Duo-turned-four piece Mount Kimbie return with their new album, 'The Sunset Violent', their first studio album in seven years. As the record makes its way into the world, we sit down with Kai Campos and Dom Maker to chat about Andrea Balency-Béarn and Marc Pell joining the band, collaborating with King Krule again, funny backstage stories, and more...

GOODHOOD: Congratulations on the new album! This is your fourth studio album and first album and tour for seven years. How would you describe it prior to us being able to listen to it for the first time? What can we expect? 

DOM MAKER: An increase in bongo usage of 100%! Lots of songs that have lyrics! Guitar! And multiple layers of lush harmonies from Andrea! 

KAI CAMPOS: A searing return to the front line of pop culture by a group of people in their late 30's. If that doesn't sound exciting, it's also much greater than the sum of its parts. 

GH: From what we’ve heard from what you’ve already released, there’s a lot of guitar on your new record, The Sunset Violent (which we love), and you’re also collaborating with King Krule again.  How does this album differ from the music you’ve made before? 

KC: There's shed loads more guitar and the lyrical content is more important than ever. It's probably the biggest shift in our approach but at the end of it all, still sounds like us.

GH: What other collaborators can we expect on the record? 

DM: Archie is the sole collaborator on the album, but we also got a lot of help producing this record from Dilip Harris, he’s mixed our records before but he was very helpful in guiding this ship and preserving an atmosphere of positivity and forward momentum. 

GH: You’ve gone from duo of Dom & Kai to a 4 piece band with the addition of Andrea and Marc, what was the decision behind this? 

KC: I adopted a cat during lock down. He just came in through the front window and never left. He enriches my life greatly and I can't imagine being without him. The band situation is very similar.

 

GH: How it is going to move you forward as a band? 

DM: It feels like the start of a new era. 

GH: Primavera Sound, Glastonbury, We Out Here are some of the festivals you’ll be playing this summer, as well as a big album release tour. What should we expect out of your live shows after a significant amount of time between your last two albums? 

DM: We just finished four weeks of rehearsals, just up the road from Goodhood, at The Premises. It’s the first time we've been together to play as a band in a long time and I can definitely tell how much we’ve learnt from all the years of touring together. There’s a strong chemistry and cohesion to the creative decisions we’re making with the show. I’m very very excited about playing all this new material live, this record is kind of made for live interpretations - we’ve added another member to the touring line up and I feel it’s the best we’ve ever sounded. Main thing is, we’re having a lot of fun doing it!

GH: What’s your favourite city you’ve ever played, and why? 

DM: Tokyo! Aside from the lovely people we’ve met there, and the insanely organised and fluid crews who work in the Japanese music scene, the city is unbelievable, the culture shock is very striking and the food is delicious. It’s my favourite city on earth so far.

GH: One for Dom: why the move back to London from Los Angeles? 

DM: California is very surreal and idyllic in many ways and I did love my time there, but I needed to come back and be close to my family and my band for a bit. Nothing beats being able to walk around a city again. Just need summer weather now! 

GH: Funniest backstage / dressing rooms story you can tell us… 

DM: I asked our ex drummer (my best friend) Tony Kus to pop a coke bottle for me, somewhere in eastern Europe, about 30 seconds before we were about to get on stage, he used a lighter to do it and the bottle exploded and the cap flew straight into his eye, coke flew everywhere, he cried out in agony, all the crew were pushing us to get on stage and he had to walk out there with one good eye and drenched in sticky Coca-Cola , me and Kai walked out after him in floods of tears we were laughing so much. Poor Tone!

 

GH: What are you currently reading? 

DM: ‘About Uncle’ by Rebecca Gisler.

GH: You’ve got an NTS Radio residency, where Kai and Dom play for an hour every month, the last show being November 2022. Are there any plans to record any more shows in the near future? 

KC: Love doing radio and always keen. I think to do it well takes a lot of time and so generally it's in between touring.

GH: In your most recent NTS show, Kai and guest Dilip Harris discussed making a record and the sound  of a record, and the statement “it has nothing to do with devices, and everything to do with intention” was made by Dilip. We think there’s a nice sentiment in the magic coming from the creators, and less from top spec equipment, whatever the medium may be. Is this something you believe in?  

KC: Very much so. Sometimes Dil has to remind me of it but it's never about the gear. Sometimes it is though. 

GH: Standing or seated at a gig? 

DM: Standing!!

GH: Best record released in 2024 that you can put us onto? 

DM: SWORD II - Spirit World Tour.

Collages and Album Artwork by T-Bone Fletcher / Polaroids by Kimrey Nicholson