Gangs of Ballet have released the first in a “triptych” of EPs, Form & Function. Brad Klynsmith, frontman of the group, answers a few questions.
Good day, Brad. How are things these days?
Really great, thanks. Woke up at 5 am and had an early morning surf. Durban’s the best!
Photo by Craig Scott
Congrats on the release of Gangs of Ballet's new EP, Form & Function. As it's the latest release since the success of 2013's debut album, Yes/No/Grey, did you experience any pressure to live up to or exceed expectations of fans and industry types created by Yes/No/Grey? Or was there a specific new direction or territory that Gangs of Ballet wanted to move into as a band?
Yeah, I think there is always a bit of pressure with new material, but to be honest, the best pressure was probably the fact that we had to reinvent ourselves after Hardus left the band, and we are a three-piece now.
According to a press release, Form & Function is the first in a triptych of EP's that will be released by Gangs of Ballet. This is a really interesting approach – how did you come to the decision to take this route, as opposed to, say, the release of a full-length album? When are the next two arriving, and how do they tie into each other so as to form this triptych?
Yeah, it was quite a lengthy decision to make – eventually we really felt that it was by far the best approach for us. We basically just want to make music and this way we are doing that every six months. It means we record the songs that we have the energy for in the moment and what's current, instead of touring 12 songs for two years. We're back in studio in February and part 2 is already coming along so well.
Gangs of Ballet continues its style of strong anthemic, hook-driven songs on Form & Function – "Always" has already gained a lot of traction and "I can hear you" is sure to become a radio and festival favourite. Yet there are also strong hints that Gangs of Ballet likes to experiment – "Nylon", for example, is a song that doesn't exactly fall into traditions of radio-friendly singles, and the music seems to branch whimsically into unexpected areas. In what ways do you and the rest of the band like to experiment in songwriting and production? How do you keep challenging yourselves to get better in different ways, and how do you create the best balance between experimenting with new stuff and sticking with what's worked so far for you?
We've called part 1 our transitional piece – it's where we came from and where we want to go. Progress is a big thing for us. As people we naturally do it, from clothing style to world view; it's a natural thing. We've listened wider than we have done before and we're focusing on putting a bit more of our South African roots back into the music, so we'll see how that goes.
The often underestimated trickiness of balancing good lyrical work with strong, memorable melodies is something Gangs of Ballet seems to excel at effortlessly. What is your viewpoint of what good lyrics should be, and when do you know that you've nailed the lyrics for a specific song? How does the songwriting process work in Gangs of Ballet – do the words follow the music, or is it all created simultaneously in a big bang kind of way?
At the end of the day you have human beings creating music to communicate to other human beings, which is a simple but essential concept that you have to be disciplined in remembering, because when you don't, one of the parties becomes the “other”, and emotions don't stick to inanimate objects … #philosophicalbabble.
Josh and I will generally write the initial idea and the band creates the song in the band room.
Yes/No/Grey secured a bunch of SAMA nominations for you, as well as an MTV Award. What kind of role do you think these nominations and award ceremonies play in the music scene, locally and internationally, and what kind of role do you think they should play, especially in South Africa? Do you think musicians tend to rest on their laurels, or stop trying to top themselves, when the awards roll in? How did you experience receiving all these accolades?
It's amazing to receive those things – it validates what you're doing, I guess. It's important for public perception and certainly looks great for the international CV. I can't speak for everyone, but we know that when those things happen, you work double, because momentum is your best friend.
The three members of Gangs of Ballet all studied music at tertiary level, but I'm sure there's a will within the band to keep studying and evolving and exposing yourselves to new inspirations (it does show on Form & Function). How would you say your writing and the band's sound have evolved over the past few years, especially since the release of the debut album? In what ways would you like to keep evolving?
We're loving the electronic element and we've been pleasantly forced into more of it with Hardus leaving and our using only synth bass now.
Earlier in 2015, as you’ve mentioned, you lost your bassist, Hardus de Beer. What kind of impact did this have on the dynamic of the band? It's noteworthy that, as you’ve pointed out, you are now continuing as a three-piece – was there a stage at which you considered a permanent replacement member, or how did the band dynamics have to adapt minus the bass player? How has it affected your live performances?
No, it was Hardus or nothing! Two-fold: he’s a brilliant player and hard to replace, plus you’re basically married to your band members, so finding a great player and nice guy is a tougher thing to do than you’d realise. It means we also moved more to synth bass, as I’ve said, which Jonny does live, and we’re stoked that even with the loss of a member we still play live without tracks. Jonny covers piano, synth and bass every show and loses kgs trying to pull it off.
Since we last did an interview, in 2013, a lot has obviously happened in the world of Gangs of Ballet. Any particular highlights in terms of performing, touring and recording in the past two years? Any specific challenges you’ve had to work hard to overcome (Hardus’s departure aside)?
It’s been head down and hard work for us, touring is really rad and we’ve been playing all over South Africa, cool opportunities to open for internationals like One Republic, recording with Denholm Harding, awards, SAMAs, everything besides the sex and drugs, because my wife is the bomb!
What does the near and far future hold for Gangs of Ballet, as far as you can control it?
Part 2 is getting tracked in Feb and we are on an all-time mission to get overseas multiple times this year, if possible.
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