Before their co-headline slot at the 02 ABC with fellow acclaimed Glasgow band Baby Strange, we had the pleasure of speaking to Leo and Kirstin from WHITE! Read below as we talk creating videos, 2016 and wagner. It should be noted that during the interview, Kirstin is cutting sequins off a top one by one.
So how did WHITE come to be?
Leo: A couple of the guys in the band had kinda started out this idea and they were looking for a singer for awhile. I think they tried quite a few people, they’ve never let me know
Kirstin: They did, they were all fantastic but they didn’t want to join the band, so they had to get Leo.
Leo: Oh god… yeah so they ended up with me! I think it kinda like… Yeah it just kinda clicked really quickly, we all wanted to do a similar sort of thing. We were all like kinda listening to the same sort of music at the time, a lot of like Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem and stuff like that and we just kinda wanted to make music meant that we could add something into that kind of world.
Kirstin: And then they found me!
Leo: And then we found Kirstin, cause you like have to get a drummer don’t you?
Kirstin: Yeah, first of all they wanted not to have a drummer.
Leo: Yeah!
Kirstin: And then they realised the fatal mistake in this. And they also didn’t have a female in the band so they were like god, we’re really missing two things in this band. I know what we need, we need her! So then I joined and luckily I also like LCD Soundsystem and a lot of music that… Well I like music that’s speaks to you, that makes you want to dance and makes you want to do a house party. So for me-
Leo: Even though you don’t dance?
Kirstin: I do dance! Just not in front of you. So for me and like the band as well, it was all about trying to get something together that was like a party atmosphere even though it’s a band playing.
What has been a stand out moment from 2016? If you can pick one!
Kirstin: Right now cutting the sequins of this top to make a better outfit… Em there’s been lots of fun things this year. There was a huge gig in… em somewhere abroad and –
Leo: Rotterdam
Kirstin: In Rotterdam and we were just like invited to play and we didn’t really expect too much but the show was absolutely amazing, the tent was packed out, there were thousands of people! They were singing, they were dancing and we were just like Holy fuck, this is cool! So like for me that was a big moment this year!
Leo: Yeah that one anddoing the first UK tour was amazing. We played at the QMU in Glasgow which was like far and away our biggest headline show.
Kirstin: Was that this year?
Leo: Yeah, that was this year. This actual factual year. That was like our biggest headline show to date until tonight! That was like 500 people, we had a lights show, we had-
Kirstin: There was actually like 600 people.
Leo: Yes 600
Kirstin: I think 632
Leo: Yeah nice. Actually 1 of them didn’t turn up so… 631 yeah
631. Still decent!
Leo: Decent yeah!
It’s a good size of people!
Leo: Exactly
Kirstin: One of my friends were steaming, so 630.5.
Leo: So that was a bit of a highlight, that was pretty awesome.
Kirstin: Yeah there’s been a lot of good things happening this year so it ssometimes gets hard to remember because you just get totally encapsulated in everything that’s going on. I think when you look back on it, you’re like yeah we did quite a lot.
I think we’ve seen you at like 3 festivals this year! Yeah, Liverpool Soundcity, Electric Fields and Belladrum!
Kirstin: You know what, Electric Fields were amazing!
Leo: That was a big highlight
Kirstin: That was so cool! I got such a buzz off that gig!
Leo: Yeah it was amazing! I listened back to it recently cause I was doing the visuals for this one and the sound of it! We were just screaming for most of the gig because we were so excited. It was kinda cute.
I don’t think I could even see at that gig. The lights were so amazing I just couldn’t even see.
Kirstin: You know what, no one could see at that gig. It was all just dry ice and shadows cause I was looking back at pictures and I was like who the fuck was that!
Leo: Yeah I know!
Yeah I was like off my face with glandular fever and I was like high for the whole gig so it was a highlight.
Kirstin: Until you get smacked by huge balloon and you’re like fuck.
Leo: I love kicking them in people’s faces, it’s great fun. HA
Kirstin: I was in my hairdressers and the girl was like I was at Electric Fields and I was like oh cool! Did you see anyone could bands? And she was like oh yeah I saw this band but I didn’t know what they were called! They had these fucking massive balloons and I kept getting hit in the face by them! And I was just like, cool were they quite dancey? Yeah they were! Was it the Saturday? Yeah they were! And I was just like… that was me. And shes like I’ve still got the injuries!
