Perth electronic producer-songwriter Laura Jane Lowther is an artist who likes to keep busy. Between her brainchild Kučka and her collaborations with the likes of Paces and A$AP Rocky, I'm surprised to get her to sit down long enough for a chat – especially with announcements such as OutsideIn and her place in RBMA's 2015 Paris intake. Laura's Kučka project has grown two extra heads in the form of live bandmates Jake Steele and Katie Cambell. Two-thirds of this Kučka lineup have successfully made it out of bed today while Katie recovers from a troublesome red-eye flight just in time for their show at Sydney's World Bar. Laura and Jake open up about the new EP, travel plans and their dream collaborators. Plus listen to our exclusive mix provided by Kučka below.
Laura: I tend to overwork stuff a lot. Because I am a bit of a perfectionist. I do like minimal music, even though I do have lots of layers, I find that I take a lot away and I take a lot away while I'm mixing… But yeah I don't really know when it's finished. Once it's mixed, I've been mixing with this guy through an analogue desk so it's really hard to go back after that to tweak stuff so that kind of helps.I guess thats all part of the process, sounds can changed and things can evolve.
Jake: Things can change so much, like I'll think, "That song sounds sick, that's it, leave it". Then I'll come back and it'll be completely just becomes a whole new track which always sounds better in the end. So those original beats end up sounding nothing like the new stuff and I think "I could probably bring those back and re-use that, do my own beat" *laughsHow long have you been working together?
Laura: I think it was…maybe two, no…Three years ago?
Jake: We all do our own sort of things too, like me and Katie play in the live show and I guess the songs change a bit for that but Laura writes all the songs and produces them.
Laura: So when we get together for jams I'm always like, "Ok what do you want to play?" What do you think will be best for you to play live?But you still like to keep this as your solo project? I know you all are busy with side projects but is Kucka just Laura's thing because you have a certain vision for it or because you've all agreed that with time management its better to just come in and out as you're needed?
Jake: Yeah at the end of the day its Laura's baby and we just compliment the live show…Now that's starting to change a little where we are having a little bit more of an input.
Laura: But they're so busy with their own stuff its hard enough to get everybody in the same room for a rehearsal let alone having input into the writing too. We're all kind of working on our own writing but we also work together on other projects. Katie and I have worked on random bands together like Wasabi Peas and _Wasted._ We work together on fun projects.I get that impression, that you all like to keep incredibly busy, like…did you do a new collaboration last night with Cosmo's Midnight? And you know…that huge track with Paces not to mention working with A$AP Rocky do you find that you can't help yourself, that you're saying yes to everybody who asks to work with you?
Laura: It's just really fun. You can learn so much from people when you work with them. Like working with Cosmo's Midnight yesterday just seeing how everybody bounces off one another and how they work in the studio is really interesting and fun I guess, it's better than…not doing it.Has there been anyone who has approached where you've had to say, "Thanks but no thanks I don't think it's a good fit"
Laura: Yeah… sometimes it's hard because you think maybe you should work with them because they have lots of followers or something and your management go, "C'mon this could be really good" but you're like [shrugs].
Jake: You're just not feeling it sometimes.But it's admirable to have some dignity on who you will and won't work with…doing whats best for your project. In an ideal world, who would you love ask you to do a collab?
Laura: I reckon Beck would be awesome. I think it's because he's just done so much and he would be so fun to be in the studio with…I think he's my dream collaborator.As a big Beck fan how did you feel about the whole Grammy thing?
Laura: Well… Kanye is a bit of a dick really. Like I wouldn't expect anything less from him. [Laughs]I'd like to know your thoughts on pop, seeing as before you mentioned the new EP is pop influenced.
Laura: Yeah I love pop and I love Beyonce and I think Beck is quite pop now too. I don't think it's a dirty word at all. I mean…pop is just popular, its things that lots of people like and associate with and I wanted to…like, a lot of my lyrics are about everyday things like there's a love song in there. There's stuff thats kind of…close to me. "Generation xyz" is about your parents and grandparents and learning from them and your reactions and stuff. So…yeah I don't think pop is a dirty word at all but you know I like experimental stuff too and dance and…well I like everything, If its good. eat beans and rice.So are you formally trained? Do you both come from quite strict musical training where you had a plan of what you wanted to do with your music?
