What you need to know:
In an interview, Mike Kerr talks to us about Royal Blood’s 10 years, being called the “savior of rock” and more.
Royal Blood released their self-titled debut album in 2014., the same one that contains songs like “Out of The Black”, “Little Monster” or “Ten Tonne Skeleton”. Yes, it’s been 10 years since this material came out Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher on the British radar.
And in that sense, it’s not as if rock was lacking relevant projects on the British scene England is one of the musical cradles par excellence.
However, there was something special that set them apart: their ability to produce Songs with hard riffs and frenetic rhythms, influenced by blues, garage, hard rock and even a few hints of stoner rock.
They were, so to speak, the missing link for the British. combined the best of Queens Of The Stone Age and Jack White. And amongst the indie rock generation that grew up with the Arctic Monkeys (who also adopted a harder sound). AM from 2013), Royal Blood offered a harder rock sound…
With this information, part of the press in your country He described them as the “saviors of British rock”.a term that could flatter anyone, although it could also be presumptuous in itself.
The surprising thing about the band and a brief look back at their development
Another thing that was surprising at that moment was that it was them Just two people write songs that sound huge and powerful. Ben Thatcher played on this album with dry and strong hits in both the fastest and slowest rhythms…a modern John Bonham.
With Mike Kerr, I’m sure several people were misled into thinking there were guitars or more than two members in the band. But not. With the peculiar configuration of his bass and his ability to create heavy riffs It was enough to give the music greatness.
This sonic path from Royal Blood continued How did we get so dark? (2017) and then ventured into dance rock Typhoons (2021). And then it came Back to the water below (2023)where the duo returned a little to their roots and even dared to compose some soft rock ballads with piano to expand their instrumentation.
It’s four incredible albums, But since the first performance, Mexican audiences have looked forward to the band performing more frequently during their visits to our country. They finally did it at Corona Capital 2021 and in 2024 they are also returning to a festival in Tecate Pa’l Norte their first headline show in CDMX at the West Pavilion of the Palacio de los Deportes.
We took the opportunity to do an interview with Mike Kerr to talk about his latest album, of course, but also about how his creative process developed with Ben. how strong or weakened the current rock scene is, the state of the rock star figureamong other things…
Interview with Mike Kerr from Royal Blood
Of the new album and the essence that saves it from the first
Sopitas.com: Mike, thank you for your time. Let me say that “Back To The Water Below” really blew me away. I think it’s an album about feeling depressed and accepting that part to get out of the hole. There are songs like “There Goes My Cool” that are about feeling down and others like “Waves” that are about recognizing and accepting the scars of life when we need help…
What do you think about it? How did you come to this concept and what does the album mean to you?
Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr: “It really wasn’t a premeditated concept. I guess I always write honestly about how I’m feeling at that moment, and yes, that time, that particular point in my life, that was really the point I was at (a moment of depression)…”.
Sopitas.com: I think the album follows on a bit from the first two Royal Blood albums, but is also refreshing with these powerful piano parts and other musical details. How do you rate the album compared to your previous recordings? How has your creative process changed with Ben after a decade?
Mike Kerr: “I think it feels like we’re constantly learning and always moving forward, and I think yeah, it’s always very refreshing… I think when you start something new you have to look at what you’ve done and think about what could be better and what you’re doing, what you haven’t done yet. You have to look back and think about how you want to move forward and I think this album really feels like a mix of all of our records..
“I think there are things that are similar to the first album, I think it feels more bluesy and it has a kind of essence that reminds you of the first album… The thing with the piano is that’s what I started with Learning to write and write I played music on it, so “it felt really important to incorporate that into our work and it seemed like a way to close the circle.”.
Sopitas.com: How has your friendship with Ben (the drummer) changed through music?
Mike Kerr: “It’s exactly the same. Yes, I think so, apart from the fact that we did it
We’ve evolved as people and as musicians and whatever, it’s the chemistry between us, that’s the thing. Yeah, that’s not going anywhere…”.
Space for new bands: The singer of Royal Blood recommends two projects
As we mentioned at the beginning, Royal Blood became a “rock savior” band. There is a certain cliché in the idea of being seen as the savior of a style of music, particularly in the UK, which is the cradle of diverse talent. And with that in mind, Mike Kerr shares the opinion on this designation.
Sopitas.com: Royal Blood has been playing for almost ten years. Some people have since called you the saviors of British rock. How do you feel about this designation after all these years?
Mike Kerr: “Honestly, I don’t think I needed any savings. I think the music we make is based on everything you’ve heard before and without it there would be nothing.
“So no… It’s a genre whose pulse is always being checked, and I think different genres have their moments and times; Things come immediately. And I think just because they’re not at the top like they used to be doesn’t mean there’s no rock music anymore. Yes, rock music isn’t at the top these days, but there is plenty of talent around the world..
Sopitas.com: Do you have a favorite band at this moment?
Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr: “Actually there are two. And both are on the rise here. Hot Wax, a great band from England. There is another band called Bad Nerves, a punk rock band also from England.. So we were able to play a lot of shows with these guys. This is proof that there are great bands out there. I would say they are my two favorites at the moment. “Rock remains for musicians with passion”.
Sopitas.com: In an interview 9 years ago you said that there is a very bad community for new bands. Do you still think that way or has something changed?
Mike Kerr: “I think things have gotten better, even though I think the venues close every ten minutes...
“You have to play in front of people, you know? You can play as much as you want at home or in a room and it’s completely different when you perform in front of a live audience. Without this nourishment, one cannot expect another Nirvana to suddenly appear. It is sad”.
The importance of Mexico for Royal Blood
After his presentation at Corona Capital 2021, Royal Blood will return to our country in 2024 to play at the Tecate Pa’l Norte… and above all to give a show as the main artist in the West Pavilion of the Sports Palace. The band knows they have a huge fan base here in Mexico, so it’s no surprise that they’re coming here to perform their first headlining show.
Sopitas.com: You came to Mexico a few years ago to play at the Corona Capital Festival and now you’re headlining your own concert. What does Mexico mean for Royal Blood?
Mike Kerr: “Man… I mean, our fan base is huge and it’s crazy that we’ve never been able to do our own show before.. We have received a lot of support from our Mexican fans and we see it every day on our social networks. We know how many people listen to us.
“So even at When we played the festival a few years ago it was an incredible moment for us. It was the first time we met our fans and we can’t wait to see our own show. It will be a real moment..
Sopitas.com: Do you remember anything from your first time here in Mexico?
Mike Kerr: “We went to the pyramids. Yeah, that was pretty amazing. But I don’t think we had much time on this trip. I think even visiting the pyramids went very quickly. Unfortunately, these trips are vacations.…. “I’m thinking about leaving early and having some time.”