The Paper Kites: Flying High (Interview)

Melbourne musician Sam Bentley formed The Paper Kites in 2009 with Christina Lacy. Since then, the band has grown into a five-piece. Their music is a delicate mix of folk, country and rock with comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan being bandied about. The band released their debut album, States, last year and toured Australia and the US, opening shows for City And Colour. Now, States has been released in New Zealand, and the band is about to embark on a short tour of the country. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Sam Bentley and found out that those Simon/Dylan comparisons have some basis in fact.

 

Click here to listen to the interview with The Paper Kites’ Sam Bentley:

Or, read a transcription of the interview here:

MD: Your album has been released, it’s been out for about six months in Australia. Is that right?

SB: Yeah I think it was last August so yeah, sort of around then.

MD: And it’s just being released here in New Zealand this month I believe. I was curious, first of all this is your first record and I know you’ve had a couple of EPs before that, but what was, what is your reaction been to the process of releasing the album and you know, the reaction of people, you know, listening to it and talking about it.

SB: I think people have reacted pretty well to it. It was um I suppose a little darker to the pervious stuff that we’ve released and it’s always a really big effort to sort out your first debut album. I know for us, particularly, we put a lot into it even just preparing the songs, we had so many demos just sitting there, I think it was something like 40 songs that we had to cut down from which was, it is a big process in itself and we’re a pretty diplomatic band so everyone kinda has their say and we’re all, I suppose, pretty keen on trying to make It the best we could everyone sort of had their own ideas of what would make it a great record. You know, everyone was sort of pushing for what they wanted but it was all kind of in the interest of making a record that we really loved and so it was great to finally finish it and put it out. And have everyone kind of seemingly embracing these new sounds and you know, they probably never tell you to your face they didn’t like it, but um nah I mean if you put out something that you’re really, really proud of…generally our fans are great and they’re just music lovers and they have um been, been enjoying it I think.

MD: I’m kinda interested because, you being the primary songwriter in the band, when you present these 40 demos to the rest of the band and start sorting through which ones you’re gonna include in the record, that must be an interesting process for you being the author of those songs and having to kind of you know, make that, let these other folks make that decision with you.

SB: Yeah.

MD: How is it for you?

SB: Yeah it’s really hard that’s right, that’s right. Like because when you’re bringing all those songs to a group of people that haven’t necessarily heard them and have spent as much time as you have with them, it is a little hard when some of them are kinda just written off straight away.

MD: Right.

SB: You’re thinking you know, I put lots of work into this song and you don’t know, you don’t know it like I know it.

MD: Right.

SB: But um it’s all part of it like it has to be done.

MD: Yeah.

SB: Um, and I’m a little bit manic sometimes with my writing like I love shifting in and out of different genres and stuff like that. So there might be one song that people, people really love and another song that is really kinda left wing, like oh I don’t know if this song belongs on the album. And that’s kind of how…there’s a song that’s out at the moment in Australia, it’s a single called A Lesson from Mr. Gray and that was kinda like a bit of a grungier sort of song that Dave and I had written. And um it was kind of a joke, it wasn’t meant to be on the album but we just kind of threw it in there for fun and our producer really pushed for it cause he thought it was a great song. Yeah I don’t know, it’s just things like that you know, I’m never really sure of what exactly I want on there. It kinda helps when other people get involved as well yeah.

MD: And the other thing was interesting. I think I read somewhere where you mentioned that the songs that you imagined Christina singing, you kind of discuss them with her in the writing process so that it feels like something that she can sing. What is that discussion like? What do you, how do you talk about what it is that’s gonna be appropriate for her?