People get so aggressive with those balloons, honestly!
Kirstin: They do! We’ve actually got some for tonight that i’ve forgot so I need to get them blown up!
Leo: That’s next after cutting all the sequins.
Kristin: Today’s just been one big craft day for me.
Forget the gig, just do an arts and crafts table.
Kirstin: Exactly.
Leo: We’re all enthusiastic amateurs.
Kirstin: I should have just worn this backwards eh? We’re getting there, about 50%.
Leo: Cool, that’s a good bit of the interview, leave that in.
So where did the concept for the EP come from? Each song is different in it’s own way and then you’ve got the videos and everything that comes along with it and it’s all really visual.
Leo: The idea was to do something very different from the 3 songs we had stuck out already! Four songs infact. It’s not very different but a different side of us! Like a more kind of darker, I was going to avoid saying edgier because its getting so bad.
Kirstin: Also we are a pop band but we’re not like Hey There! Like kids tv. We’re far from it so I think with us, we’ve got these songs that are more unusual songs and we’ve not put them out because we wanna put the mass appeal stuff out but we’re like we still have this other side that we really like. I think we are actually more diverse than you might think we are. We’re not just like this pop machine.
Leo: We wanted to put out songs that other people could believe in.
Kirstin: Yeah where the lyrics aren’t just about dancing and getting smashed.
Leo: I don’t like lyrics like that.
Kirstin: Blush…
Leo: I don’t do any of that stuff.
Kirstin: Future Pleasures…
Leo: No, shut up.
Kirstin: Living Fiction…
Leo: Yeah…
Kirstin: They were all written at the same party.
Leo: They’re all about sitting in your room and reading a book.
Kirstin: One time we went to a party
Leo: Yeah I know! That one time we went to party and I wasn’t even asked to sing. What was that all about?
What do you think of the reception that each single has received?
Leo: It’s been fun to stick each one out as it’s own little kind of… like it exists in its own little world. Having the video for each one has been really good fun because it gives them that dimension.
Kirstin: We all took turns at making a video as well, so we kinda took it as a project so Hamish made the first one, Step Up. I did I Like You Better. We all shot it and directed it together but then people cut it. Leo cut the Rec Tv and I cut private lives cause by thay point nobody could be arsed cutting that one. We were like we’ll take it in turn and then i was like, i’ll do it.
Leo: It’s so much work!
Kirstin: So yeah it was almost like mini projects for us.
Leo: It’s been quite fun though. Cause we’ve always done loads of stuff ourselves anyway like artwork and designing t-shirts and then doing the videos. It’s been a really nice kind of like learning experience to make things stand up at a professional level of stuff. We don’t want to look like a kinda D.I.Y band particularly but we do like D.I.Ying.
Kirstin: We We’re all trying to create something very polished I think… apart from this fucking t-shirt.
Leo: Apart from that but that’s gonna look great.
I feel like more sequins appear every time you cut one off.
Kirstin: It’s like something from the people ain’t it. Not that I’ve read it but
Leo: It’s so much like something from the bible.
Kirstin: Kirstin’s T-Shirt!
Leo: That bit in the bible. But yeah, even things like tonight we’ve done a pretty much 40 minute visual show to project on to us, which we did like last week.
Kirstin: We’re really prepared. This is like the first time we’ve seen it running for 40 minutes at once.
Leo: It’s kinda fun to do it that way though. Yeah I was like filming bits of tinfoil last week so I could project them on to us.
Kirstin: We need to try and concentrate on the show because earlier someone was like there’s a giant man stroking your head right now Kirstin and I was WOOOOO. So I need to like keep facing the front. Remember that at all times, unless I fall off my stool.
What can people expect from you guys in the next 6 months?
Leo: 6 months, oh my gosh. The next gig in Scotland I think we are playing at the museum of Scotland.
