Heavy, danceable, and absolutely addictive.

The inspiration behind the sparse, heavy, and dance-like nature of Kone’s songs stems from the desire to create music that sounds good to the ear and compels the body to move. The band draws from their classical training, incorporating the precision and through-composed nature of classical music into a heavier, rhythmically intense ensemble. Their style combines the clarity of written 'art music' with the force and rawness of punk. One of their recent singles, 'Downtown' offers thought-provoking lyrics that evoke images of flight and displacement. The song explores themes of migration, borders, and the protocols of modern systems. It encourages listeners to contemplate the complexities of starting life over and the significance of documentation in our society.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We formed a band together back in 2013; two of us lived in Oxford and Jonny in London. It was originally a two piece writing project with Alice and Jonny. After our first concert at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford with songs arranged for piano, bass guitar and vocals, Jonny and Alice wanted to write music with a fuller, heavier sound and ask Graeme to join the band. Our music is written for distinct melodic parts weaving in and out of each other. We deliberately don't use chords but rather enjoy the sound of counterpoint; note against note in the guitar, bass and vocals. The drums drive and respond to these melodic shapings.

What inspired the sparse, heavy, and dance-like nature of your songs? 

[Alice] It comes down to what sounds good to the ear and what makes the body want to move. When each line of music is distinct, you can better follow the separate strands. We find this style of music lends itself to big, driving, unambiguous textures. In some way or another we are all classically trained; using the precision and through composed nature of classical music in a heavy and rhythmically intense ensemble has always felt really exciting to us.

[Jonny] Yes, it’s about combining the clarity of written ‘art music’, whether that be the counterpoint of Bach or the pulsing flows of the 20th century minimalists, with the force of punk music and amplification. Post-punk has always been about folding in all the possibilities of harmony and the ambiguities of other musics to the raw punchiness of punk, and the Downtown New York artists like Branca, and Rhys Chatham, and Laurie Anderson, also pioneered a kind of wry punk-y-but-also-cerebral music.  So we’re inspired by the sounds we can practically make in a room with the three of us and just the classic guitar, bass, drums, set-up, but also by the storied history of heavy abstract art music of all kinds. 

Can you tell us more about the lyrics in your recent single ‘Downtown’? 

In the first half of the song, the words 'gates are closed, hurry' conjure up an image of flight, perhaps of people fleeing across a border, heeding a warning. In the second half when the tempo ramps up, the lyrics describe being on Staten Island in New York City, experiencing both the legacy of the people who emigrated to this great city and the nature of displacement. It asks whether paper documents are all that's needed ‘to start life over’; a comment on the protocols of our modern day systems.

How was the experience of recording your debut album Kone One at Henry Dartnall's studio in rural Oxfordshire?

Working with Henry over a number of years gave us so much as a band; he challenged us musically to push further with song structure and different writing elements on each track.. He’s  a powerhouse. Working with him, you’re permanently in a super-interesting conversation. It gets you to a lot of great places. Plus he has a deft touch in the mix. He’s an auteur basically, and it was a damn good time working on these songs with him. We dig him and his band Young Knives greatly.

During the sessions there was rarely a dull moment; we seemed to be laughing and joyful pretty much the whole time we had the headphones on. You can actually hear a giggle at the end of 'Groceries'. 

What influenced the decision to maintain a minimal style throughout the album, often using just two notes?

It's not as easy to keep things simple as you might think during production but Henry really gets our style and managed to help us highlight and embellish rather than making our trio sound like a 6 piece band. We hope that listeners will find richness and interest even within the paired back style of the tracks on KONE ONE.

Using too many notes can be like using all the colours to paint - you get brown. Using fewer can be more vivid. Simplicity is what we like and we feel that it often creates a forcefulness that adding extra lines would dilute. But, in the same way that a string quartet produces a distilled but ultimately very arresting sound, it’s not minimalism in an unobtrusive / beige way. It’s pretty maximalist minimalism at times!

Can you discuss the dialogue between instruments and voices in your songs and how it creates unusual shapes and spaces?

A lot of our songwriting is developed by improvising guitar or bass parts over a set theme or motif, over and over again. We would record them on our phones, capturing any good bits. These became the basis of the structure of the song. The way we agreed which bits were any good came really naturally; we would all feel it was 'right', like a little punch in the stomach.

How did the remote mixing process across the web during the pandemic impact the album's final sound? 

I think we all had a good idea of what we wanted from the monitor mixes in Henry's studio before the pandemic which made things easier. It was a nice excuse though to talk to each other and chat when further mixes and mastering options came through.

What made Divine Schism the right label for releasing your single and debut album?

We've known Aiden and James for years and along with the rest of their team, we have always admired their skill at creating exciting events and opportunities for artists in Oxford and beyond. The DIY spirit burns brightly with them and we knew we would be able to work really well together.

What can fans expect from your album launch shows in Oxford and London, and how do you envision the live experience of Kone’s music?

We are a band that played live first and recorded second so we are itching to get back on stage and perform again. You can expect a set that will make you a bit sweaty from dancing (or at least a vigorous head nod); if you're a big Konie you'll probably be joining in singing with us. A lot of our good friends from ages past, family and partners will be there so no doubt we will have some amazingly warm and excited audience members. We can't wait!

What do you love right now?

Seeing loads of pollinators like hover flies, bees, moths and butterflies on all the summer flowers, shrubs and trees around us / Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians / floating in the sea.  

What do you hate right now?

The challenges for world leaders to take radical and immediate measures to reduce climate change / unwarranted hierarchies / underwhelming sandwiches

Name an album your still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

[Alice] Brighton based band Prinzhorn Dance School's debut 'Prinzhorn Dance School' is an album that will always be very close to my heart. I used to promote a night called 'Sunday Roast' at the Cellar in Oxford when I was a student and they played there back in 2007. All the heavy, beautiful space they create in their songs makes me feel held in the best kind of way.

[Jonny] There’s a recording of the 15 String Quartets that Shostakovich wrote across his life (played by the Borodin Quartet) that I first listened to aged maybe 15 and I’m pretty certain I’ll be listening to for as long as I can. The savage beauty of the writing is something I immediately related to.  Beastie Boys ‘Check Your Head’ is also a big one for me from my childhood. I am literally unable to choose a single album in any circumstance - favourite, best of all time etc. Sorry!

[Graeme] The thing I keep returning to is not an album as such. I have my eldest brother to thank for taping REM live inAtlanta off the TV onto VHS in the early 90s. The tape lived in the tape rack next to the TV and I remember watching it over and over as a kid and wondering what it might be like to play a show like that. It reminds me why I like live music.

Where would you like to see Kone one year from now?

Writing and recording our next album.