DAVE GROHL APPROVED BAND KILLS BIRDS CHAT NEW EP ‘CRAVE’

INTERVIEW | FIELDER THOMAS – KILLS BIRDS by Anne Kelly

Four years since the release of their sophomore album Married in 2021, Los Angeles rock band Kills Birds are back in action with the drop of their brand new EP Crave, released on Friday 11th April via Lucky Number. Produced by the accomplished Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Been Stellar, Momma, Hotline TNT), Crave is 5 explosive new tracks, taking Kills Birds to a new intoxicating height. Previously being championed by Rock Royalty Kim Deal, and even touring with Foo Fighters, LA’s Kills Birds are really as exciting as they sound. Hot off the release of Crave, we catch up with bass player Fielder Thomas.

“SO much has changed!” reflects Fielder. “Personally, we have all undergone big life changes from marriages and engagements to new and cool careers aside from music, getting new pets and new houses etc. Through it all we still find the time to be creative with each other in and out of the studio.” That time has been well utilized and Crave marks a fresh chapter for Kills Birds. But why, with 2 albums already under your belt, do stop at an EP now?

“I think this answer is as simple as the amount of time we had to put towards the band the last few years”, explains Fielder. “It’s tough making money doing this and we all have other things, but we didn’t want to stop creating. We decided to make an EP full of the strongest songs we had as opposed to an album where we might not have the fullest and best ideas for each song.”

“We don’t feel pressured to release music by anyone or anything aside from our love and need to create. That and we have the honour of amassing fans and we want to share our music with them!“

Crave truly captures Kills Birds at their peak. Each track is as explosive as the last, highlighting the band’s impressive evolution over recent years. “I think our sound has matured for sure. Its very much still Kills Birds but the strongest version of us as a band. We have grown as musicians and people and that is reflected in this release.“

Fielder elaborates on the recording process, noting that collaborating with Aron Kobayashi Ritch for the first time has enabled the band to showcase their talents at their highest level. “We can’t say enough about how special it was working with Aron [Kobayashi Ritch] on this. He brought a sense of fun and playfulness to the sessions that really freed us up and allowed us to get the best version of each song. Aron is a very talented producer, obviously, and he really gets what we were trying to do. He brings great new ideas and his workflow is great. It felt very professional and very fun at the same time.” 

As a listener, it was the first release from this EP – ‘Behind‘ – which really grabbed me, providing an exhilarating introduction to Kills Birds. With it’s striking crescendo dynamics bursting through my speakers, it’s clear to see why this band has garnered the support they have. Asking about the track, Fielder shares:

“We put a lot of work into ‘Behind’, there were lots of changes and rewrites and we are all really proud of the final product. We wanted to utilize a bit of the quiet then loud, then quiet again then loud again, to pull the listener in just to be sonically suplexed. Then Nina (Ljeti – vocals) really effectively described the feeling we all have of “am I good enough” in the lyrics.”

On personal highlights, the bassist explains, “I’m sure we all have our favorites but speaking for myself, I’m gonna go with ‘Madison’. There is some really cool stuff happening production wise when its gets super quiet and them BOOM!“

The explosive sounds of ‘Behind‘ are balanced against more tender, melodic moments on the EP. For example such as songs ‘Madison‘ or ‘Hollow‘. Speaking of the challenges met incorporating the two, Fielder reassures: “I think it comes naturally to us as songwriters, growing up listening to bands like the Pixies and others that do this really effectively. Dynamics make songs good and fun to play and we are always trying to keep things interesting.”

From being quoted “Hot as Fuck” by Kim Deal (Pixies, Breeders) to gaining the seal of approval from Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), support really doesn’t get anymore legendary. Kills Birds even went on to record their second album ‘Married’ in Grohl’s own Studio 606 with accomplished music producer Yves Rothman, before joining the band on tour.

“We are always honoured to have the support of those who we looked up to as kids. Dave letting us use his studio was like a dream and it is very humbling.” Kills Birds remain grounded despite the allure of their success, demonstrating a commitment to authenticity and humility. “We have discussed how one day we are gonna look back on all this and just think “wow”. As far as staying grounded, we are a humble and close knit group so we celebrate the wins together but always try to keep trucking and working hard.”

And working hard they do! The band members are truly dedicated, working tirelessly despite their significant achievements already. They acknowledge that, alongside their musical success, they each juggle other careers and responsibilities outside of the band. This makes their early accomplishments in this new chapter feel even more remarkable. But in terms of us seeing Kills Birds return to the UK anytime soon? “Our future is a bit uncertain in terms of when we will be making it back to places but not for lack of wanting. We have the best time in the UK and will absolutely be back there playing one day in the near future! We love playing for the people, it’s the best and we will be back out there soon”.

Live appearances are coming though, (albeit on their side of the Atlantic) with a hometown headline show at Los Angeles The Echo on May 24th [tickets on sale now], celebrating the new release in all its glory. But speaking optimistically, Fielder shares some of the places he would love to play in the future.

“So many cities come to mind when I think about where we like to play, but I’d like to play my home state of Florida one day. I know there are so many places we would love to get to internationally like Spain, Italy, and of course Brazil! Oh and of course we absolutely love playing Mexico City, we have played there a few times and it’s always the best.

To round things off, I ask Fielder if he could have anybody cover a song by Kills Birds, who would it be? “This is a fun one and I’m sure we could come up w many many different answers”, he says, “but I’m gonna say Interpol covering our song Natalie”. Now that is a cover that we would LOVE to see!

New EP Crave by Kills Birds is out now via Lucky Number. Buy or listen NOW

Author