London-based three-piece The Kobras made their highly anticipated return with new single ‘Stardust’, stitching together a tumultuous blend of indie, punk, pop and rock to form their own brand of glistening psychedelic indie-rock.
Recently, the band have also shared a captivating new music video directed and edited by Kat Terek, styling by lead singer Dessy Baeva and shot at Cold Feet studios, and to celebrate, we thought we'd sit down with Harry from the band to learn a bit more about what makes them tick.
Great to meet you, Harry, thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions with us. Let's start at the beginning, how did the band come together?
"We have all been music lovers from an early age, Dessy and Chloe both played piano as kids as well as Dessy singing of course and me started playing guitar at around 10 but was playing air guitar at a much earlier age. So I think it all came naturally to us to start to create our own songs and sounds."
As a band, you've developed a wonderfully unique sound. How would you describe it to those not yet initiated?
"Psychedelic rock’n’roll? We never really know how to answer that question."
Building on that, would you say you have an influences that help define your music?
"As a band we all have wide tastes in music, we listen to everything, as long as it’s good. Though our biggest influences in terms of style and aesthetic are 60s and 70s rock, in terms of music it’s everything we listen to. From Cymande to Against All Logic. We try to create our own sound by combining all of the sounds we hear and like but our biggest influences would probably be Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Goat and Can."
'Stardust' has become a massive release for you. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
"'Stardust' was probably the first song we had written in which we felt like we had found our voice. It’s about what we like to think might help humanity thrive, universal unity. Which is knowing that we are all made from the cosmos and stardust, meaning we are all part of the same thing. It’s also about accepting that we are ultimately powerless to what goes on around us, outside of our own life decisions, so we should put all our energy into doing the loving thing and not getting hung up on the past or other people’s choices."
How did it all come together?
"We write songs in many different ways. Some start with jamming around a riff and building off it whereas others come from a chord progression, it's often just trial and error, seeing what sounds best eachstep of the way. For example with Stardust I had written the chord progression with the two opening lines in the verses, with a slightly different melody, as well as the riff from the chorus but at a slower speed. Dessy and I then sat down and got the rest of the lyrics, with her much more angelic voice. Then once we started jamming it out with the band the tempo of the choruses soon picked up and the “solo” section was also formed. It’s a mystery to us how it all comes about, we see ourselves as conduits to the music."
What’s next for the band?
"Well we have one more single coming out from the same recording session as 'Stardust', called 'Rabbit Hole'. We are about to start working on the music video, which should be very special and out there. We also have a headline show on the 3rd of May at the Old Blue Last (you should all come down to). Apart from that our main goal is to enjoy our lives and see where that takes us.
What would your dream collaboration be?
"To do an album with Rick Ruben."
What has been your best moment as a band so far?
"We played the Electric Ballroom, opening for Dream Wife last year which is the biggest crowd we have played for. They were amazing, really energetic and up for having a good time. Nothing can beat a crowd that responds well, especially if they are hearing your songs for the first time. We are hoping for many more nights like that."
One last question for you, if you had any advice for band’s who are looking to make it, what would it be?
"We don’t know if we can give that kind of advice yet but to us the best bands are the ones that aren’t trying to be another artist and make music unique to them. So be yourself and don’t be scared to try something new."
Naming artists like White Stripes, Gill Scott Heron, Santana, FKA Twigs and Khruangbin as their main inspirations, The Kobras combine elements of indie, punk, pop and rock to form their own brand of glistening psychedelic indie-rock.
The Kobras were formed by Dessy Baeva (vocals) and Harry Thacker (guitar) in London in 2020, with Chloe Tayali later joining on bass. Combining Bulgarian eastern mysticism and British stiff upper lip cynicism with a psychedelic induced faith in love and oneness, their music brings an authentic rock sound powerful enough to break down the warped mirrors of one's ego and get you grooving at the same time.
Celebrating the feminine, masculine and everything in between, musically, their message is about connection, togetherness and their place in the Universe. With Stardust being the first of a string of releases for The Kobras this year, 2023 shows no signs of slowing down this multifaceted band.
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