SAM RASMUSSEN OF THE PAPER KITES

Hi Sam and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology.

Firstly congratulations on the new record On The Corner Where You Live which is actually the second album released this year on the back on On The Train Ride Home. It is quite a feat to produce two albums barely six months apart and in doing so is the idea to have two overlapping LP’s that provide one continuous story or two distinctly different entities, each telling their own tale?

It is more of the former. There is a bit of a theme throughout the 2 LPs. They do kind of act like a part A and part B type of package. The most notable difference between the two of them is the sound. On The Train Ride Home is pretty stripped back, bare bones, and quiet whereas On The Corner Where You Live gets back to the full band sound. The kind of sound we love to play live!

The album On The Corner Where You Live was co-produced Peter Katis of Interpol and The National fame, what did Peter bring to the table that really shines through on this record?

Pete did a really good job at setting the tone of the recording process. We all lived and recorded in his big old mansion in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was all about keeping things relaxed and easy going. He’d disappear from the studio for an hour and then reappear announcing he’d made soup for everyone. If a song wasn’t working on any given day, he’d never push us. He’d just say ‘let’s just leave it and try something else for a while’. As a result of his easy going style, we felt free to perform, experiment, and have fun. I think this really shines through the record.

The Paper Kites are immensely popular on the global stage as well as at home but do you feel like there is a little something that you have tapped into from your Victorian lives that resonates so strongly with the international audience that are so fond of your work?

When I think of the history of TPK, I fondly remember many distinctly Australian, and even Victorian ties that we have. We shot our very first film clip (Bloom) in the middle of a cow paddock in outer eastern Melbourne. At one stage we had to cut filming because a herd of cattle were charging towards us! Nowadays, we have a rehearsal studio in a small town called Kangaroo Ground. It’s literally in the middle of the bush, and it is not uncommon to have to dodge kangaroos on the drive up there. When we are on tour, we play most shows downtown in big cities, but our roots are very firmly grounded in rural Victoria.

You have amassed a staggering amount of shows over the years, performing around the globe in hundreds of venues. Spending so much time on the road, do you find it to be an inspirational time that feeds into your creative processes and writing or you tend to be so focused on the tasks at hand that the creativity takes something of a back seat?

I’d love to say that it’s an incredible time of inspired creating, but honestly, it’s not. Being on tour is great, but it’s hard. And there is rarely a spare moment so creativity definitely takes a back seat. Our daily focus generally revolves around ‘where can we find something healthy to eat’, ‘can I fit in a nap’, and ‘let’s give everything to this show’

Having meet and performed with so any different musicians and artists over the years, during that time, has there been any defining moments or words of wisdom that were spoken to you which really resonated with you and in turn altered the way you approach your craft?

I can’t necessarily recall a specific quote, however there is a reoccurring theme throughout all the highly successful artist we have been lucky enough to cross paths with. They are all no stranger to hard work. And not just hard work, but hard work with a good attitude. The lifestyle of a musician looks so appealing on Instagram. Massive crowds, different countries, good times all round. But the reality of it all is that it’s just endless amounts of work and sacrifice.

I guess it is fair to say that music has been the one underlying constant in your life and the prism through which the world is viewed, analysed and reimagined. Such a heavy reliance on music and more precisely playing music can be an alienating yet liberating form of expression. As you move through your years does performing music become more or less the vehicle that drives you?

I think it only grows in significance. When we started out in 2010, performing was terrifying. We were inexperienced, and underprepared. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun, but just really stressful! But as the years have gone by, we have only grown in our passion and ability. Up to this point, we have probably played 300-400 shows. This week, as we were rehearsing for the upcoming tours, there was a tangible excitement at how the show is coming together. We are learning more and more how to play, and how to craft a show and as our experience continues to grow, so does our passion to perform. It just keeps on getting better​