Laura: Well…we both met because we studied composition and music technology at WAAPA, so you needed to know the theory. Like we'd be in classes with the classical kids doing theory and Aural and music history and stuff and it was great course, that's where we all met we all did the same course.A lot of acting and musical theatre talent comes out of WAAPA, I cannot imagine you all sitting in a classroom together!
Jake: Yeah you have the music theatre kids and all the actors then the classical who like practise ten hours a day for twenty years before the even get in to the school. They're all so amazing. With our course it was more about handing in a portfolio of stuff you've scored our produced rather than an audition like the other students. So I feel like maybe getting in to our major was a little easier.I get the impression you guys are way more into your sound design than being virtuosos.
Jake: Yeah totally, I want to make sound design my career but I have a long way to go. Takes a lot of dedication.Do you think you'll ever leave Perth? Or will you always go back and call it home?
Jake: I think you kind of have to if you want to have any kind of musical career.Laura, you look very excited.
Laura: I love Perth but I definitely want to leave at some point.
Jake: Yeah you have to get out.Where are your sights set then?
Jake: Well we both want to play more overseas…theres a great festival in Belgium I'd love to go to.
Laura: Yeah if we ever leave New Zealand though, our ticket is a one way at the moment. We actually met this girl on the Gold Coast the other week who was like, "Oh yeah I'm from Perth, I've been driving around the country but then my car broke down and I've been here for six years now". I just keep imagining something like that happening to us.Guest mix tracklist:
Jade Statues - P H T H A L O G R E E N
Josh Pan x Manitee - Imagine peaking on this
MEDASIN - Make a Banger
MEDASIN - Thx
Fever Trails - Adidas Pineapple Village
Egyptrixx - Liberation Front
k2k - Bles
Jade Statues - left u on ur own
Astrolith - Blunt after Blunt (Astrolith remix feat. Cakes Da Killa)
Medasin x Masego - up & Groove
Phil Stroud - YemajaKučka performs at this year's OutsideIn Festival, taking place at Sydney's Manning Bar on Saturday September 26. The new EP Unconditional is out August 14 through Inertia.Kučka on SoundCloud // FacebookWant more features, mixes and exclusive tracks? Like THUMP on Facebook
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Do you find it easy to be objective and say "that's finished" or "that's not good enough for the EP"?
Laura: I tend to overwork stuff a lot. Because I am a bit of a perfectionist. I do like minimal music, even though I do have lots of layers, I find that I take a lot away and I take a lot away while I'm mixing… But yeah I don't really know when it's finished. Once it's mixed, I've been mixing with this guy through an analogue desk so it's really hard to go back after that to tweak stuff so that kind of helps.I guess thats all part of the process, sounds can changed and things can evolve.
Jake: Things can change so much, like I'll think, "That song sounds sick, that's it, leave it". Then I'll come back and it'll be completely just becomes a whole new track which always sounds better in the end. So those original beats end up sounding nothing like the new stuff and I think "I could probably bring those back and re-use that, do my own beat" *laughsHow long have you been working together?
Laura: I think it was…maybe two, no…Three years ago?
Jake: We all do our own sort of things too, like me and Katie play in the live show and I guess the songs change a bit for that but Laura writes all the songs and produces them.
Laura: So when we get together for jams I'm always like, "Ok what do you want to play?" What do you think will be best for you to play live?But you still like to keep this as your solo project? I know you all are busy with side projects but is Kucka just Laura's thing because you have a certain vision for it or because you've all agreed that with time management its better to just come in and out as you're needed?
Jake: Yeah at the end of the day its Laura's baby and we just compliment the live show…Now that's starting to change a little where we are having a little bit more of an input.
