It’s been a big year for Kira Puru & the Bruise. Having collaborated with Paul Mac, Blackfella Films, Sonar Music, and Mark Opitz, stunning audiences at industry showcase festival BIGSOUND Live, touring with Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, The Preatures ,and Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes, as well as winning Triple J Unearthed’s APRA/AMCOS Song Summit competition.
KP+tB have been touring the country consistently for almost three years with their ever-evolving brand of ‘Doom-Pop’. Their genre-defying live shows have earned them a throng of dedicated fans Australia-wide as well as industry accolades. Even Melbourne’s Lanie Lane has given props to Kira Puru, “this woman is a force of nature. She rocks my word and her live performance is just incredible!”
Paul Mac is undoubtedly fond, “Every now and then a band comes along that feels as real as the Birthday Party, and not just a celebration of the latest mixture of hairstyle and genre. Kira Puru & the Bruise are one of those bands. They actually feel dangerous, and you know they “live” it instead of write “about” it. About f*ing time. I love this band.”
What is on the cards for 2013? It’s hard to say just yet. “We’re in the studio recording our best release yet with world-class producer Eric J Dubowsky,” says Puru. “Whether it will end up an EP or an LP, we’re not sure…..but with EJ at the helm, it’ll be quality.”
Tone Deaf: You’re touring in support of your new single, ‘Step Into The Light’, sell it for us, how’d it come about?
Kira Puru: I moved an old Thomas Californian organ into my room and have been writing on that. It’s changed the tone of the stuff that I’m writing, I guess. Also, we were smashing Lana Del Rey in the band car, and you wouldn’t believe how much time we spend in that car. That’s a heck-load of Lana.
I wanted to try my hand at writing something that was fun and lite… sometimes even I get sick of mopey shit. It’s no ‘Call Me Maybe’, but it’s one step closer to ‘pop’. It’s about being single, and wanting intimacy… even if it’s cheap.
You’re playing as part of the Queenscliff Music Festival. What acts or events are you looking forward to down there?
After touring with Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes, I feel as though I need to be around them at every opportunity. They are my spirit babes. I am also going to try and finish reading a book for the first time in ages.
What’s your own most memorable festival moment?
There’s so many. One that comes to mind is the first night of Woodford Festival 2011. Jordie Lane, a couple of other ragbags and I played a game the Bruise invented called ‘Pass The Buck’. Basically, you try and out-do each other with childish dares. Once the dare is complete, you win a dollar, and then spend it on daring the next person to do something stupid.
We ate some stale vita-wheats on the main stage and rolled down the amphitheatre at dawn amongst other things. I think Jordie was wearing lipstick.
You’ve been given the brand of ‘doom-pop’, what about your music has lead to this description?
When asked what genre of music we play, I am always lost for words. If there were a middle ground between doom-metal and pop music, I think we’d fit in there nicely. I guess the songs have a typical pop structure, and have some pop sensibilities – repetition and the melodic shapes and whatnot. And the subject matter is often dark and the beats have a doom-like quality to them… I try and avoid the ‘what genre are you?’ question.
Your live show in particular has been garnering some rave reviews, is this something you focus on, say more than the actual songs or does the energy come naturally?
Not more-so than the songs. The songs are what’s most important to us. Having the privilege to play them in front of willing audiences is a very flattering bonus. We all have our own reasons for wanting to see live music and our live performance is the result of us trying to create a show we’d like to see. There’s also a whole world of hard work that goes on behind the scenes and when you get that forty minutes or so to prove to people, or yourself, that it’s worthwhile… well, you damn well better make the most of it.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I like a nice quiet place to sit and a stiff drink. I have a crystal that I’ve started wearing, I like to think it brings me clarity.
If you could choose anything, what would you request on your rider for the Queenscliff Music Festival? We want specifics!
A well-stocked bar and someone cute and funny to serve my drinks. A masseuse. A bed. Some sort of delicious cheese platter. An amazing barista and some good coffee. Good music. Samuel L Jackson.
You’ve collaborated with a bunch of acts in the past year, if you could choose any, what other Australian acts would you like to work with? Tell us why?
Well, Nick Cave is a given. I’d like to sing with Matt Corby, or maybe have him sing at me. I was chasing Jack and Is from the Preatures to write a song with me, that’ll hopefully happen one day when we’re not all so busy.
I’d really like to track something with Clairy Browne when we have the time. Kimbra, PVT, Ballads, the Jezabels, the Drones, the Dirty Three… this country has a wealth of amazing artists. Collaboration with talented people makes you better at what you do.
Can you let us in on your plans for future releases, should we be expecting an EP or a fully fledged album?
I don’t know the answer to that yet. Well, I guess you can expect both, in good time. Something will be out in the first half of next year.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
We have half of the tour left and then we’ll be having a break for a while. You can find the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/394027093999044/
We’re also playing the Queenscliff Music Festival this November, full dates and details here.
You can buy The Liar EP or the ‘When All Your Love is Not Enough’ single at shows and on Bandcamp or iTunes.
