Off the back of their UK Tour, promoting latest album ‘Peace’, it looks like Kids In Glass Houses are destined for greatness. As well as playing across the UK, the band toured Europe and are soon to jet off Down Under for the Australian Warped Tour. Not bad, eh boys?
We were lucky enough to catch up with Aled before their show at Hatfield Rocks at the Forum. Check out what happened right here.
HTF: So you’ve just come off your September/October Tour. How was that?
A: Yeah, it was really good. It was strange as we hadn’t played shows properly for like a year since we’ve done some festivals and haven’t done a headline tour in two years, so it took a while to get into the mentality of playing headline shows after doing festivals for two years. But yeah, it was really good. After about four shows, once we’d kinda, I guess got comfortable doing it, it was really fun.
HTF: How was it changing up the set-list and getting out there with the new material?
A: We were quite conscious, and obviously we’ve championed the newest material. The last time we did an album tour we just played all our new stuff. So we were quite mindful of not overloading on new stuff. I think we found a good balance this time because the album hadn’t even come out when the tour started, so we didn’t want to push our luck. But yeah, the reaction of the new stuff has been really good. It was really nice to get back to places like London where we hadn’t been in so long. It was just really humbling that people were still there.
HTF: How did you keep the old fans interested, but attract new fans too?
A: The easiest thing to do is play the recent singles you’ve released, because people have seen your videos and that kind of thing and become the more universal songs. We ask people quite a lot of the time too. We’ve played enough shows to know what are the fan favourites, and then try and implicate the old fans. I think for lots of our fans, their favourite album is the first album. We’ll never quite escape playing those songs.
HTF: ‘Give Me What I Want’ will never escape the set-list!
A: We’ll soon get complained at for not playing some obscure song from the first album
HTF: I think its hard to get the balance right, as everyone has their own favourites, so you can’t please everyone.
A: Yeah. We always planned to rotate it, because you always want to put on a good show; a consistent show. You want to set out a good set of songs and leave it at that.
HTF: Did you have anything go wrong on the tour, or any crazy experiences?
A: The UK tour was pretty steady actually. It all went to plan. I know that’s a boring answer. We’re such skilled veterans at this point (laughs). We’ve got all the shit out of the way. We’ve done the falling on stage. I forgot words actually, to our oldest songs. Songs that we’ve played every day. I had complete mind blanks at certain points. But I think people expect it at this point. It just comes off as charming (laughs).
HTF: You’re about to go to Australia for the Warped Tour. How does it feel to be playing with amazing bands down under?
A: It’s really cool. We’ve done a festival called Soundwave there two years ago, which was quite similar. But yeah, its really cool. We’ve done some stuff with New Found Glory before, and one of our first European tours was with Simple Plan. So there will be a lot of meeting up with old mates, and in Australia summer time which is good, but I am such a sucker for Christmas, so it’ll be weird for me.
HTF: Yeah, Christmas in Australia with a BBQ on Christmas Day seems strange.
A: I’m willing to give it a shot (laughs). But it’ll be cool. Mallory Knox are doing it as well, so I think it should be fun.
HTF: Do you think that Kids In Glass Houses have achieved what they set out to achieve in 2013?
A: Yeah, I think so. The main thing was getting a really good album together and released, which I think is the biggest thing we’ve achieved this year. Tours were fairly successful. I don’t we were as amazing or on point as we could have been. But we probably feel like that about every tour we’ve ever done because we’re hyper-critical. We’ve managed to do a lot. We did our first ever European headline tour, which was a massive deal to us, and those shows were incredible. So that’s another thing we managed to tick off, surprisingly five years into our career (laughs).
HTF: Well its ticked off, that’s the main thing.
A: Well yeah. Our album came out in September, and since then we’ve a UK tour, European tour and an Australian tour. So we can’t really ask for much more.
HTF: So what are your goals for 2014?
A: I know at the moment we’re planning another bunch of UK shows, and visiting towns we didn’t get to do, and visit we venues we played years ago; ones that we really, really love. Like I know the Cockpit is coming up in Leeds. That’s always been one of our favourite shows. We’re going to try and go back to Japan, which is always good. We’re going to focus a bit more on Europe as we haven’t really given it a proper shot or focus on it. So we’ll hopefully go back over there and then obviously the festivals start in the summer.
HTF: What would you say the one song people must listen to from ‘Peace’ is?
