Continuing our series of informative yet informal catch ups with some of our super talented mates this time around Proper has interviewed the lead singer of one of it’s favourite new bands Kyle Ross from Fuzzy Sun. If you’ve yet to enjoy their cinematic sounds then (once you’ve read this) you need to get them blasting out of your speakers as soon as humanly possible because they’re a truly incredible band.
Proper: What’s it been like as a musician not being able to go out and perform?
Kyle: Sad. Getting out on stage is our favourite thing to do, getting out there swinging my hips and hair about, it’s not as fun on your own in your room. Also it’s taking a big hit on independent venues around the country which is probably the most devastating thing, because without them we couldn’t do any of it.
Your locks were already pretty long before all this but how is the hair situation at the moment, please tell me you’ve not had a skinhead?
The locks are intact, just getting longer and stronger. I had my yearly sheer, just before lockdown so it’s sitting at a comfortable length. I reckon I could pull a skinhead off though, maybe one day.
Given a choice which would you do first, perform a gig or get smashed with all your mates down the pub?
Hmmmm. Starting with the hard hitting questions, best bet would be to get all my mates down to a gig and then go get steaming afterwards. But if you’re making me choose, probs a gig because id be with my mates and I’m sure we’d be having a few beers while we did it haha.
I’ve found music to be one of the few positives in all this madness and personally have re-discovered lots of records I’d had stashed away in my loft. How about you, what have you been listening to during lockdown?
Did you find any of your old school report cards up there too? Yeah, music gets me through everyday so it’s definitely been even more integral during all this. I’ve been listening to quite a bit, again similarly to yourself I’ve been delving back into some stuff I’ve not listened to in a while. Arab Strap have featured pretty heavily in my headphones during this, I think hearing Aidan Moffat lulling melancholy stories of his mad nights out and other escapades has been quite therapeutic. Cage the Elephant have been another band I’ve been tanning, their latest album is really cool, and the first record they put out will always be a firm fave. And with glasto being on tele, I have had a fair skelp of Radiohead on as well, especially Kid A and In rainbows. And obvs all the old faves like Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Tom Waits, but I’ve never not really got them on. Oh and this really class blues outfit called Radio Moscow, give them a spin if you’re into that kind of stuff.
Has isolation provided you with some decent time to write songs?
It certainly has, I think it’s probably allowed me to be more productive than usual, we’ve got about twelve new demos put down and have even polished off a seven track acoustic release. So it’s proven quite a good time to get things boxed off.
How are the rest of the band, have you managed to do any socially distant jamming with them?
All the lads are good and well, thankfully. We haven’t managed to have a jam yet, but we did manage to record a full band set in isolation for Dork Magazine which was mint, but strange as I only got to hear us all play together when I was editing it ha ha. We are getting close to all getting together soon though which will be nice. This is the longest time we’ve not all been together since we met. (cue tears)
Being bang into your films what have you been watching in order to while away the pandemic hours?
A lot man, sorry if I digress here haha. I’ve watched a few Gaspar Noe films, which I’ve had on my list for a while. I bought Irreversible about a year ago and it’s been sat on my shelf in its wrapper waiting to be played. If you’ve not seen it, its extremely intense and graphic, so I was trying to find the right time to watch it (which I’ve found does not exist), but lockdown seemed somewhat fitting. I would thoroughly recommend if you’ve not seen it as it’s a great piece of cinema, the camera work is impeccable, but just be aware it’s a very heavy film. So after that I also watched Climax by him which is on netflix, again not for the faint hearted, but still a really cool film, discussing the animalistic nature of people. Hereditary also came out on netflix, which is one of my favourite horror films, so I rewatched that as well. Also I went on a little South Korean cinema marathon, with Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, I saw the Devil, and Parasite. Which are all fantastic, something about the films that have been making it over from South Korea since the early 2000’s which really tickles my fancy. I think any kind of cinema that is very visceral I tend to enjoy a lot. I’ve also been tanning a lot of seasons of Ru Paul while they are all on netflix!
If they made a film about the forming of Fuzzy Sun which formative songs would have to be on the soundtrack?
Something off Highway to Hell by AC/DC, as me and Raffi both started playing guitar because of Angus Young and we both bought SGs so we could learn the tunes and pretend to be him. Maybe ‘Walk all over you’ as I still adore that tune, and it would sound class over a nice montage scene. I don’t think I couldn’t include Steely Dan, as we all buzz off them, I’d pick, ‘Black Cow’ off of Aja, as I feel it’s a little underrated and Fuzzy Sun loves an underdog. And finally on a personal note, I wouldn’t even want to write songs without hearing John Martyn, so I’d love put ‘Run Honey Run’ in there from London Conversation, as that was one album that really made me pick up a guitar and not want to put it down till I could play like he did.
Fuzzy Sun are about to unleash some new yet familiar acoustic tunes on us, tell us all about Stories Retold and who’s playing that lovely bit of trumpet on Gentleman’s Touch.
We sure are! As previously mentioned acoustic music has played such a huge part in my musical heritage/development. So Stories Retold, was a project I’ve always wanted to do, it’s just allowed us to delve into real key influences we don’t normally get to explore. We wanted to do something different, not just the same songs done on acoustic instruments. I think with lockdown and everything else thats been happening at the moment, it’s been a huge time for reflection globally, and I think this project kind of mirrors that a little. It was really nice to sort of cover our own songs and bring out that sombre side that sits with the lyrics as a lot of our tunes end up sounding rather jolly and upbeat. The sweet tones of brass on the record are played by none other than the wonderful Robbie Richardson. Funnily enough when we did the original recording of Gentlemans Touch, I wanted a trumpet on it, but I didn’t know anyone who played, so I put a story out on instagram and he replied saying he plays and he’d love to be on the track so he came down the next day. He’s played a couple of shows with us too. He’s next level though, just set a mic up and let him go and he always comes up with the goods.
When can the world get to hear it?
The world can get its ears around it on the 17th July, so not too long at all!
What’s the best story that you’ve ever been told?
I know a guy who’s interviewed Katy Perry, thats a pretty fucking cool story. One of my favourite authors is Neil Gaiman, and he’s got an audiobook of a book he did called Norse Mythology which he reads, and I thoroughly enjoy him telling me the stories he’s written. My grandad also used to make up and tell me great stories about goblins and fairies when I was a kid. But the best story I’ve been told is probably this: my mate was on holiday on a tiny island in Greece called Paros, he was sat on the beach with about 12 other people around and his dad was quizzing him on roads in stockport so he could smash his paper round when he got back, and his dad went, ‘right what road is Torbay Drive off’? My mate went ‘Dialstone lane’ and this random old man on the beach went, ‘Dialstone lane? In Offerton?’ (in a Yorkshire accent) ‘my grandma lived there’. When he told me I thought that’s got to be almost impossible, so I’lll go with that.
Your videos are always a joy to watch, especially the one where you danced down Canal street, what will your next vid involve?
If I get my way, me on the back of a 20ft horse riding into battle against 100 land dwelling jellyfish.
OK, finally do you have a message for your adoring fans?
I love you all so much, and thank you for always being class at shows and supporting the releases. And I hope you continue to enjoy everything we have to come! Everyone stay safe and we will all get to have a big cuddle in the near future.
