We Are… Kochka

Kochka

Giving to good causes is a brilliant feeling, isn’t it? It’s even better when you get something back out of it, like say…. an evening’s entertainment courtesy of four (yes, FOUR) up and coming bands.

That’s exactly what’s happening on Friday at the Classic Grand when friend of Tidal Wave, the Favourite Son blog teams up with Oxfam’s department for fun stuff, Oxjam to lay on a spectacular evening of music. 

Going to an Oxjam gig is bound to be less annoying than someone knocking your door at teatime and probably even more fun than punching a charity mugger on Princes Street.

And seeing as everyone in this country is likely to be utterly skint for the next three years, events like this are surely the future.

So who’s playing? Well we have anthemic rock types The Winter Tradition, oddball electronics courtesy of Nevada Base and The Clyde, thankfully nowhere near as dirty as the river they’re named after.

Also wedged in there are Kochka. From Glasgow, the name is Czech for cat and that’s about the most normal thing about them. The music is almost undefinable – think indie/Balkan/folk/punk/polka and you MIGHT be about halfway there. But it’s great stuff. Highly original in the way that it blends everything together, and the closest comparison I’m able to make is Gogol Bordello, but more dance-y and less likely to kiss Madonna’s arse.

So what do the band (Sheryll on drums & vocals, Stew on guitar, piano & synths, Markk on vocals, guitars & synths and Scott on bass, vocals and guitjo) have to say for themselves?

Sheryll: We are drums, guitars, bass and vocals with some added synthy vitamins and anything else we can lay our hands on!
 
Describe your sound in ten words or less!
 
Captain Scott: Trotskyite – Happybluespop - Klezmer -  ElectroCabaret – Bolshevik – Folk.
 
There are definitely some serious Balkan influences in your sound, which I could have guessed from your name – how did that come about?
 
Stewart: Our friend’s cat who lives in Lyon. We beat him at a poker game. We won and got the copyright to his name.
 
You’re playing the Oxjam Takeover on the 29th with three other great bands – how do you feel about playing the event? And have you worked with the other bands before?
 
Stewart: We are hugely excited about the gig. It’s a great cause and we’ve been in the audience at some brilliant shows in the last couple of years at Oxjam, so its’ great to take part this year. We’ve played a show with Nevada Base before. Definitely a favourite of ours and the other bands all have their own buzz going. Should be a great night all round.
 
Any plans to release and album in the near future?
 
Markk: Yes! We have just confirmed dates with Sugar Mountain studios for December to start our debut album. It will take a couple of sessions over a couple of months ,so ready early next year. It won’t be a rushed affair though, and will take how long it takes and will be ready when its ready. We love the creative process and the studio. Theres a lot of new material gaining some weight just now so deciding whats going in and what direction we are going with it will be tough. Cue a lot of pizza and let the arguments begin!
 
Kochka is Czech for cat and you have a song called Black Cat – this means you may well be the feline-loving Tidal Wave of Indifference’s favourite band of all time, just edging out Pussy Galore. What’s with the cats then?

Markk: Can we use that quote??? The cat thing… yeah. I think Black Cat was on a poster in the rehearsal room and became just a reference name for us for rehearsals that eventually stuck. We may throw in a few more references to stay the Tidal Wave of Indifference’s favourite feline-loving band. We can’t lose that accolade now we have earned it?!

You can listen to Kochka on their Myspace page - apparently people still use those???

The Oxjam homepage is at www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam and the Glasgow gig is on October 29th at the Classic Grand. It kicks off at 7pm and is a mere fiver on the door. It’s for a great cause so get your arse along.

Poster