Karnivool, the Perth five-piece, have taken their show over the sea and on the road after new album, Sound Awake, debuted in triumphant number two position on the ARIA charts in June this year. The boys, Ian Kenny, Andrew Goddard, Mark Hosking, Jon Stockman and Steve Judd, are currently supporting Welsh metal outfit Skindred as well as performing sell out solo gigs all around Old Blighty.
Lead vocalist and band founder Ian Kenny said taking a tour bus around the UK has been very enjoyable mayhem.
“We’ve been on tour for the last three weeks and it’s just been a blast,’’ he said.
“It’s our first time here and we’re on this massive double-decker, 14 bunk, two lounge bus, it’s really crazy and it’s a pretty different experience from touring back home.’’
The jam-packed schedule of tour dates is certainly having the desired effect though, with numbers of Karnivool converts climbing ever higher.
“We’ve been having really good shows so the band’s stoked. Because we’re touring with a Brit band, 98 per cent of our audience are Brits, so it’s kinda cool because it’s mostly an un-known sound for them so it’s killer to see them get into it and realize what we’re about,’’ Kenny said.
“I met this Greek couple last night who had actually flown from Greece to see us, that’s wild. That’s absolutely nuts but it feels awesome.’’
This success is all the more humbling for the band because so many Australian acts fail to break into the very competitive UK music industry.
“I think it is harder for Aussie bands when there’s already so much on offer here but it does depend on what kind of band you are and how hard you work and we’re pretty dedicated to getting to as many people as possible,’’ Kenny said.
“It’s a good feeling to be up on stage and actually see people responding to what you do.’’
While the band are establishing a following here, the support back home is reaching fevered levels. Signed as part of the star-studded Big Day Out 2010 tour, they’re also locking in more and more cross-country concert dates.
Kenny said that while they had all hoped for a Top Ten placing for Sound Awake, the reality was “pretty wild”.
“It was an awesome feeling, really cool. Especially because the album had been coming together for about three years and we’d really worked hard,’’ he said.
The band attributes their unique sound to their “unconventional” way of songwriting.
“We have a very collaborative way of writing and it can be pretty unorthodox,’’ Kenny said.
“Any of us can come in with any idea and we just run with it and feed off it and see where it goes. The best way is just follow our hearts and our guts and it leads us in a cool direction, especially this time.’’
So does the Karnivool just keep rolling from here? If the band can help it, there’s no height they won’t try to scale.
“We want to get as many people as we can to hear us and what we’re about. We definitely want to get back to the UK at some stage because after witnessing the crowds on this tour I think we’ve definitely got a fan base here now so it is a crazy dream,’’ Kenny said.
“It’s just onwards and upwards and we’re all really pumped at the moment. None of us would change it for the world.”
Sound Awake is now available in the UK. You can get it from www.play.com or visit www.karnivool.com.au for more info
