave me a CDR of material. Are there many people interested ? DRS : About 20 labels. PB : Majors or indies ? DRS : We sent them out to both to see what would happen. PB : There are a lot of people who will say they like something or are interested, but who won't put it out. DRS : Yeah, and they also hold back because they want to see you play. We have only just started to play live recently. We used to play in the studio to the minimum of people. KN : Also we have been through a band change as well. Now we are really happy with the band we have got and we feel really confident that we can go out there and be seen to be confident in front of industry people PB : And punters. KN : And punters, especially the deserving ones. PB : The last song you did at the sound check sounded like the Stooges with P.J. Harvey. KN : Aah ! Thank you. You're my best friend. PB : Now you have started playing live and sent CDRs out. Is there anyone you think they can do good for us ? DRS : At the moment we just get to do what we want and have total artistic control. If we sign to a major, they would just want us to re-record everything. We are actually doing this for real. They just want to get their name on it. KN : If a major wants to come to us on their terms, that's fine. DRS : Which is a bit of a dream. PB : Would you be prepared to compromise ? DRS : Not really. PB (To Magnus) : How did you get involved ? MB : I'm a long term friend of the manager. DRS : He was in a band called the Geezers of Nazareth which Tom sort of looked after. PB : Tom owns the studio. Right ? KN : He is my brother. PB : The two songs that I heard at the sound check. Is that the standard Kiosk groove ? DRS : There are a couple of quiet ones. There are a couple that... KN (Laughs): Go on ! DRS : What ? (Aimed at Krissie). It goes from really quiet to there is one that is more disgusting which we are not doing tonight. KN : It's blues. PB : I like blues. KN : It's sick. PB : Sick blues ? KN : It' sick. DRS : Kiosk is mostly rocking. PB : It's not what you have done in the past and, having heard some of the new stuff, I haven't got a problem with it. KN : (Laughs) DRS : That is pretty much what it is like. It's up tempo and spiky. There are 2 or 3 up key ones we do as well, We only do 7 songs at the moment. PB : So what is the relation between Pillow and Kiosk ? KN : Well, the singer is better (Laughs). PB (To Krissie) : So it is the same band minus you ? KN : Yeah ! Clare has been a singer/songwriter for years and years. She has done everything. She's done the whole thing on her own. It is different because it is very much her band, whereas this is more of band. She has got a great vocal style, while I just go and have fun (Laughs). PB : Thank you

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