Krokodil | facebook | twitter |
By: Phil Weller
Krokodil, the band named after the ‘world’s deadliest drug’ and featuring members of SikTh, Liber Necris, Gallows, Hexes and beyond are set to play their first headline show in Camden in March. We take the oppurtunity, like a bull by the horns, to sit down with guitarist Laurent ‘Lags’ Barnard about breaking conventions – they didn’t all meet until their only rehearsal before Download Festival – Mastodon and continuous experimentation.
(((o))): Going back to the very start of the band, am I right in saying that Krokodil started as a drunken conversation at a club night you were all either DJing at or just attending as punters?
Laurent: That’s true. Myself and Dan Carter were DJing in Birmingham for the launch of a new club night. I invited my two favourite drinking buddies with me, Vman and James Leach. The next day we were all travelling back to London. Before we started that journey we thought it might be best, considering the devastating hangovers that were due to hit any second, to have a sit down meal in order to prepare us for what was to come. We discussed music and how if were in band together we could hang out and drink for free all the time. Obviously, there’s more to being in a band but playing music with mates was the key ingredient for starting Krokodil. We went home unsure whether it was just passing chat between friends but then Dan started sending over song ideas.
(((o))): So how did those initial jam sessions go, when did you begin to realise that the band had the potential to be much more than just a drunken idea?
Laurent: With everyone being so busy with various band commitments and work it was close to impossible for all of us to get in a rehearsal room together. A lot of the ‘jamming’ took place on the internet with demos being bounced around via email. Not the most conventional of starts for any band but it was the best we could do at the time. When Download rolled around people were learning their parts at home and there was just one rehearsal before the actual festival. That rehearsal was the first time everyone met our singer Simon, pretty fucking weird but it just worked.
(((o))): From that, you made your first live appearance as a relatively unknown band at Download 2013. Obviously you’re all established musicians in your own rights, but was there any pressure to play songs that people wont have heard of on such hallowed ground?
Laurent: That Summer I was on tour with Gallows so completely missed Krokodil’s first ever show. I think there was definitely an element of pressure, but at the same time, being such a new band, there were no real expectations from anyone in the crowd. Apart from our singer Simon, everyone had already played Download in the past so they all knew the drill. I remember my friends side stage sending me pictures from the gig as it was happening and the tent looked packed. I was proud of my boys but at the same time sad I couldn’t be there to share the moment.
(((o))): That show was well over a year and a half ago now and your debut album is only just being released, it must feel like a huge weight off your shoulders to get past that phase, to have something out there and be able to push on as a band now?
Laurent: Finally! The recording process took much longer than we all expected, but again that couldn’t be helped with our conflicting schedules. Getting the album out has made Krokodil feel like an actual band whereas before we were just mates playing the odd gig. Nothing wrong with that, but there needed to be an end goal and the album was just that. So far we’ve had some great reviews and we can’t wait to start on album two!
(((o))): Obviously everyone in the band has other projects which are really priority over Krokodil. So how do you work around all those busy schedules to find time to focus on the band?
Laurent: It’s tough, when you’re younger you have so much time on your hands and not much responsibility so it’s easy to drop everything and concentrate on playing music. Now we’re older we have all the same adult concerns as everyone else, jobs, family, rent, girlfriends, bills, bills and more bills. When it comes to the band we’re very selective with what’s worth doing and what isn’t. I’d love to devote more time to the project, I think we all would actually, but it’s tough playing heavy music and making money from it, especially when you’re new to the scene. If the demand for gigs and music rises I’m sure we’ll be able to move things around to accommodate but until then we’re taking everything as it comes.
(((o))): As the build-up to your debut album gained momentum, comparisons to Mastodon became more and more prominent. How do you feel about those comparisons because that’s both a compliment and something which mounts a certain degree of expectation on your shoulders?
Laurent: There’s no disguising the fact we’re all huge Mastodon fans and if people want to compare us to them they’re more than welcome. At the same time I believe we probably also share a lot of the same influences as Mastodon too. If you listen to our album there’s all types of metal – progressive, doom, groove, hardcore, thrash, even some straight up rock. I guess one of the main similarities we have with Mastodon is that we experiment with a lot of different sounds. When it comes down to it, Nachash is our first record and there are zero expectations. It’s just our way of saying “we’re here” and now what we do next becomes the important bit.
(((o))): And on that note, you toured the UK with Mastodon and Big Business in November, that must have been a really perfect opportunity for you to further expand your fan base to the right kind of audience?
Laurent: I can’t think of a better audience, or two better bands to play with. I’ve been a huge fan of Big Business for years. The drummer Cody is also in Murder City Devils, one of my favourite bands of all time. As for Mastodon, there’s no other band like them. They’re leading the way for rock and metal at the moment.
(((o))): Staying on the topic of Mastodon, I believe Brent watched your set from the side of stage at Sonisphere earlier this year? Tell us a little bit more about that?
Laurent: Vman used to be Brent’s guitar tech so they’ve known each other for a while now. Mastodon were playing later that day so Brent swung by our stage to check out the show. I had to go play a Gallows set on a separate stage 10 minutes after the Krokodil set finished so the pressure was already starting to get to me. If there’s one thing you don’t want to think about when you’ve got two different gigs to play, is having such an accomplished guitar player like Brent watching you from side of stage. That guy makes you forget what a guitar is!
(((o))): One thing that may have surprised people when listening to your record is the appearance of Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro on the song, ‘Sun Riders’. It’s a very dark sounding song, but Simon adds a bit of contrasting light with his vocals. Was it your intention to bring someone in who could provide that other dimension to the song?
Laurent: When it comes to inviting other musicians to be a part of your album it’s worth thinking a little outside the box. Simon has obviously had a lot of success in the mainstream, but his taste in music is so diverse we knew he’d bring something fresh to our already crushing sound. I remember hearing his contribution for the first time and thinking, “Now that’s why Biffy are so fucking huge”. He’s a talented musician and I’ve been a fan of Biffy Clyro for a long time now. Simon also sung on a Gallows record and he’s more than welcome to sing on anything else I’m involved with!
Krokodil plays at The Black Heart on March 19th. You can buy tickets for the show here.
