Degrees K

As we well know, Australians are adept at claiming our successes as their own. In some cases (Russell Crowe) they're even welcome to them. But if we're not careful they'll be claiming one of our best new bands too, one that is virtually unknown at home. Ex-pat Cantabrians Degrees K relocated to Sydney at the beginning of 2003, and have caused ripples since. They've been named by The Melbourne Age as the next buzz band, and have had tracks on the prestigious Triple J radio network.

Degrees K emerged from Christchurch in 2001, releasing two EPs (Jay Tee Four Pee, Click) on Failsafe Records, following up in 2002 with the Lifelike album. These releases exhibited the four piece's eclectic sound, a dynamic amalgam of emo, heavy rock and power pop. Before moving, the band built a solid reputation for their electrifying live shows. In Australia their headline shows and supports for the Icarus Line and Pacifier have garnered them enthusiastic reviews from superlative spouting journos. Their new seven-track mini-album Children of the Night Sky looks like raising their profile, and with ex-Pacifier management company Aloha behind them, it surely won't be long before those ripples become waves heading back across the Tasman.

Back in New Zealand in July to tour in support of Children of the Night Sky, Degrees K played to large audiences, perhaps because the excellent 'Worth It' had been picked up by local radio. Drinking beer in the Ponsonby sun in the midst of a hectic day, vocalist/guitarist Gene Vincent and guitarist Charlie Underwood are relaxed and animated in the absence of bassist Dean Cameron and drummer Chris Spark. They act as a comedy duo, checking out girls walking past. See what life could be like if you'd moved to Auckland instead of Sydney, boys...

"We wouldn't have met the people we've met, or had the chances we've had," says Underwood of the move. "Auckland was never a serious option. Some would say what's the point. The important thing was to get out of New Zealand."
"Sydney’s a big dirty city," continues Vincent. "That's the motivation for me to work hard, to get out of there. It's good for the band. We wanted to travel together. We'd been planning it for a couple of years, and we thought now was the time."

While Degrees K hadn't reached the heights domestically that Shihad had before casting their net wider, it could be argued that they'd gone as far as they could. They admit they are unlikely to work with a major label, and although New Zealand's music scene is more multi-tiered than it was, Degrees K would have trouble finding an audience big enough to sustain them here. The main reason for this is that their sound is hard to pin down, straddling several stylistic divides, a wilful eclecticism that takes a while to warm to. In a larger country this is likely to be an asset.

"You can really impress, you can make people go 'holy shit, what the fuck was that?'" explains Underwood "I think we attract similar people to us, maybe similar humoured people. Hopefully our personality comes across, so that makes it easier for people to like the band."

Certainly Degrees K live show is their primary weapon. They're a band that likes to interact with the audience, make something special happen, and more than anything play loud.
"We're trying to tone down our volume a little," suggests Vincent. "Not too much, ‘cos if you haven't got sheer volume thumping into someone’s guts then it's not as effective. It's all about frequency. If you've got a clashing frequency it fucking hurts your ears. You can work on that but still have power"

This philosophy was transferred to the recording of Children of the Night Sky, their most accomplished release to date. Certainly Gravina (Jet, Living End, Magic Dirt) has stamped his mark on the mini-album, although it seems the boys were initially reluctant to relinquish control of their tunes. "There were times we were just like 'Fuck, this guy doesn't know what he's doing...'" remembers Vincent. "And not just with Lindsay, with each other too. But we all said at the start we were going to take a step off, and have a bit more space in the middle for the song to spring up."
"It was a case of trust me, I'll make you sound fat,” says Underwood, before continuing in a Spinal Tap-like tirade "So while he says that we're toning down, we're still a loud band. And I like that. And if you don't like it you can fuck off!"

Gavin Bertram.