INTRODUCING NEWCASTLE BASED BAND KOBADELTA….
Kobadelta is a Newcastle based five-piece who dabble in dark and heavy 'indie-psych-rock'…
They launched their new EP 'The Hidden Door' at The Cluny in Newcastle to a great reception a few weeks ago. It's also available to purchase on CD HERE
We stumbled upon Alex (Guitar) and Dom (Vocals) drinking 'Frosty Jacks' chemical cider at the foot of 'The Angel of The North', in between hearty glugs, we asked them some questions, here's how it went….
Please introduce the band and your music in one sentence….
“Modern parables shrouded in necessary shadow” - Dom
Kobadelta? Interesting name, how did you come up with it and what does it mean?
“Koba is a fictional Georgian outlaw who appears as a character in book ‘The Patricide’ by Alexander Kazbegi. The character Koba was admired by, and later used as a pseudonym by Joseph Stalin, who was born in Georgia. Koba is seen as the embodiment of traditional Georgian knightly ideals, and his known for his simplistic moral code of honesty and loyalty.” – Dom
“We liked the name Koba, the story behind it and what he stands for. He’s the hero of the story who respects friendship, defends truth and enforces justice.” - Alex
“That combined with Delta, as in the Delta Blues, gives us our name” - Dom
What classic song do you wish you recorded and why?
“Stairway To Heaven. It’s such an epic song and there’s so much superstition surrounding it” - Dom
'The Hidden door' is your debut EP, how would you sell it to someone who hasn’t listened to music before? Like an X Factor judge?
“Dark and dirty psychedelic rock and roll with passion, groove and substance” - Dom
First gig you ever went to?
“I went along to see Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers at Newcastle Uni with a mate when I was 13, definitely an eye opening first gig!” - Alex
You have been on BBC Radio Newcastle, what was the experience like and how did this come about?
“We’ve been uploading our songs to BBC Introducing for about two years now, and they always seem to get played every time on BBC Radio Newcastle, our local station. After sending in our new EP we got asked to come in and do a live acoustic session with 3 of our songs and a chat. It was great to be able to strip back the songs and give them a new twist, and obviously it’s good exposure for the band” - Alex
“Meeting Nick Roberts was a dream come true. He lived up to his legend” - Dom
In your opinion, who was the best band/artist of 2013?
“Dead Can Dance” – Dom
“I can’t decide between Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys. Both great albums, but we saw them both at Benicassim in the summer and QOTSA were definitely the better band live” - Alex
What was the last album/record you bought?
“David Byrne and St Vincent” – Dom
“Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Let Love In” - Alex
Do you have a record that you wouldn’t like to admit you have?
“I’ve got loads of crazy records in my collection and I’m proud of them all. Everything from Hungarian Folk music to the Bee Gees. If it gets your feet tapping there’s no need to be ashamed.” – Dom
“I’d probably say a fair load of random landfill ‘indie’ acts from around 2003-2006 such as The Kooks, The Ordinary Boys, The Fratellis etc, when I was at uni I would listen to anything and everything that was kicking about at the time. Some of it like these bands like The Strokes, The Libertines and Bloc Party I still listen to form time to time, but some of it hasn’t aged well over the last 10 years” - Alex
Love Stoned Chic is a powerful tune, it has to be played loud, we would love to see it being played live, is there a story behind this track?
“Love Stoned Chic is all about being not taken yourself seriously and the camaraderie developed with such a mind-set. Embracing your vice is far more beneficial then rejecting it all together.” - Dom
Is there something you would like to tell each of the band members that you haven’t told them before?
“I was conceived in a British Racing Green MG in a service station car park” - Dom
What is the best advice you ever received and who was it from?
“My Grandma told me once that you make your own style, its fucking true though. Trends come and go every month, but accepting that you’re an individual and embracing your own tastes is timeless.” – Dom
“My Dad said his Dad told him two things: Be careful where you put your money, and be careful where you put your dick. Not exactly profound, but it made me laugh and I guess there’s some truth in it!” - Alex
Electric Chair is beautifully uneasy and psychedelic, is there a meaning behind this?
“Electric Chair is about contemplating both our decisions and dreams. Certainty lies only in the past, endless possibility awaits. The title stems from the feelings of prisoners on death row, regretting certain parts of their lives and reflecting on distant dreams” – Dom
“I love Dom’s main line in the chorus ‘I carved the wood that made my Electric Chair’, with the idea of cause and effect and realising that sometimes you’re the architect of your own downfall” - Alex
First record you ever bought?
“Crazy Town - Butterfly or ‘Mission Impossible 2 Soundtrack” – Dom
“I was well into punk when I was about 13 so it was either The Ramones Anthology or The Clash On Broadway box set” - Alex
How do you feel social media has aided unsigned bands such as yourselves and your pals Bernaccia?
“I think in terms of getting gigs, getting your songs heard and generally spreading the word and getting exposure, I don’t see how you can be in a band at the minute and not make use of Facebook or Twitter etc. We’ve had features on music blogs in Peru, airplay on independent radio stations in Utah and Mexico City and there’s no way that could happen to an unsigned band from Newcastle without the use of social media” - Alex
Where did you record the Hidden door? Who produced it and why did you choose that selected recording studio?
“Davie Bartholomew Curle The Third at First Avenue Studios in Heaton, Newcastle” – Dom
“I first heard about it by that Dave had recorded The Futureheads on their last few albums. We took a chance and recorded our single ‘When It Rains It Pours’ there at the start of 2013 and loved the sound we got. We get on well with him, it’s local for us and we’ve been back twice since, I don’t see any need for us to try anywhere else at the minute, it works well” - Alex
What does music mean to you?
“Music is my wife, mistress and confidant” - Dom
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads” - Dom
Alex had clearly drunk his chemically enhanced liquid, masquerading as cider far too quickly, as a result, he was throwing up 'Big Soup' all over 'The Angels' left foot, we thought it better to leave task Dom with answering the quick fire questions….
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Coke or Pepsi? Panda Pop
Mac or PC? PC
Taco or Burger? Burger
CD or Vinyl? Vinyl
Car or Motorbike? Car
Shower or Bath? Shower
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos
Robert de Niro or Al Pacino? Al de Niro
God or Google? God
So there you have it folks, all you could ever wish to know about Kobadelta from the mouths of the guitarist and singer, you've read this far, you may as well read on and check out their social media pages, I guarantee there's something for everyone….
Musicmuso would like to thank Alex and Dom for taking time out of their busy schedules to chat to us, we would like to wish them every success with their new EP which you should go and buy NOW….