Photo Credit: Andy Ford
Following their incredible set at 2000trees Festival, we sat down with Ben Beetham and Jack Wilson of Kid Kapichi. We talked new music, a very special collaboration and how everything is going in Kid Kapichi world right now! We also contended with the wonderful July weather…
Hey Ben and Jack, you played mainstage what about half an hour ago. How was it for you?
Ben: Incredible, man. I mean the turnout was great. You know, first time at Trees last year at The Cave and this year? Blew it out the water.
Jack: Yeah, we did it last year for the first time at a wicked time. I think last year when we did The Cave was the first time we thought, oh my god, people actually care. So then when we got invited back to do the Main Stage we were super excited and it lived up to every expectation. Enjoyed it a lot.
Have you managed to check out any other bands today?
J: Yeah, we saw bilk who played before us, who we’ve already been made aware of and they were nice, met them backstage really nice guys.
B: Wanna take them on tour. It’s a great vibe with them.
J: They were wicked. They were like a sort of The Who meets Oasis meets Kid Kapichi. They were great and obviously we know Bob Vylan and all that. We’re looking forward to seeing SOFT PLAY with their first proper gig.
B: We wanna see loads of music today.
J: We’re gonna be proper going around and seeing as much as possible.
B: Woah the umbrella has just come up [sitting underneath an umbrella and a windy day is a bad combination].
J: Insert asterisk – umbrella flew off.
We’re so worried this is about to go flying but can you give us a five-word summary of Kid Kapichi for people who don’t know the band. We love the fact you’re both counting and trying to suss it out.
J: I got one. IDLES are better I think. Classic. IDLES are better I think.
B: Loud mouth idiots make music.
J: Stupid twats from Hastings idiots!
B: All of those. You can pick the best one.
Those are probably our favourite selections.
J: Idiots twats from Hastings idiots. That’s the one.
You mentioned it already but you played The Cave last year. You’ve had such a good year so far and did Glastonbury not too long ago, how has it been for you to live it?
J: I feel like it’s been the first-year festival wise, we’ve always had good stuff when we’ve done tours and things but you know, we’ve got a solid, core fan base. But when you go to festivals, it’s anyone’s game, isn’t it? And I felt that this year, we’ve been busy every single weekend with a festival and there hasn’t been a single dud.
B: And that’s Europe as well. We’ve been doing Europe stuff where you’re first on and they open the doors, people are running in.
J: It’s honestly been, well we still do the thing of right before the gig doing ‘no one’s gonna come, no one’s gonna come’ and they always do and it’s just
B: Trying to shake that. Stop worrying about that!
J: But it’s been honestly like, we are not taking it for granted and every time we do one of these, it’s just buzzing. It’s a reminder of why you put all the hard work in and it’s amazing.
B: It was the first time with that though, where you sort of you look down and then you look up again and sea the crowd of people.
We mean, that was a crowd and considering the timing it really was something.
J: Like, not in an egotistical way. We kind of knew that would happen because everything else this whole year has just been going so well. It’s mad because
B: It feels like that moment.
J: It feels like that moment, but it’s like we know what’s to come which is exciting. Because we’re like, oh shit, they don’t even know what is in the locker. You know?
B: We’re mad excited properly.
You’ve kind of talked about it already but new Kid Kapichi music. What can we expect? Who are you working with? We know you don’t like leaving gaps between albums so can we expect one soon?
B: Yeah, we can’t say too much. But yes, like it’s done and it’s coming.
J: It’s done and it’s coming. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done. I know everyone always says that, but by far.
B: Most proud.
J: Yeah, it’s honestly like, all the planets aligned with this. We had such a good team of people around us and we’re so excited to get it out there and it won’t be long when you’re reading this before you hear something so very excited.
Can you give us an indication of what to expect sound wise? Does it follow the current Kid Kapichi sound?
B: I think it’s cohesive with album two. It’s cohesive with Here’s What You Could Have Won. It’s not as much of a departure as stepping into the second from the first.
