Kill Teen Angst [KTA] is not just another band to sprout out of the one of the most isolated places in the Australia. Nor are they just a band with an angry name. Give them a listen and you’ll hear that they are a collective that are extremely avid when it comes to making and playing music.
Greg Sanders, KTA’s bass guitarist gives Faster Louder the full low down on their upcoming national EP tour as well as a little history that is Kill Teen Angst.
The band formerly known as Ten Speed Racer has seen its fan base rapidly expand within the Perth indie scene from 2006 onwards. Greg, being the last to join, says it’s probably because KTA “finally got its stuff together and began to define their sounds.” With a sound crossed with Mogwai and one of the band’s main influences Archers of Loaf; yet still keeping a sense of originality to their music.
Their track The World or Nothing saw the boys take home a WAMI [Western Australian Music Industry] Award for Best Rock Song of 2007. The WAMI made the boys’ year, so did the opportunity to play alongside one of their idols – Perth’s legendary Jebediah. Sanders described the experience as, “Unreal. We were probably all 16 or 17, when Jebediah got big.” So the experience of playing with them was amazing.
It may be looking really good music wise for KTA: but unfortunately the job descriptor ‘musician’ does not pay their bills. Greg explains each of the guys have to find time to play around their real jobs, “One works as a carpet man, one works in a fruit market. It’s true; we’ve all got crappy day jobs.” They can’t chuck in the “I quit for good,” just yet for their ideal career, but a week off this July leaves the boys just as excited to embark on their national tour. “Sadly it is our first venture out of Perth,” and it will be a short one. Due to time and money constraints, it will be quick zip across 3 states. Sanders describes it as “a light tour – with just four shows in four nights,” full of fast and infectious indie music.
Once they return it will be back to work – and into the next step for KTA. After three EPs Greg reveals that the boys are planning to release a debut album sometime next year. From there, they aim to go past their recent recording style; “Our last few tracks have been very polished pop. With the album we want people to feel the energy they get from our live shows.”
Emphasising ‘realness’ : KTA continue to keep it real. Not only in sound, but in image too. Using the example of a retro band which played with them once he states KTA never want to end up becoming a fashion statement [like a many bands today]. “This guy comes out in a shirt, and his manager screams at him to go change.”, he smirks, “I mean, we aren’t pretty, but most of the time we end up just wearing track pants or something.”
Pure sound with a message – and it’s really up to you. All that the band wants is for each person who gives them a listen is to get their thinking caps on. Even Sanders is left to think sometimes saying, “When it comes to writing songs I don’t even ask [lead singer Scott Tomlinson] what the lyrics are about. I like to interpret it in my own way.” A few months later sometimes Greg’s curiosity may get the better of him, and he’ll ask, “most of the time” his interpretation totally wrong. “It’s nice to leave it open to interpretation.”
To make your own decision make sure you catch Kill Teen Angst on their fast “four shows in four nights” tour this July. Shows not to be missed.
Thursday 3 July
Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne
Friday 4 July
Sonar @ Luna Park, Sydney
Saturday 5 July
Producers Bar, Adelaide
w/ No Through Road
Sunday 6 July
Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach
w/ Mammal
