Following the success of previous singles Blue Moon and Siren, London-based Kid Cupid have now released a captivating new single, Easy.
Delving into the harsh realities of addiction and the internal conflicts of self-destruction, Easy juxtaposes a sense of fragility with blissful electro-pop sounds. Fusing together throbbing, pulsating beats and glitchy electronic hooks with sweeping melodies and the soulful purity of Laura Shaw’s impassioned vocals, Easy offers an epic, cinematic soundscape. Oozing a dark, haunting splendour, it’s a truly innovative creation filled with gritty textures and rich musical layers.
In this interview spotlight, we chat with members of Kid Cupid about influences, challenges, the new project and much more.
Full Q&A along with links and a stream of Easy below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
As a band we all have very different influences which makes for some interesting fusing of genres, we love the driving bassy synths sprinkled with r n b. It’s been tough amalgamating all our favourite influences to find our own sound but what you hear is just that. I think that’s what makes it so hard to pigeonhole us.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
Writing music is so cathartic, you literally spill your soul into this 3 minute project. It’s so personal but hopefully others can add their own meanings , if one person feels something because of a track we’ve written, then we’re winning! We’d be writing and playing no matter what. So why not try and make a career out of the thing we love?
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Ian: Mine certainly have… I grew up on a lot of southern California skate punk and that would be all I’d listen to. Nowadays I really enjoy a lot of country, jazz, hip-hop and everything in between. I just enjoy music now. It’s my best friend, it’s been there through the good times and the hard times and definitely allows me to draw from all those different areas
John: I love being pushed out of my comfort zone, it really helps the creative juices to flow. It might be picking up an instrument that I have no clue how to play, or experimenting with a weird jazz chord and trying to fit it into a pop song.
I used to listen to be a fan of a load of indie bands growing up – the Shins, Los Campesinos!, Jack Penate. Then when I went to uni I was exposed to a load of experimental 20th century composers, such as Phillip Glass and Steve Reich. At the same time, I was singing in a jazz band and also fiddling about with analogue synths. So needless to say, my tastes are pretty eclectic and seem to change all the time!
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
‘Easy’ delves into themes of addiction, I don’t think we’ve been so specific on a theme before. It’s something that we have experienced in some way or another.
What was the last song you listened to?
Laura: Youth by Glass Animals
James: Sorry by Nothing But Thieves
Ian: Kyoki by Alfa Mist
John: Angels/ Your Love by Mr Jukes
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Laura: I absolutely love my record player and nothing quite sounds the same as that.
Ian: I love vinyl, purely for making music tactile to me again. It makes listening to something an engaging thing again, rather than with all the digital files you can just start and stop and skip freely, Vinyl makes you make an effort to listen, read a liner sleeve, look at the artwork.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Laura: I’m an Apple Music girl, I LOVE the playlists it makes for me every week. Perfect way to discover amazing new music.
James: YouTube for me. Hear the song. Watch the video. Like it. Comment. See ya.
Ian: I’m an apple music user too, I have nothing but OCD for iTunes so it makes sense it fits with my existing library
John: I’m a big Spotify fan. I probably use it because it was the first decent streaming service available. The playlists on it are great and I like how you can use it in a browser if you don’t have access to the app.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
I think trying to drum up a fanbase that will come out to see a show (which isn’t friends or family) is our biggest challenge at the moment.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
We’re very active on our socials!
- www.facebook.com/kidcupidmusic
- www.twitter.com/kidcupidmusic
- www.instagram.com/wearekidcupid
- and Spotify
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Thanks for the support, we love ya!
