The Paper Kites' new album Roses is out now! We caught up with Christina Lacy to chat about the release and more.
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Last week, The Paper Kites unveiled their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Roses. Bringing sentimentality to the collection of songs, the record remains a powerful body of work, whilst also offering introspective moments of reflection and vulnerability.
Co-produced by Sam Bentley and Tom Iansek (#1 Dads, Big Scary), Roses is an album of duets, with each track seeing the band collaborate with a different female artist. Sitting at 10 songs, the body of work is “A collection of songs we had written and wanted to record with these artists.” Bentley explains. The band are joined by by artists from all corners of the world, including Julia Stone, Lucy Rose, Nadia Reid, Maro, Aoife O’Donovan, Rosie Carney, Ainslie Wills, Amanda Bergman, Lydia Cole and Gena Rose Bruce.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2011, The Paper Kites have built up a devoted Audience and toured the world over. With four records under their belt, the band are gearing up for the release of Roses, which if it’s singles are any indication, will keep that at the highest calibre of Australian indie-folk acts.
Roses is out now! Read our interview with Christina Lacy of The Paper Kites below.
Congratulations on the release of your new record, Roses! There is a sentimentality laced throughout the songs, remaining powerful but also offering introspective moments of reflection and vulnerability. What inspired you to explore the themes present on the record?
As with most of the writing on our records, the songs are inspired by many different things. Personal experiences obviously come into it but sometimes it might be someone else's story or just a feeling or moment being expressed in music and words.
The album maintains your alt-folk roots, whilst reworking your sonic palette into a softer and more intimate sound. When it came to crafting each songs soundscape and instrumentation, how did you approach the creative process for this record?
We knew that a lot of these songs would end up being on the softer and intimate side as you've said, but we also didn't want to limit the album to just being a ‘stripped back’ album because it is a collection of duets. We found a nice balance of that classic duet ballad sort of feel but were also able to create some other beautiful songs that bring those familiar sounds from our previous albums.
Roses is a collaborative album, with each song on the record featuring vocals from a female artist and vocalist. What prompted you to take this route on the record?
When thinking about the concept of this new album we floated the idea of collaborating with some other artists and when we realised it could actually work we jumped at the opportunity to work with some musicians that we love and whose work and voices we really admire. It was a way of bringing something different to the songs for us and we are so happy with the result.
All of the tracks were written prior to approaching each artist. How did you select which artist would be right for each track and curate all of these stunningly dynamic and diverse voices into one succinct body of work?
Although we hadn’t approached anyone Sam did write some of the songs with particular artists in mind. Other songs were written with a bit more space for exploring a voice that would fit but he had a pretty good idea of the feel that each song needed.
You’re now five studio albums into your career, celebrating more than 10 years since the band formed. What new knowledge and experience are you bringing into the sessions working on the new record, that differs from creating your debut album and subsequent albums?
I think we have all just grown as musicians and people. We’ve got so many more years under our belt and we’ve learnt how to work well together and found the processes and roles that work for us as a band. When working together and with producers on an album, we know what we want and these days we know how to ask for that and work more collaboratively to achieve it.
Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?
Well I’ve just had my second little boy and I wish I realised back then how much time I actually had to work on playing and making music and to invest in my creativity.
If you had to select one song off the record to be played to someone who hadn’t heard your music, which song would you choose to make them an instant fan?
Steal My Heart Away featuring Ainslie Wills. I think this is my favourite song on the album.
You guys have consistently released great music videos and visuals for your music. How important are the visuals to you when it comes to conveying the story and meaning present on the track and how involved are you in the creative process
Visuals have always been a really important aspect of the songs for us. A sort of extension of each song in a way. This album we've taken a slightly different approach with some of our videos, creating less of a ‘story’ and more of a visual accompaniment to each song. The videos are simple but captivating and we hope it creates a kind of engaging moment while listening to the songs.
You’ll be hitting the road this August! What can audiences expect from your upcoming tour?
I think we are all just so excited to be playing live music again. I actually think it will be a really special feeling for everyone, being able to all be in a room together again, sharing these musical moments. It will actually be the first shows in over two years that the full band will finally be playing together again. Before restrictions stopped us from touring I had already had a year off touring with the boys to spend time with my family after having my first baby. So there you go, they are definitely going to be some special shows for us!
How important do you think live music is not only for yourself as a musician showcasing their art, but also for the audience members who resonate with your music?
Music has so many ways of being powerful hey. You can have these incredibly personal, reflective moments with songs when you're listening alone but there is something so unique about standing with hundreds of other people listening to music being played by the people who wrote it and all getting to experience the energy and emotion in the room. You can't really fabricate that feeling in any other way than by actually going to a live show. I think that's why it's such a beautiful part of creating music and putting it out there for people and such a special way for those who love our music to experience the songs.
RAPID FIRE
Biggest influences? For me personally at moment I’d say Ryan Adams, Maggie Rogers, Gregory Alan Isakov and probably lots more I can't think of
Album that has had the most impact on you?
Ryan Adams, Cold Roses
A movie you’d like to compose the soundtrack to? Maybe something fun like a Baz Luhrmann film
A release you’re most looking forward to in 2021? London Grammar’s new release, Californian Soil
Best concert you have ever attended?
Christina: Adele. Her vocal performance was just so incredible and powerful, it made me want to cry lol
What advice would your current self, give your future self, for a year from now?
Working hard to juggle the balance between being a mum and a musician is so worth it. Keep going.
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician? Probably when I first started to sing with Sam when we were like 17 and we began realising we had found something really special.