Freshly rebranded, Cultdreams (formerly Kamikaze Girls) are back with new music set to release later this year. With a new name and living in different countries (Brighton, UK and Antwerp, Belgium), the duo reckon their new music might be their best yet.
Lucinda Livingstone and Conor Dawson catch up with us after their set to talk about their new music, the writing process while living in separate countries and featuring their pups on future records.
How was Washed Out?
Conor: Washed Out was great fun, it’s always nice to play festivals where loads of your friends are also playing. It was really great to get out and start playing some new songs too, especially under the new name as well, it was a breath of fresh air.
Who was your favourite band of the weekend?
Conor: itoldyouiwouldeatyou were fantastic, they were on directly before us and ended their set with an acapella vocal piece, which is definitely a different way to finish your set.
You’re currently working on new music, what can you tell us about that?
Conor: We wrapped up the record at the end of March, so we’re nearly ready to go with it. We recorded it up in Leeds with our friend Bob Cooper, who did our first album Seafoam as well as our EP SAD. He’s been a friend of ours for years and we always have a cracking time recording with him. He’s also the only person in the history of ever that’s told me to play my drums louder - Bob will always be the greatest.
What was the creative process like?
Conor: It was very different for this album. We are currently living in two separate countries so the writing process wasn’t as much writing together in the same space like it has been in the past. We’ve been recording some ideas and sending them back and forth, then getting together a few times and seeing how everything sounds full band. I think this process has actually helped us grow as songwriters as we’ve tried out new things that we wouldn’t necessarily have tried if we were writing together.
How is the music under the new name different from your previous releases?
Conor: I don’t think the name really dictates how the tracks sound, we just write the music that we want to write. It’s difficult to judge when you are as close to the music as we are, but it definitely feels like this is some of the best stuff we’ve ever written.
What are the general themes on the new album?
Lucinda: A large percentage of the album is about experiencing death and loss, as well as learning to grow out of the negative situations you find yourself in. Lyrically I have been the most honest and upfront I have ever been, I always try to write the most honest lyrics I can and stay true to myself. That's all I can say for now.
Mental health is a running theme throughout your music, how important is it these days destroy the taboos around it?
Lucinda: It's super important to keep the conversation going, and to direct people to the resources we have available in the UK for mental health services. I think the music industry is doing a good job of that at the moment. It's good to see specifics being talked about as opposed to the usual 'talk to your mates' or 'talk to someone' because that isn't always an option for people having a tough one.
What are your plans for the future of Cultdreams?
Conor: We recently both got dogs, so we’re planning loads of really long dog walks and working out a way in which to get both of our hounds onto our next record. Other than that, we’ll probably do the usual - play a lot of shows and festivals, starting with Booze Cruise in Bristol in May and Hell Hath No Fury Fest in Manchester in June, then we’ll probably head back out on tour.
Cultdreams' new record will be released later this year.
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