SB: Yeah well I mean, we’re very good friends and I’ve known her for a long time so I think that particular time I knew a lot of what was going on with her personally and I suppose you try and say ‘Hey I’d like to write a song for you to sing and this is what I’m thinking of writing it about’. She’s definitely okay with it I mean although I want it to be something that is personal for her, I still kind of have the outlook of you know like a close friend that’s sort of sees it from that perspective. So I sort of wrote these songs and just brought them back to her to get the, I guess the overall approval of the lyrics and um yeah she loved it. She um, she said you know that’s pretty close to how I’m feeling and you know, she’ll make a few changes here and there but that’s sort of how the discussion goes. Like it’s sort of, it is personal but yeah that’s what the record is, it’s sort of like a collection of different states of mind from everyone in the band.

MD: Um the other thing in addition to your song writing, your guitar playing has been cited by several folks and I’m wondering if there are any particular guitar players that you look to when you’re you know, learning to play guitar that you just kind of models or inspirations.

SB: Oh there’s a lot of different um, different veins I suppose of guitar playing that I listen to. I love Paul Simon, I think he’s a pretty good guitarist. I mean and that’s kinda like an obvious one when you’re looking at folk playing and even players like Dylan, all those kind of a bit rougher.

MD: Right.

SB: Um, but even you know, artists like Nick Drake and stuff, he’s a brilliant acoustic player and sort of like I suppose went for the pioneering players of that, that sort of style as well.

MD: Right.

SB: Um, but yeah I mean it’s all over the place like I actually love a lot of blues players as well. Like I’m a huge B.B. King fan and Muddy Waters and players like that. I don’t know whether that actually comes into our music, probably not quite yet. There’s actually this great, great blues track that was written for the record but it was um, I think the world wasn’t ready for The Paper Kites to be playing dirty blues yet.

MD: Right. There’s always plenty of time.

SB: Yeah, that’s right.

MD: And you’ve been on the road almost constantly it seems like since the record was released. You’ve been to The States and Canada and toured Australia and it looks like you’re planning on doing that all over again. How is the time on the road affected the band and the music? Has it at all or is it….

SB: I think it has yeah. I think by the time we got back to Australia at the end of last year and we had a few festivals, we were probably the ‘tiredest’ we’ve ever been cause we’ve been playing so many shows and we knew, knew the music and knew the set back to front. And it definitely, I think, it just tightens your performance up, just playing that much. Even rehearsing the set that we’re playing for this, this tour we’re about to start like we’re really excited about playing because we all feel like we’re in a pretty cool place musically at the moment and everyone’s really clicking and  often when you’re practicing or rehearsing a set, you are just thinking about the things that you need to remember. So it’s hard to step back and actually enjoy a song but because most of these songs we’ve played so much now, we’ve had time to kind of mess around with them and change things up a little bit and bring in a few new little toys for the band. Everyone’s really enjoying playing together at the moment and yeah it’s a great thing.

MD: And when you tour with the band like City And Colour, who have been on the road for a while and have been doing it for a bit, do you kind of sit and watch and take notes and kind of think about how you can assimilate some of the stuff they’re doing into what you do as far as performances goes.

SB: Yeah, well I mean any band you play with that is doing incredibly well and they’ve been doing it for a long time, you have to respect that and you have to um sit back and kind of just um, I guess take in all you can. Kinda like a sponge really and we loved watching those guys night after night, we just, we’d have our favourite songs, we’d, yeah I suppose we’d be taking notes in our head of you know, what they’re doing and what they sound like and we’re gonna copy that exactly to the next tour but yeah I mean they’re such a great band and the reason that Dallas is bigger as he is, is cause he’s a very talented song writer with a, with a great band as well. So you know, there’s a reason that those artists, I don’t know where they’re at, it would be a real pleasure to be able to tour with them and watch them night after night. Yeah it was a great time playing those shows.

MD: Now these shows coming up in New Zealand are they the first ones for you in New Zealand or have you been here before?

SB: We have actually been there before but it was a long time ago. It was probably um, I’d say almost three or four years ago. We just did a small run, I think we did a show in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington. And it was just little clubs and little pubs and stuff like that, little bars and they were great fun. We toured with um, Avalanche City at that time.

