INTERVIEW: Kenny + Mia from Eyegum
What draws you guys to live music?
M: For me at least, I’ve always loved music, and live music is just so sick. It’s just really good.
K: It’s really the time I feel the most alive, seeing people perform, their heart and souls, even if I like it or not. Just being in that kind of environment, there’s not really much else that brings me to reality as much.
Who is the biggest diva?
K: Yeah totally.
M: You know it’s you.
Do you wanna explain why?
K: Youngest child. Drama and music person. Once I discovered I could be real loud, I never really took it down.
M: Never stopped.
K: Because I also just don’t care what other people think, and I’d rather just be loud for my own enjoyment, than other people caring. It’s really fun, like YUH! That shit, oh it’s so much fun.
M: Also, before every Eyegum when we’re about to go on and I’m like “Kenny, we gotta get going, like it’s time to start the show” Kenny’s like “Hold on, I gotta get a beer and I’m gonna take a shit.” Ten, fifteen minutes waiting for this boy to take a nervous poo and get a beer, and then we’re ready to go. Every time without fail, and I’m always like “Where’s Kenny?” He’s always taking a nervous poo and getting a beer.
K: Totally.
M: Or! He’s running across the road to Midnight Espresso to get a piece of cake. We’ve been running late so many times because he needs to go to Midnight Espresso to get a slice of cake.
K: The cake’s so important, it soaks up the fear. It really does, that $7 slice, it’s the taste of home. Taste of home.
Gender and cultural diversity, what does that mean to you guys? What is a way that your group projects that?
M: So that’s something that’s really a priority for me, it’s something that’s really important to me with all of our bookings. I think it’s pretty apparent in our music scene, not just in Wellington but worldwide that there is a huge lack of y’know, cultural and gender diversity amongst the music scene. And I feel like it’s our responsibility as being people who y’know organise and run gigs and have that opportunity to put people on somewhat of a platform, to even out that inequality. So when I’m booking I always wanna ensure that I can include more y’know people of colour, people of all different cultures, women, non-binary, transgender y’know just a full spectrum of people on the stage, because when you see someone that you identify with on the stage, y’know doing music, it makes you feel like you can do it as well. And I think we need more of that to inspire more people to get into music and do it themselves.
K: Yeah, ditto. But also I’ll just say that our priority isn’t dude-bands, we want to help bring more representation to these groups and these people. I try my best not to book dude-bands.
M: Yeah I probably get about 10 messages from dude-bands to every like, one message from a non-dude band.
K: There was one band that said brownie points like, “we’re gonna claim those brownie points.”
M: It’s like, please.
K: Please no.
What will your 2021 look like for Eyegum?
M: So I’m actually taking a bit of a break from Eyegum for a little bit, I’m probably gonna take about 2 months maybe break, just to take time out for myself and prioritise my mental health which I think is super important. One thing that I love about working with you guys and Eyegum is that everyone’s super super supportive of that, so I’m gonna be bringing in someone to step in for me for the next couple months, and then she’ll probably stay on after me as well! So we’re kind of adding more diversity as well, not just to our lineups but also to our group.
K: I’m really looking forward to, I’m just coming up with another idea, I think with how 2020 went, really, it’s made me really appreciate each gig as its own thing, and not just this part of the week like, embracing it because we don’t know what’s gonna happen so, just trying to make each gig the best it can be and just embrace the moment as to what it is. I’m also looking forward to trying to diversify the sound a bit more. I had a great time last year, it was amazing! But there was a lot lot less hardcore, or like, intenser music that I’m personally more drawn to. We’ve got a grindcore band playing later in the year and I’m so, so excited. So yeah, trying to get more diversity sonically. I remember overhearing, well no, my mate Bella overheard this person talking and it was like “I’ve just gone to Eyegum and it’s just mullets and doc martens and indie rock.” And like, as true as that is, and that’s not something I’m gonna fight, it’s also something I want to, I’ve always wanted to bring a bit more of an edge. *in monster voice* YEAH, BRING MORE OF AN EDGE, OVER TO THE EYEGUM.
M: Another thing. I’ve actually also booked a non-dude band for, I think it’s June? I booked it for June?
K: Which one’s this?
M: Non dude-bands month.
K: Oh yeah, yeah
M: So I tried to book last year a month with no dude-bands and then Covid cancelled all, like cancelled the whole month. And then I rebooked it and then we had another lockdown which took out all of those bookings again, so we can confirm that Covid hates diversity. Easily. So I’ve rebooked it this year. I’ll probably be back running Eyegum by that point, which is exciting. And I’m hoping to do more of that, coming on next year and for maybe the end of this year.