A: I would say ‘Peace’. Its the first song, and it kinda sums up the album quite well. Basically we wanted to make the album fun. We took the album before so seriously. It all got a bit heavy and we lost ourselves in it a bit. With this one we wanted to bring it back to simple, clever pop songs. I think ‘Peace’ sums it up. The lyrics sum up our ethos, and who we are as a band. Its just a fun, rock anthem.
HTF: So you won Soccer Six this year. Is that a big achievement of the year?
A: Here’s the thing, I didn’t want to go. Iain, our guitarist was super, super excited for it. We needed ten players, so I was like, okay, I’ll do it. I used to be good at football and I used to really like football. Then I got into music, so I was like, I’m done with football now. So we agreed to do it. Then we went to You Me At Six and Thirty Seconds To Mars in Cardiff the night before, and we got absolutely smashed with You Me At Six. I got into my bed at 6am and I woke up and packed a bag with one shin pad, and half a boot. We got there, and I was playing in goal.
HTF: Well if you can win like that, then who knows what you could do!
A: I know. None of us expected it. We were taking it quite seriously. Well, I wasn’t, but they were. Our record was that we scored 20 goals. I won player of the final.
HTF: So who was man of the match in your team?
A: Well, me (laughs). Actually my mate Di, he played upfront for us, and scored 11 of our 20 goals. He scored a goal in the final that really was worthy of the trophy.
HTF: Did you have any kind of battle between you and the Blackout?
A: No, we really hoped we could have played them in the final, but they lost in the quarters, and we beat the team who beat them. We played Deaf Havana and beat them though. We played 6 games in total, all undefeated. We partied on Saturday to celebrate.
HTF: What have you been listening to this week?
A: I don’t actually think I’ve listened to any music this week.
HTF: Would you say your music is the music to listen to this week then? (laughs)
A: No (laughs). I’m trying to think what I’ve been listening to recently. Actually I’ve been listening to the Arcade Fire album, which I think is absolutely amazing, and Talking Heads who I love. I’ve been listening to anything New Wave or inspired by the 80’s. I listened to the Lady Gaga album yesterday actually, and its shit. I ashamedly was a fan when she did Fame Monster. She’s an exciting pop star, all be it a bit Madonna. I went to see her live, and I thought it was a really good show, and that she was doing something interesting. But I listened to it, and I really struggled to get through it which was a shame.
HTF: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A: A fox, just because I like foxes. The Fantastic Mr Fox, because he gets to wear suits.
HTF: What are your thoughts on School Of Rock?
A: Ah, I love it! I actually love it.
HTF: What’s your favourite bit?
A: Just generally the classroom scenes when he’s recruiting the kids, when he’s like…Oh, the Cello bit! He’s like “Cello, we got a bass.” That’s my favourite bit.
HTF: What is your favourite flavour of ice-cream?
A: See I’d always go with sorbet if it came down to it. I’d go lemon sorbet. But if we’re choosing ice-cream, I’d go with honeycomb or butterscotch.
HTF: Mmmm, nice.
HTF: If you could only listen to one band for the rest of your life, who would it be?
A: Prince. Not really a band, but good enough to be a band.
HTF: Well Purple Rain is always a classic.
HTF: What song do you enjoy playing live from ‘Peace’ the most, and why?
A: Judging by recent shows, I’d say ‘Set Me Free’. Basically, it was our attempt at doing a floor-filling, disco smash, with pulp and blur overtones. Like, a lot of people don’t even know the song, but its one of those songs where you just go nuts for three minutes. Its actually gone down really well.
HTF: Does it get any mosh pits going?
A: No, not mosh pits. Just more of a David Guetta fist pump vibe.
HTF: Is that your aim for tonight then? To get that David Guetta vibe going?
A: Yes, exactly.
HTF: If you could tour with anyone that you haven’t toured with yet, who would it be?
A: Hmmm, lets see. Katy Perry. On so many levels it would be cool to tour with Katy Perry. I’d like to tour with the 1975, I really like their vibe. I think we listen to a lot of the same music. We could bounce off each other. I mean big bands, I’d love to tour with the Police, or someone ridiculous. Like a massive stadium tour with the Police.
HTF: If you were stranded on a desert island, and you could only have one item with you, what would it be?
A: A pillow. My pillow. I took it on tour in Europe actually. It really got me through (laughs). You know, I had to sleep in the van a lot and it gave me more hours of sleep than anyone else got.
HTF: So food is fine?
A: Well there’s vegetation I’m assuming. I could learn to hunt, like Tom Hanks in Castaway. But if we’re thinking logically, I’d pick my helicopter.
HTF: You have a helicopter?
A: No, but its not a serious question (laughs).
Interview by: Emma Younger
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