It’s a new week. How are you all getting on?
If you need something new to freshen up your playlists on this Monday morning, then look no further! Birmingham band Karkosa recently released their latest single ‘Runaway’. We caught up with them about the track.
What was your inspiration when you began writing ‘Runaway’?
My inspiration for the song came from bands such as Wallows and Blossoms. I really enjoy their catchy tunes with the use of synth sounds and a memorable chorus. I believe we were able to achieve this with ‘Runaway’. I also gained inspiration from a song called ‘Remember When’ by Wallows, where there are two different singers for verse one and two. This was the original idea I had for ‘Runaway’ and wanted to try out with the song, using myself and Isabelle to sing.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
I’m always listening to a lot of different music, so the artists which inspire a song can change from time to time. Whilst writing ‘Runaway’, I was a big fan of Wallows throughout the year, so they were very much in mind.
What is key to your sound and how do you make your music stand out?
For every song I write, I try and achieve something new. With this one, it was the alternating idea between myself and Isabelle singing. Isabelle is an incredible singer on top of her skills as a bassist and it made sense for me to put a spotlight on that.
I think ideas like this help Karkosa stand out as it allows the audience to never really know what to expect with our music. I’ve never really been interested in the idea of doing the same thing song after song; it’s always good to mix things up and keep people hooked.
How does your songwriting process work?
Usually, it’ll start with an idea of chords or lyrics and then I will try and build the song up from there. If I’m happy with the song as a whole, I‘ll show it to my brother so we can begin to write the drum section. I will then show it to the band and go from there. I like to allow each band member room to come up with their own parts and make it a song that we can all work on and feel proud of.
Describe your sound in three words…
Indie, Alternative, Rock!
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
Both Tom and Isabelle currently study at BIMM and have both developed into exceptional musicians. The facilities and opportunities have been really helpful for Karkosa as well and have allowed us to rehearse and also receive festival offers, such as Rock the Beacon last year. I think BIMM are doing a great job at helping musicians improve and increase their chances of making their hobbies into a career.
What’s next for you?
Next up for us is to take some time to work on some music and take a break after our trip to New York. However, we’ve got an exciting new music video for our single coming very soon.