K: Also looking forward to doing more events. We love Eyegum, absolutely. But we’re also looking to do more events outside of just of our regular Wednesdays so, be on the lookout for those things coming up.
What would be your dream collaboration?
M: I feel like we’ve kind of already booked my dream bands, mostly like, for the festival. The first band that I was really interested in when I moved to Wellington was Hans Pucket. And we’ve booked them for like a few of the festivals now. We also booked Mermaidens this year which was amazing. Night Lunch, I love Night Lunch, we booked them. We’ve had them for Eyegum a couple times as well. Koizilla, absolutely love, and all of their, they have other bands as well, which we’ve booked. I don’t know if I can think of…
K: Collaboration? Garage Project, hit us up. Garage project, we’re gonna, it’s the Eyegum, we’re gonna make an Eyegum beer, we’re gonna make it, it’s gonna be grape flavoured, you know like, in Halloween where like there’d be the bowl of like, peeled grapes and you could stick your hand in? It’d be the Eyegum grape, Eyegum eyeball, eyeball, eyeball hazy. Hazy’s the best one. Hazy, Garage Project, Garage Project, hit us up, were gonna hit you, we’re gonna come to your little store and we’re gonna be like “yeah we’re gonna make a little old tasty beverage together and it’s gonna be awesome, I’m really looking forward to it.” So, garage project, slide into those DMs, and we’ll catch you up mate. But collaboration, we’ve actually got some gigs coming up that I’m really looking forward to in a collaboration. I don’t think we should leave on too much about it but there’s some gigs coming up at a cool wee venue that we’re looking forward to doing.
If you were stuck on a desert island and you could have only one record, what would it be?
K: I remember talking to my mate about this, he said the 100 gecs album and I was like, I love you but fucking hell, no judgement. Um, The Mint Chicks, Fuck The Golden Youth, hands down. Best, or, no you gotta choose one. Nah, nah sorry I love that album but i.e. Crazy, Non Compos Mentis, that one. Very important to me.
M: I’d probably choose an album from ABBA maybe? I feel like it would keep my spirits going y’know?
K: Oh, “Now that’s the hits 62”
M: *sings a line of Take A Chance On Me* Those are the only words I know in that whole song.
Ok this is our juicy final question, u-
K: Juicy. Just like the new Eyegum hazy coming through onto their shelves. It’s gonna be a juicy grape hazy, it’s gonna be awesome.
What instrument do you wish you could play?
M: I can’t even play the keys.
K: I’ve got a bit of a background. I won’t tell you, keep that locked in for next time, but I wanna play saxophone. I can, I just don’t have the funds for that shit. $2000, for a fucking sax. And if you get that’s $700 you know you’re gonna be dipping into about 2k anyway to get it fixed up.
M: My dad can repair saxophones.
K: Really
M: Yeah
K: Ooh. Martin? No…
M: Michael. Fuck.
K: I’m sorry!
M: I would probably wanna-
K: Oh fuck sorry g, you all good?
M: Yeah, you wanna one outs in the carpark after this, or…
K: Yeah totally. You’ll win though.
M: Yeah, I know, that’s the point. I was actually gonna say saxophone as well, would be mean. But I think probably the best to go for would be like, the keys. I currently play the keys in a band, but I have all of the notes written on all of the keys, because I don’t know any chords and I don’t know how to play the keys. Um but Joel says you don’t need to, that doesn’t matter. And we still make bangers, so. Or the um, you guys know the-
K: The theremin!
M: Theremin. Definitely theremin, number one.
K: yeah actually, theremin.
M: I just feel like responsibly I should probably know the keys.
Final thoughts?
M: That’s so vague! My official review of the interview is that it has been very good, and you have been very nice.
K: My official- hello Dick White. My official review of the interview was, it was. And it was good. I had fun. Thank you very much. Oh, hold up. Real quick. Garage Project, Garage Project, we’re coming, we’re coming through, we’re gonna be on the shelves with you, that hazy grape IPA, it’s gonna be so good, just stick your hands in the bowl with the peeled off grapes, its eyeballs I swear. But it’s gonna be Eyegum, it’s gonna be an Eyegum hazy, Eyegym hazy IPA, it’s gonna be so yum. Hit us up, hit us up collab, collab, COLLAB, IT’S GONNA BE GREAT. Yup, final thoughts.