J: It’s an improvement on album two but we made a conscious decision. We were like, should we go crazy with this one? Do something completely different? And we went, nah, we all decided let’s improve on what we’ve done. So that’s what we went for. However, for our next album… Yeah.
B: Let’s do a fusion man. Who knows!
J: But for this one at the moment, it’s definitely an improvement on the last one. Not only because we felt like people liked it, but we liked it and we felt like we’d only just like
B: It wasn’t done yet.
J: It’s an improvement on that in every way. Sonically, lyrically, musically, everything.
B: The middle eights wooh.
J: We’ve got some good middle eights.
You’ve absolutely sold it already to everyone reading. Can we expect any collaborations following New England with Bob Vylan?
J: YEAH! I won’t say who. But I will say we’ve got the biggest collaboration we’ve ever done. And we
You can’t just say that!
J: You have to wait and see. But all I will say is that person, male or female is one of our biggest inspirations, someone we could never have dreamed to work with and when we found out that we were working with that person, we lost our minds.
B: Yeah, it was wicked.
J: It will be a single. So, you’ll hear it. So very excited for everyone to hear that.
Just you wait for your fans to go digging.
J: Yeah, the hotel bookings and stuff. But yeah, there’s a big collab coming. I’ll tell you afterwards when it’s not recording.
Now this is exciting! Your lyrics are quite hard hitting and to the point. Some people will love them and some people might not enjoy them as much. Have you had any memorable reactions?
J: I think when we did New England, that was quite a memorable reaction, because a lot of our stuff before that had sort of been blaming someone else. Then when we did New England, it was kind of one of those moments where it was like, looking in the mirror. That kind of divided people a little bit.
B: That was the first time we had people who were like, I liked all your stuff when you were talking about something broad, but now you’re actually pointing the finger, well if you’re angry, it’s probably about you.
J: Yeah, exactly. That’s it. So, I would say New England was kind of the beginning of that. But as time has gone on, I think we’ve all just cared less and less.
That’s definitely the right way to be.
J: You’re always gonna piss someone off and it’s good if you do as you’re probably doing the right thing. So, we kind of just don’t really think about if there’s going to be some negative reaction or something, we just do it if it feels right.
Are there any Kid Kapichi lyrics which really stand out for you?
J: It’s annoying again because the new stuff has so many. I mean for me, Rob The Supermarket says it all. It’s a mantra that we live and breathe by. Even today so I think if you’re gonna take one thing away from us is rob the supermarket.
We’re so terrified this is about to knock someone out. [Umbrella taking off and Jack and Ben to the rescue!] Okay, so what would be your dream festival line-up? With you guys headlining just to make that clear, be ambitious, be bold!
J: Nova Twins. We did a couple of festivals with Nova Twins.
B: We saw them at Rock Werchter and they were insane.
J: Nova Twins, Viagra Boys. I absolutely love Viagra Boys at the moment. Queens Of The Stone Age as they’ve been killing it. We’ve always loved them.
B: They’re really on fire at the moment.
J: Live wise!
B: I think Elton John as he makes so much money on tickets.
J: Yeah, we’ll get Elton on main support. That would be a starting point and go from there. Beastie Boys yeah. Kanye!
Now this is a festival we definitely need to get a ticket to! And to round off this interview, by this time next year what do you want to have done?
J: Wow that’s a good one. I would like to do you know what, it’s not in a cringy way but I just I feel like everything is going exactly how we want. So, I just want to keep it up, I want people to hear the new music, I want to be selling out our new shows which I think we will because I feel like it’s that time. I just want to keep moving in the same direction we are, there’s to be honest I’m just fucking happy and there’s not really much I could change about how it is.
B: The same bigger and better but the same. That’s it!
J: Keep the hardcore fans happy. I hope they hear the album and are just happy. That’s all I would like.
That was the cutest way to round off that interview.
J: I know!
Enjoy the rest of your time at Trees.
J: Thank you so much, that was a really nice interview.
You can read our review of 2000trees 2023 here – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Here’s What You Could Have Won is out now via Spinefarm, available HERE.
