INTERVIEW: King Fish

I: If you could just tell me your names, and what you do in the band?

B: My name is Brandon, and I play guitar. Try to.

H: My name is Hannah and uh, sometimes I sing, just a little bit.

F: My name is Freyja and I play the drums.

S: My name is Sam and I play the bass.

I: So where did the band name King Fish come from?

B: So, I believe about early 2019 I was just hooning Youtube and came across Masterchef and Marco Pierre White walked into the kitchen and discovered that there were no kingfish, and here came the famous phrase: “Where’s my kingfish?” multiple times and that stuck, and then I somehow threw that into the group and Hannah, I believe, liked it and so-

H: Hannah liked it so it happened.

B: So here we are. We are King Fish.

I: So, your new song 39 Days, who wrote it and what inspired that kind of song, where did it come from?

H: We all wrote it together, ‘cause we love each other. Um, the lyrics however, I wrote. So the song is about, in first year, about someone that I knew, back home, where I’m from. And it was 39 days until I visited home, where I was from! And it was about going back to see them, basically. But musically, we all did it together. With so much love and fun, sorry, I keep talking.

I: Do you guys write all your material together? Like in a jam situation? Would you like to elaborate on how that works?

S: Yeah so, while the girls are spinning yarns and having a wee chit chat, Brandon will just be like, ripping some chords and I’ll be like “Yo, what are those chords” and then I’ll play bass with them, and then, magic. And then Freyja’s like *drum noises* and just starts playing drums and then so, the instrumentation’s there. And then Hannah just yanks y’know, millions and millions of lyrics from her notes and just puts it together.

H: Or just out my ass.

S: Or just makes it up, yeah. Yeah so, it’s, yeah. I think, how long does it, it takes us about an hour, hour and a half to write like a full, finished song. So it’s kinda nice to have Hannah have just, heaps of shit on go, so we can just like, start something all the time.

H: I have many opinions all the time about everything and that is why I write so many lyrics. 

I: That’s awesome, it sounds like a pretty streamlined process like, an hour and a half for a song is pretty dope. So what is your favourite thing about Wellington, and is there anything you think could be better, or what do you wanna see more of, just in terms of the music industry?

F: Oh is it my turn? Um, ooh what do I like about Wellington?

H: The sexy people!

F: Thats literally, I was like, the alty hotties! No, I’m just kidding. Um, no it’s just like, ‘cause I’m from Hawkes Bay and the music scene in Hawkes Bay, it leaves a lot to be desired, so, coming to Wellington and being able to go to a gig like every week, if I wanted, if I could afford to, is really exciting. I guess, I would like to see a few more like, diverse lineups, ‘cause it, I kinda feel like a lot of bands stick to themselves or like y’know, play with similar people, and like, that’s cool, and it kinda makes sense because they’re y’know, cohesive together and y’know, they know each other. But I feel like yeah, just kind of crossing over more would be really cool, and a lot more female bands as well, I would like to see, personally. But yeah. Love Wellington. Anyone else?

S: The weather sucks.

F: That much is true.

H: I just like that Freyja’s in Wellington.

B: So, what I’m rather stoked about with Wellington is the music scene in general and the networking and seeing bands supporting each other and what not. Very lucky to be a part of it, considering the rest of the world and the state of the world and the world, y’know. But yeah.

I: Who wears the pants in the band?

S: Hannah.

H: ME! And Sam sometimes. 

I: Do you have any advice for new musicians, coming into the music scene, starting bands and such?

S: Just go for it man. Just meet some mates, play some music, record as much as you can, get some stage time, as much as you can. Just ask older people. Like, not older people but like, bands that are like, already like, more established, ask to play a gig. Like, if you get to open for them, dope. You know what I mean? like, it’s just a matter of making yourself y’know, stand out, and uh, yeah. Go hard, there’s no point half-assing it.

F: Just go to as many gigs as you can. Consume everything, try everything. Just have a laugh.

S: Have a laugh.

F: Have a laugh, that’s it really.

H: Have fun. 

B: Be yourself as much as you can.

F: Aw, that’s so cute.

H: When he says it it’s cute!

I: Go hard and be yourself. What is a song that you wish you wrote? Any song.

H: Everything on the Phoebe Bridgers Punisher album.

I: Any particular song on the Phoebe Bridgers Punisher album?

H: All of them. Um, Punisher. 

B: Imma hit Camel. Um, yes. Uh, of course. Uh just, probably like ‘Unevensong’ song being like, everything I love about prog and instrumental stuff wrapped into like 5 minutes and 35 seconds. I recommend you check it out, Rain Dances’ Unevensong, uh, swag.

F: Um probably uh, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush, ‘cause I think that song’s just so good.

S: Probably um, like Poor Boxer Shorts by Mom Jeans. Riff heaven, and swag and super skuxx lyrics. So yeah.

How has your year been so far?

B: Um, pretty neat. In terms of Kingy we hit the year with the gig with Dartz, the rooftop gig, um, finally got some music and stuff out, um, about to drop 39 Days on spotty. 9th of April. So, things are looking up from here, I can say. Pretty stoked, and stonked.

H: Um, overall, just really exciting! Lots of things are happening this year. Everything we’ve been working on is finally coming out, we’ve been playing some really cool gigs, we’re hopefully playing Eyegum, which we’ve want to play for ages, uni has been a bit stressful but that’s, that’s just what it is y’know? We’ll just suck it up and get on with it.

F: I agree with everything they’ve said. Do you have anything to add king?

S: I’m just happy to be here, y’know?

I: Do you guys have any information about upcoming gigs and releases that you haven’t already said?

B: Um, well, through Something Something we have been put onto a gig on the 15th of April at Valhalla with Tinsy Pam and Haven, also rather chuffed about that. Heard um, some good stuff about them. Uh so, they’ve come up from down south. And should be a good time. Roll up. Please.

H: I’ve actually got everything were doing written down. Im good like that. So, on the 15th of April, as Brandon said we have a gig at Valhalla. Um then, we play Eyegum On the 5th of May, free gig, be there.

S: Is that right?

H: Maybe not. I think it’s right.

S: I don’t think that’s right. I’ve been told June.

H: Really?

S: Yeah.

H: Well, follow our Instagram to find out more! Um, we play with bag, bag hag *indistinct noises* we play with Bad Hagrid at Moon on the 26th of June. Ha, rhymes! And then our 39 Days single release is coming out on the 9th of, what’s this month?

F: April.

H: April.

F: Yeah just stream our song on the 9th of April and watch our video on Youtube which is out now, 39 days music video, King Fish, just google, keywords, it should come up. So, check that out I guess!

S: Again, just happy to be here. I don’t really, they’ve pretty much summed everything up so yeah.

F: Get us those streams. Love you. 

I: Any final thoughts or shoutouts that you wanna make?

S: Actually I do have one. Shoutout Grandad for featuring on the 39 Days music video, shout out Something Something, shout out Freyja, Brandon and Hannah, shout out Sam vvhite.

H: I’m gonna shout out Tanya for doing our incredible album art, or single art, and Ally for helping us do awesome promotional photos recently. Love your work, love your work.

B: Shout out Ben and Dave, and Mike, Mike Gibson, for helping us out with recording and stuff and all the other mates who helped us out with filming the video and all. Uh, love your work, keep working.

F: If you guys like - my jealous, my jealous bandmates - if you guys like King Fish I have another band for you that you might enjoy that I also play in called Sure Boy, we’re fun, and I’m in it. Anyway, that’s it.

H: They are really good. They’re fun and sexy.

F: You heard it here first. Okay, @sureboyband I think on Instagram. I’m sorry, ulterior motives.