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While other bands chase after that illusive, almost mystical pop dream of hit singles and success, Kula Shaker remain steeped in their own type of mysticism. Often retreating to India to regain their sense of self and inspire their unique brand of raga rock, Kula Shaker and their spiritually influenced sound stand apart from the current pop rock scene. The band is so enveloped in Indian culture, that it pervades their presence, their lyrics, and, of course, their music. Yet if the twinkle in singer Crispian Mill’s eye is any indication, they’ve managed to retain their sense of humor. The band – singer/guitarist Crispian MILLS, bassist Alonza Bevan, drummer Paul Winterhart, organist Jay Darlington – collaborated with legendary producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Peter Gabriel’s So, Lou Reed’s Berlin, KISS’s Destoyer, Alice Cooper’s School’s Out) to create their latest release Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts. The CD blends rock with exotic musings, dipping further into the band’s psychedelic predilections and making more use of Eastern musical textures than before. NYROCK: You guys played instead of Neil Young at the Glastonbury Festival [UK, June 1998]. That was a huge chance, but then you disappeared again, to India the record company said... MILLS: Yes, we needed some time away from it all. It had got too much about other things and not the music. That's to be expected, but it was like losing touch with the fact that we're a band and we had to make another record. We really had to be thinking about the music so we just stopped everything and cut ourselves off. NYROCK: K was already heavily influenced by Indian music. You might even call it sitar studded. Now Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts runs even more in that direction... MILLS: [K] was an opportunity for us to say, well, we're into Indian music but this is much more how we'd liked to have presented it. Once you've heard those sounds you can't get them out of your system. They become part of the way you want to express yourself. I think a lot of Europe's folk music has influences from North Africa and India. It's part of our principles and ideals, and part of our backgrounds just as four people as well. It's what made us what we are. NYROCK: Isn't the name Kula Shaker also the name of an Indian King? I'm not so familiar with it, but I'm sure you can enlighten me... MILLS: Yeah, we met this real wild guy who just came back from India. He was a bit under the influence of ahhh, things, substances, and he told us about this Kula Shaker guy and that since he changed his name to Kula Shaker, he had all the luck in the world. It didn't seem like a bad idea. We had nothing to lose and decided to give it a try and hey, it looks like it really did work. We read up a bit and this guy Kula Shaker was really cool. He was an Indian king from the 9th century. A great poet and a holy man. NYROCK: But how did you get labeled Brit pop? If anything, I'd say Indian pop... MILLS: Oh well, I guess that was the easiest option. You know, the easiest way to put a label on us. Especially American radio DJs liked to introduce us as "Now, here's a lovely British band singing about India. How fancy!" But we don't sing about India; we're singing about our own life. Of course, we're heavily influenced by India, but that's musicially. But it's pretty hard to explain that to a radio DJ, especially in Nashville. Not that I'm bitching about Nashville, after all, we met Liv Tyler there... NYROCK: And the title? Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts is a rather unusual name for an album... MILLS: Well, you can interpret that any way you like, and that's what we were aiming for. We wanted something that's open for different perspectives, different interpretations and explanations. NYROCK: So it has nothing to do with India? MILLS: It could be, if you look at it from a certain angle... NYROCK: And that angle would be? MILLS: It could be a description for India, a nation whose majority are peasants but whose got nuclear weapons. Like other nations they're trying to reach for the stars, but their general life and standard of living is quite the opposite. NYROCK: Do you have another explanation too? MILLS: Of course. It could also describe how the people treat knowledge and themselves, a farmer is in touch with nature, the pig is part of the nature and the astronaut is looking for things in space, things he believes he can't find on the ground. NYROCK: That's quite mythological... MILLS: We never claimed that we're not. Look at our album cover. Some people thought the title means past, present and future; that does fit in and there is a lyrical journey going through the album. We wanted to start saying something and end saying something, but it's up to you what kind of concept you think it is. NYROCK: During our last interview, you seemed to be quite angst driven... MILLS: Was I really? I don't recall it... NYROCK: You were worried about Armageddon... MILLS: Really? That probably was the result of a hangover. I'm not anymore. I mean the end of the world, God, how many times did people talk about the end of the world? Every culture talks about it sometime somewhere. Look at the old mythologies, even the Maya talked about it, the Indian cultures did, just as the western cultures did, prophets and scientists... I think we're paying the bill for all the damage we did. I hope it's not too late to save the planet, but I don't think the end is near. NYROCK: So you're not joining all the hysteria about the year 2000? MILLS: Not at all! Maybe Armageddon is the fact that we pay three pounds for cinema tickets to watch Deep Impact. I guess that distracts us from the fact that people on other continents live far less cozier than we do, that they have to struggle for survival. NYROCK: So you don't see yourselves as some kind of prophets? MILLS: Heavens, no. I think there are more than enough people who mix up a philosophy with the people who teach it. And often the teachers don't realize that they're actually causing a lot of damage. NYROCK: You got in a lot of trouble for saying something about a Swastika sign. The press even used your single "Hey Dude" and turned it into "Heil Dude"... MILLS: The ancient Indian swastika symbol is a very positive symbol. That was what I was talking about. It's pro peace, love and equality beliefs. They failed to mention that I didn't talk about the Nazi symbol at all, but you know how the press is. They decided to make a big deal out of it. I was simply young and too innocent. I really wasn't talking about the Nazi sign. I was so caught up in the Indian mythology, that I didn't even think about how the Nazis perverted that sign. NYROCK: So what's the main difference between K and Peasants, Pigs And Astronauts? MILLS: We started having more fun. On stuff like "S.O.S." and "Radhe Radhe" and even "108" you can hear that the band's just really enjoying itself and it's free, and that's the best antidote to all the shit in the business. April 1999 |