Melbourne four-piece, Kingswood, have kicked off 2020 with a new single ‘Bittersweet’ in anticipation of their forthcoming album Juveniles, set to be released on 13th March. If you thought that was all, Kingswood are also set to take the stage this month for their next Australian tour.
With an impressive array of associated acts, Kingswood have toured nationally with AC/DC, supported Aerosmith, and scored an ARIA nomination in 2014 for Best Rock Album. TEO had the pleasure of chatting to lead vocalist Fergus Linacre about their next chapter.
TEO: A new single, an upcoming album and an upcoming tour. Holy crap, you guys have been busy. Let’s start with the new single ‘Bittersweet.’
Fergus: It was one of the earlier songs that was finished on the record, and it stood the test of time. The message of the song is summed up in the first line: “there is no love on this earth that isn’t bittersweet.” If you embrace love and all the joy and all the good things that come with love, then you inevitably must take the pain and the sorrow at the same time.
Juveniles hits different than your earlier music in 2013/14. Alex said once that Kingswood opened Pandora’s Box and looked in every room, because you guys bring something new to the table every time. How does this new album mark Kingswood’s next chapter?
We don’t just love one style of music. When we get together to make a Kingswood record, a part of the challenge is narrowing our focus to the kind of sound we want. We made this record twice, then changed direction twice before we ended up making Juveniles. We did a record in France that was going to be the third Kingswood record, and it was so different and weird that we thought “this is its own animal.” So, that’s going to be a whole different side-project.
Why the title Juveniles? What does that word mean to the band, because it’s not the title of any of the songs.
It comes up a bit in our personal lives. Alex and I carry on a bit and muck around like kids…our parents call us the “terrible two.” We’re just a bit silly and we have fun. I think my girlfriend called us a bunch of juveniles at one point, and it stuck. But I think the real reason we named the record Juveniles is because these songs felt like uplifting and happy love songs. It felt like that youthful crush kind of feeling, not an experienced love where you’re a bit more mature and have that perspective.
Mid-last year, a tonne of your equipment and new music recordings for this upcoming album was stolen. Did you get your stuff back and did it affect the production of this album?
Yeah, it definitely did. We’re still missing two Les Pauls, and we lost a lot of music and hard drives and stuff. It definitely did affect the album, but who’s to say whether it affected it positively or negatively? Because when things happen in life, you don’t know whether it’s going to shift your trajectory in a better or worse-off position. It was really tough; we lost a lot of stuff and it was a bit scary going into our studio seeing it all ripped up. Who knows, maybe the album is better for it.
Along with a brand new album, you guys are also about to tour Australia. What are you most looking forward to when you hit the road?
A couple of things! First, I love being on tour because it’s kind of like a school camp. I love waking up and being in the bus in the morning, I love playing cricket while everyone is setting up the stage…I don’t know, I love that little family of the tour. Secondly, I think playing new songs is going to be very exciting. It’s been a while since we’ve had new music to play. We’re doing all the rehearsals for the new songs now, trying to figure out where they fit best in the set, what songs go well back-to-back and all this kind of thing is really exciting.
You’re clearly respected in both classic rock and indie/modern rock scenes, with fans of all ages. What do you think of the current state of rock music and how do you think you fit into that picture?
I think we’re very lucky with the success we’ve had. We do hope that everyone feels welcome and included coming to our shows. I think we do have a diverse crowd and that’s something to be proud of. I think audiences now are less aware of what’s going on onstage and how the music is being presented to them. But I think rock and roll is certainly strong and alive and having a resurgence…it’s certainly strong in Australia and there’s heaps of diversity and heaps of great bands. It’s a good time to be a rock and roller.
You can pre-order Juveniles here for a chance to win a USA-made Gibson Les Paul Classic, valued at $4, 199.
You can watch the video for ‘Bittersweet’ below.
TOUR DATES
Thursday, 12 March 2020 – GEELONG, Barwon Club
Friday, 13 March 2020 – MELBOURNE, The Corner Hotel
Saturday, 14 March 2020 – BALLARAT, Volta
Wednesday, 18 March 2020 – CANBERRA, Kambri ANU
Thursday, 19 March 2020 – WOLLONGONG, UOW Unibar
Friday, 20 March 2020 – SYDNEY, Oxford Art Factory
Saturday, 21 March 2020 – NEWCASTLE, Cambridge Hotel
Thursday, 26 March 2020 – ADELAIDE, The Gov
Friday, 27 March 2020 – PERTH, The Rosemount
Saturday, 28 March 2020 – BUNBURY, Prince of Wales
Sunday, 29 March 2020 – FREMANTLE, Freo Social
Thursday, 2 April 2020 – BRISBANE, The Triffid
Thursday, 9 April 2020 – HOBART, Republic Bar
Saturday, 11 April 2020 – LAUNCESTON, Saloon
Sunday, 12 April 2020 – DEVONPORT, Forth Pub
Thursday, 16 April 2020 – BYRON BAY, The Northern
Friday, 17 April 2020 – GOLD COAST, Miami Marketta
Thursday, 25 June 2020 – CAIRNS, The Jack
Friday, 26 June 2020 – TOWNSVILLE, Otherwise Bar
Saturday, 27 June 2020 – MACKAY, CBD McGuires Hotel
TICKETES
Available here.
Kingswood will also be appearing at Cry Baby Bar, Leo’s By The Slice and Frankie’s Pizza for the Juveniles album launch.
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Photo: supplied
