The Karma Party are currently getting ready to release their brand new EP Illumination. Ahead of the release, we caught up with vocalist Merc for a chat to find out a little more.
Thanks for the interview – could you introduce yourself and tell me a little about the band?
Hi, I’m Merc, vocalist from The Karma Party, pleased to meet you. We’re a four piece punk rock band with electronics from the dingy holiday resort that is more commonly known as Blackpool. Our songs are influenced by the place we come from which some people call political. We call it being honest.
You’re currently gearing up to release your new EP Illumination – can you tell me about the writing and recording process?
The writing process for this EP was completely different to our previous experience with EP Dark Matters. Illumination was written, recorded, produced and mastered entirely by ourselves in various bedrooms around the North West of England. For us it’s the epitome of homegrown DIY music. We abandoned the idea of using a studio when we wanted to spend more time nurturing the tracks and letting them and our sound, develop naturally over time. Although the process at times was difficult and time consuming, it was ultimately rewarding and something we’re very proud of!
Were there any songs that were more of a challenge than others to complete?
We looked at the EP as a single entity and therefore all five tracks were developed at the same rate as each other. Not one track was finished before they were all finished. The benefit (and drawback) of doing the production ourselves meant we could keep developing and reworking the tracks, which would in turn, have a knock-on effect for the rest of the EP. Each track was always chasing the most up to date changes that we had made.
Which track are you most proud of?
The final and title track, Illumination, has to be the song I am personally most proud of. Lyrically and musically we knew this track wouldn’t follow the usual structure and definitely wouldn’t be a single. Illumination serves as the conclusion, the summary and our message for the whole EP.
If you could go back and change anything, would you?
Definitely not! The EP isn’t just the five tracks you listen to – it’s the bedrooms, the late nights, the countless journeys up the M55, the wait for payday, the torn out pages from lyric pads – literally the HEART, SOUL, BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS that went into it. For us, the process is as important as the final outcome.
What would you say the best show you’ve ever played has been?
We recently ventured into European territory and played a festival in Belgium called Vlasrock. It was our first time playing out of the country and we weren’t really sure what we were getting ourselves into… It ended up with a full tent of Belgian and Dutch teenagers singing the lyrics back at us whilst sipping on 9% beer. We can’t wait to get back to Europe!
If you could play a show anywhere, where would it be?
Without doubt, Glastonbury or Coachella.
What’s been your best experience in the industry so far?
Touring and meeting other bands has to be the best part about being in a band. You spend a lot of your time doing promotion – CD releases, videos, social media and admin. So when you get out on the road and play shows every night, you remember exactly why you’re doing it in the first place.
And if The Karma Party could put its name to a product, what would it be?
One product we can definitely get behind is the Mazda Bongo Friendee – our trusty tour vehicle!
Illumination is set to be released on August 11. Keep an eye on the site for our upcoming review!