MD: Oh right yep.

SB: And um, yeah Dave was a good friend of ours. I sort of met him before he kind of kicked off that project. And we loved it, we’ve been meaning to come back for a while but we haven’t got around to it. So kinda exciting to be finally coming back onto New Zealand soil and getting to play Auckland and Wellington again and catch up with friends.

MD: So for folks who may have seen the band in their formative years, say a few years ago, what will they find that is changed from back then?

SB: Yeah, I think it’s gonna be a different band altogether. We’re actually commenting at practice the other day, our sets got really loud um so if anyone’s kinda expecting a stripped back sort of performance you might want to bring some ear plugs. But um, I think it’s just a natural progression like when you start, I suppose bringing out new music and I suppose challenging people’s ideas of what you can do, that’s when your live shows start changing as well. Um yeah we’ve been developing it for a while. And even bringing on the road last year sort of, you start playing songs a little bit differently cause you’ve been playing it for so long. And yeah the whole set kinda um, changed I guess. And it’s gonna be fun to see what people think considering we haven’t been there for a while so we’re looking forward to playing all the new stuff for everyone.

Listen to Living Colour from States here:

MD: I was wondering how, because the music on your record is…there’s a lot of it that is very quiet and quite delicate, how that translates to playing in a say in a pub where it can get kinda noisy and more rowdy? Is it problem for you guys?

SB: It has been in the past. It really depends on the crowd like um, you can still have a rowdy pub crowd that can be somewhat I suppose respectful when the band plays. Otherwise they can just shout and yell through the whole thing and you’ve got to be able to um, roll with it either way. We’ve had shows where I’ve been really annoyed cause everyone’s talking and then we’ve had shows where we’ve been like ah stuff it, let’s just, let’s just cater I suppose to the rowdy crowd and we’d kinda chop up our set and just play like really loud numbers and it seems to work as well. But at the same time you don’t want to compromise your sound based on a rude audience. So, but that was a while ago you know, been a couple of years since it’s been like that. I mean people have sort of I guess changed their show etiquette.

MD: Right.

SB: And then you get in Australia, but we’ve always had great crowd in New Zealand. Everyone’s been really into it and I think either way you’ve gotta do what you do and people will either listen to it or they’ll talk through it. Depends on the setting you kinda need to cater the venue to your show as well but er, The Kings Arms would be interesting, I know that typically it’s a rowdy venue.

MD: Yeah, there’s always a bit of bottle rattling and people in the background commiserating with each other. I always wonder about people who talk through shows, did they pay to get in, did they pay to do this or what is their motivation for being there, but they could be doing that in their own house. You know, so I don’t know.

SB: Yeah, that’s right. I had a few conversations with them from stage and it’s been, I don’t know, it kinda bugs me every now and then but you know, that’s okay, it’s all part of it.

MD: And I see that, speaking of New Zealand music and the scene here, that you’ve been compared at times to The Phoenix Foundation and I was wondering If you were familiar with them at all and if, what you made of a comparison like that.

SB: I actually can’t say I’m familiar with their music.

MD: To me they’re kinda like, I kinda consider them, in a good way, kind of New Zealand’s version of Wilco.

SB: Oh okay great yeah sorry I feel really ignorant.

MD: Oh no that’s fine, not everybody knows everything.

SB: I’m gonna look them up now though.

MD: Yeah, they are an excellent band, they’ve been around for probably about 10 years now and put out about 5 albums. Check em out.

SB: Wow. Well I do love Wilco, so anything that’s kind of New Zealand version of Wilco I’m interested.

MD: And they’re probably gonna kill me now for calling them that but oh well..

SB: We’ll never tell them.

The Paper Kites perform at Bodega in Wellington on Friday, May 23rd and at Auckland’s Kings Arms on Saturday, May 24th. Click here for more NZ tour details.