Kula Shaker achieved an impressive run of seven UK Top 20 singles during the late 90s. Having disbanded in 1999 they reconvened five years later. Last year’s Natural Magick was the band’s seventh album, and it also marked the return of original keyboard player Jay Darlington.
Below, frontman and guitarist Crispian Mills previews their 22-date tour as guests of Ocean Colour Scene, which kicked off this week.
Kula Shaker go back a long way with Ocean Colour Scene, right?
Some of our earliest gigs were with Ocean Colour Scene, at places like the Water Rats in London, before Kula Shaker were signed [to Columbia]. They were just a bit ahead of us. Steve [Cradock, guitarist] was already playing with Paul [Weller]. Both bands went through a lot of the same experiences, like losing a record deal and signing on to the dole. At that age, twenty-one, you think: “God, it’s all over.”
With the return of keyboard player Jay Darlington, Natural Magick was the first album recorded by Kula Shaker’s classic line-up in a quarter of a century. Twelve months down the line, is the reunion buzz still there?
That buzz has just been replaced by a natural enthusiasm. The band is on fire, and Jay is adding fuel to that. Also, thanks to Liam and Noel [Gallagher] getting back together, there’s a certain timeliness about this tour. We’ve noticed it at our own gigs. People want to hear guitar music again.
Classic Rock’s review suggested that Natural Magick’s opening track, Gaslighting, is redolent of Gil Scott-Heron’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, “repurposed for the social media age”.
The thing about rock, if it’s real, is that it will always be relevant. It has a knack of drilling into the truth.
Is the song about new US president Donald Trump? Or somebody like him?
It’s about being disempowered by the ferocious psychosis that’s going on. People are not being encouraged to believe in themselves. We are on the side of people, of humanity, we’re not really involved in politics.
Amid such circumstances, is it tough to retain the song’s mantra: ‘Love is the answer, love is the flower/Love is the source for spiritual power’?
We’ve just got to remind ourselves when we play music that that’s what it’s all about. I need to remind myself of that, too. [Animals frontman] Eric Burdon once said: “You don’t play rock’n’roll, you preach it”
How has your songwriting changed since Kula Shaker reunited in 2004?
That’s a long time, but I still just stand back from the process and let it happen. You must get out of the way. Don’t be under the illusion that you’re the creator, because you’re not, we’re just being taken on a journey.
Do you suffect from writer’s block?
Sometimes. I just go for a walk. Or I have a sleep.
That’s all it takes, some fresh air?
Yeah, but going for a walk isn’t just about fresh air. It’s about people’s faces, all of those little interactions. You have to nourish the soul [Mills is a devotee of Hare Krishna].
Work on a new Kula Shaker album is ongoing. What can you tell us about it?
Yeah, Kula Shaker eight is on the way. You have to believe that the best is yet to come, and I really believe that we are really getting there. We play every gig with the same level of commitment.
Are any of the new songs in a fit state to preview?
We’ll have a new record out by the end of the year, and new music will be available before that – the lead track could be out in a couple of months. So yeah, we may even play some new songs on this tour. It’s so exciting to be going out with a great band. We are going to play better because of that, and so, I suspect, will they.
The tour ends in Newcastle on May 4. For dates and tickets, check the Kula Shaker website.