Kirstin: Yeah we’re doing the museum of Scotland which Leo was very excited about cause he loves art and the offer came in and he was like aw there’s this art gig and it’s gonna be so cool and were all like yeah it sounds ace. We got it in last week and it is cool and i’m super into it, probably more than art. But the exhibition-
Leo: It’s about Monkeys ain’t it
Kirstin: It’s about Monkeys and it’s called Monkey Business headlined by WHITE. So that’s our next scottish one in March.
Leo: I’m sure that was on last year as well.
Kirstin: We’ve got that and we’re going to be putting out a release… is it a secret Leo or not?
Leo: I don’t know actually
Kirstin: Maybe, I’m not sure.
Leo: We’re working towards putting out something longer than the EP.
Kirstin: Guess what that is?
Leo: I guess that’s called an album but yeah that’s in the process of kinda being recorded and crafted into something that we’re all happy with.
Kirstin: Yeah we’re also doing a European tour.
Leo: Yeah a European tour which is really exciting!
We’re gonna go onto a quickfire round! What’s the first gig you ever went to?
Leo: I was going to gigs when I was like really young because my dad played guitar so I had to sit through his gigs quite a lot but that doesn’t really count so…I’ll say…
Kirstin: It’s meant to be quickfire mate
Leo: Sorry eh, Ray Charles at the Armadillo.
Kirstin: What an absolute penis, guess who I went and saw? Craig David, there ya go. I was a very young child and my best friend loved Craig David and her mum bought us tickets and we must have been like 6, 5 or something. And yeah, I remember he touched us, but not inappropriately. We were in the front row and he touched my hand. I was like everyone’s doing this shit, is this supposed to be cool? I remember leaving it and thinking I don’t think i’m into that kinda music. It was a fun experience my first gig. So there you go, that’s where I get all my inspiration from when I play.
If you could have written any song ever what would it be?
Kirstin: LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
Leo: Em… Life On Mars
What’s your most embarrassing moment on stage?
Kirstin: Oh fuck i’ll just let Leo talk .
Leo: Every time i’m on stage with Kirstin.
Kirstin: Leo falls quite a lot.
Leo: I do.
Kirstin: I hit myself in the face quite a lot but I don’t think anyone’s noticed it. The next day they’ve noticed it!
Leo: I’ve hit myself in the face a couple times with my mic stand as well. It’s one of those ones with a weight on the bottom, if you put it forward or put stand on it, it will come straight back into your face. I’ve managed to keep it cool mostly but yeah I’ve fell over a couple times. Pretty fun, I’ve recovered. Unfortunately I was wearing white trousers when I fell on a muddy stage. That was a shame.
Who is your musical guilty pleasure?
Kirstin: There is no shame in liking stuff.
Leo: I’m kinda in the same boat, I have no shame in liking what I like.
Kirstin: I’m thinking of getting my phone out but I really like Katy Perry. Sorry guys.
Leo: That’s fine.
Kirstin: I love like all the production and how she writes most of her songs. I’ve seen her quite a few times cause my sisters a big fan and I’m always quite amazed by it. It’s make me want to be a drummer in a super pop band.
Leo: eh Wagner.
That’s the best one we’ve had.
Kirstin: You like his style, wait till you see his outfit tonight.
Oh is Wagner inspired?!
Kirstin: It is, it totally is.
Leo: I don’t mean the one from Xfactor.
Who?
Leo: Richard Wagner… classical
Oh
Kirstin: Leave it as the guy from X Factor, that’s funny. Your like Fuck no!
Leo: I think it’s probably him because he’s a horrendous human being but his music is quite good.
Kirstin: Do you know that Wagner from X Factor does this thing where you can pay him to wish people like happy birthday. One of my friends had a birthday last week and he was like hello Abbie happy birthday! I think they only gave him like a fiver.
Describe WHITE in 3 words.
Leo: What is our description?
Kristin: How would you describe it, do you want me to get the press release out?
Leo: Pink, Neon, Car-crash. Car-crash is one word hyphenated.
Whats your favourite vine/meme?
Kirstin: This is so bad but you know what I like? Its that one, that’s like I’m in my mums car, get out my car! It came out when I joined the band and Lewis used to say it to me all the time and I would piss myself laughing. It’s really bad that I like that one.
Leo: Me IRL
Well thank you guys!
Club Decode 2017
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