Before releasing new album Different Creatures last Friday, I had the chance to chat to Circa Waves frontman Kieran Shudall on a range of topics — including the album, filming with Isaac Hempstead Wright from Game Of Thrones, and his love for Australia.
Emily: Well first off, I wanted to talk to you about the video for 'Fire That Burns', It's a thriller, within a thriller, within a thriller. How did the video come about?
Kieran: We basically said to the director that we didn't want to play up in the video, like us jumping around and that. He came up with this idea of the thriller, within a thriller, within a thriller and we all thought we could go for it. And then we sort of just messaged Isaac (Isaac Hempstead Wright aka Bran Stark in Game of Thrones) on Twitter to see if he wanted to be in it, and a few minutes later he got back to me saying “Yeah I'd love do the video” and so yeah it was really fortunate, and he was really cool.
The video looks really good. What was your favourite part about filming it?
Getting to strangle Isaac from Game of Thrones was really fun! (laughs) Yeah no, it was just funny working with someone who is in one of the biggest TV shows in the world right now and just getting to act with him was really great!
Is Isaac someone you have met before? How did this collaboration come about?
We just knew that he was a fan of ours from Twitter, so I just messaged him on Twitter, and that was it. We had never met him before, it was just one of those things where if you don't ask you don't get, and we asked, and luckily he was up for it.
Your album Different Creatures is coming out this week, what vision did you have for it before you began writing and recording?
We just wanted something that was huge and powerful and wide-screened, if you know what I mean. We wanted the songs to be a massive step up, and we wanted it to be a sort of nighttime record. The first record sort of felt like it was in the day and this new one feels very much like its made in the night. That was the idea behind it.
As you were saying the album is set to be a lot grittier than Young Chasers, how did this more mature sound come about?
I think with the first record, we look back at like a nostalgia type record, whereas this one is very present. It was all written in the first four months of 2016 where there was like one hundred and fifty songs written in a short space of time. I really wrote about stuff that was personal to me and what was going on at the time, more male depression and anxiety amongst the media and my friends. I wanted to speak about stuff like that. It was kind of the opposite of the first record really.
Is there a song on the new album that you are particularly excited to play live?
There is a track on the record called 'Out On My Own', which I'm really proud of. It's a really epic song, almost like a sing-along. A song about feeling like you are out on your own, even when you're surrounded by lots of people. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the crowd reacts to that one.
Have you guys got many tours coming up where you will have that chance to play new songs?
We have a UK tour starting after the album comes out, then a European tour and countless festivals over the summer, so there will plenty of opportunities to play this new record, and I can't wait.
You were in Australia a while ago now. Would you like to come back soon?
Yeah, we were there for a little while with the 1975, what feels like a long time ago now, but that was easily one of my favourite times I had on that tour, and maybe one of my favourite times in my life! We spent so much time hanging out and playing some amazing shows. We got four days off in Melbourne at one point, so we just got to explore and I think Australia is high up on everyone's list of places we try to get back to, we just need to find the time and find venues that will take us. (laughs)
Was there anything that you missed out on last time that your itching to get back to visit here?
I just love the heat and the sun, it's just so lovely there, and Melbourne was one of my favourite places, I just love the almost grid system of the city and Pie Face, obviously! (laughs) No, but there is just an exuberance and excitement in the Australian people, and it really rubbed off on all of us. I just want to feel like that again! And I don't think I am in the minority when I say that it's incredible.
Well, hopefully we do see you back here soon! And thanks for taking the time to chat today Kieran!
Yeah, hope so! Thank you.
Written by Emily O'Brien