Laura: But they're so busy with their own stuff its hard enough to get everybody in the same room for a rehearsal let alone having input into the writing too. We're all kind of working on our own writing but we also work together on other projects. Katie and I have worked on random bands together like Wasabi Peas and _Wasted._ We work together on fun projects.
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Laura: It's just really fun. You can learn so much from people when you work with them. Like working with Cosmo's Midnight yesterday just seeing how everybody bounces off one another and how they work in the studio is really interesting and fun I guess, it's better than…not doing it.Has there been anyone who has approached where you've had to say, "Thanks but no thanks I don't think it's a good fit"
Laura: Yeah… sometimes it's hard because you think maybe you should work with them because they have lots of followers or something and your management go, "C'mon this could be really good" but you're like [shrugs].
Jake: You're just not feeling it sometimes.But it's admirable to have some dignity on who you will and won't work with…doing whats best for your project. In an ideal world, who would you love ask you to do a collab?
Laura: I reckon Beck would be awesome. I think it's because he's just done so much and he would be so fun to be in the studio with…I think he's my dream collaborator.As a big Beck fan how did you feel about the whole Grammy thing?
Laura: Well… Kanye is a bit of a dick really. Like I wouldn't expect anything less from him. [Laughs]
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Laura: Yeah I love pop and I love Beyonce and I think Beck is quite pop now too. I don't think it's a dirty word at all. I mean…pop is just popular, its things that lots of people like and associate with and I wanted to…like, a lot of my lyrics are about everyday things like there's a love song in there. There's stuff thats kind of…close to me. "Generation xyz" is about your parents and grandparents and learning from them and your reactions and stuff. So…yeah I don't think pop is a dirty word at all but you know I like experimental stuff too and dance and…well I like everything, If its good. eat beans and rice.So are you formally trained? Do you both come from quite strict musical training where you had a plan of what you wanted to do with your music?
Laura: Well…we both met because we studied composition and music technology at WAAPA, so you needed to know the theory. Like we'd be in classes with the classical kids doing theory and Aural and music history and stuff and it was great course, that's where we all met we all did the same course.A lot of acting and musical theatre talent comes out of WAAPA, I cannot imagine you all sitting in a classroom together!
Jake: Yeah you have the music theatre kids and all the actors then the classical who like practise ten hours a day for twenty years before the even get in to the school. They're all so amazing. With our course it was more about handing in a portfolio of stuff you've scored our produced rather than an audition like the other students. So I feel like maybe getting in to our major was a little easier.
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Jake: Yeah totally, I want to make sound design my career but I have a long way to go. Takes a lot of dedication.Do you think you'll ever leave Perth? Or will you always go back and call it home?
Jake: I think you kind of have to if you want to have any kind of musical career.Laura, you look very excited.
Laura: I love Perth but I definitely want to leave at some point.
Jake: Yeah you have to get out.Where are your sights set then?
Jake: Well we both want to play more overseas…theres a great festival in Belgium I'd love to go to.
Laura: Yeah if we ever leave New Zealand though, our ticket is a one way at the moment. We actually met this girl on the Gold Coast the other week who was like, "Oh yeah I'm from Perth, I've been driving around the country but then my car broke down and I've been here for six years now". I just keep imagining something like that happening to us.Guest mix tracklist:
Jade Statues - P H T H A L O G R E E N
Josh Pan x Manitee - Imagine peaking on this
MEDASIN - Make a Banger
MEDASIN - Thx
Fever Trails - Adidas Pineapple Village
Egyptrixx - Liberation Front
k2k - Bles
Jade Statues - left u on ur own
Astrolith - Blunt after Blunt (Astrolith remix feat. Cakes Da Killa)
Medasin x Masego - up & Groove
Phil Stroud - YemajaKučka performs at this year's OutsideIn Festival, taking place at Sydney's Manning Bar on Saturday September 26. The new EP Unconditional is out August 14 through Inertia.Kučka on SoundCloud // FacebookWant more features, mixes and exclusive tracks? Like THUMP on Facebook