To celebrate the release of their latest track ‘Change Your Mind’, we hooked up with Danny (guitar/vocals) and Tim (bass) from a Garage Rock Power Trio called Hybrid Kid, there is a third member called Fabio (drums) but he was busy painting his garden shed and couldn’t risk the paint drying unevenly so they gave him the afternoon off. As a trio, they’ve been pushing the envelope for a few years now in a way that only Tim (the wannabe postman) can truly understand. With kooky riffs, hooky choruses and their mind expanding shows they've been wowing the south coast and now they’re coming for you. We had a good chat about their musical beginnings, influences, dream festival lineups, living in America and loads more, here’s how we got on….

Gentlemen, we know you’re called Hybrid Kid, we know you’re a Garage Rock trio from Brighton, please tell us something that not many people would know about the band….

D. When you see us live you're actually seeing our digitally recreated avatars on stage, just don't try to walk through me please.

How and when did you all get together as a band?

D. 6 or 7 years ago Tim and I started bashing things together. Fabio joined during lockdown and has been a real asset with his groovy beats, backing vocals and melodic whistling.

Do you all share the same musical tastes or do you all bring something different to the table?

T. As with most bands i think we all have different tastes but cross over in enough areas to make playing together work. The crossover is stuff like modern psychedelic bands...Flaming Lips, Super Furrys....But we have a healthy respect for the classics

Hybrid Kid is an interesting name, tell me how it came about?

D. A friend suggested it as it was a name for a cartoon show he was working up that never happened. The other show he had was called The Disco Vicars so I'm glad we didn't go for that one.

Who would you say are your main musical influences?

T. Personally very broad but always a healthy dash of early 70s Bowie, Lou Reed, MC5, Stooges plus 60s garage bands like the Sonics and 13th Floor Elevators...the bands i was listening to when i first picked up a guitar.

D. Pavement, Interpol, Radiohead

Who is the most famous person you ever met and were they as nice as you expected them to be?

T. There's a lot. I'm the king of the name droppers. McCartney (Paul and Linda...and the kids actually) Spielberg...Joe Strummer...David Byrne...Keith Chegwin. And yes, they were all even nicer than you'd expect. The thing with famous people is that they are generally pretty nice people. it's all the entourage and hangers on who are assholes!

You’ve been playing for a number of years in various guises and places, please tell me more….

D. I had a version of the band in London years ago and kept some of the songs in the set. When that all imploded I tried again in the US before the definitive version was born here in Brighton

I read that you were based in the US for a while, where were you, how long were you there for and how come you were there in the first place?

D. I lived in San Francisco for a few years as my wife had work over there and I still have family living there

What was your favourite candy bar when you were living in the US? (I think mine has to be a toss up between a Three Musketeers and a Baby Ruth)

D. American chocolate is the worst although there was an indy cinema out there that sold Junior Mints out of the freezer so they tasted almost like ice cream which was pretty special

If you could curate your own dream music festival using acts that are dead or alive, who would you have as the 3 headliners and why?

T. Ha! I'll send this off and immediately think of a better answer but...based on the fact that I think festivals these days are pretty awful....live music should have a roof on it....I'll give you 3 bands capable of the big event....and one who actually needs it. Pink Floyd...but the 70s version. Because they're all about the show, kinda a faceless band. Flaming Lips...following on from the previous...purely because of a festival performance on Youtube of Dark Side of the Moon that i fuckin’ love. Third.....maybe just something I could lie down and listen to in the sun, like early 70s Can

Is there one person in the band who acts as the main songwriter? How do the other get involved in this process?

T. Yes it's very much Danny's band. We kinda act as a vehicle for his songs

Your latest track ‘Change Your Mind’ is a fine piece of work, melodic bass and guitar and a metronomic beat, listening to your other material, tell me where the idea for the track came from?

D. I think I was trying to write a hippy love song but I got a bit too self conscious for that, worried that it might all sound a bit naff. Hopefully we got the balance right

From listening to your other music, this track sounds less heavy and maybe not so ‘riffy’ (if that’s even a word)

T. I think that's just a route we've been exploring, I don't think there's ever really a conscious decision to make a song heavy or dancy or mellow. If anything we try and make sure they are different from each other

Tell me about your approach to the recording process, where do you record, who else is involved etc..

T. The past few times we've recorded at different studios each time but i think we'll be returning to Ali Gavan's Brighton Road setup again as we really like it there. The usual approach is to play a basic live track all together to get the band feel, and then embellish from there.

Are you all ‘hands on’ when it comes to being in the studio?

T. Yes, we all bring ideas to the table. Obviously some things take longer than others.

You’ve enjoyed appearances on Brighton’s Latest TV show ‘The Roadee’, airplay on BBC 6Music, BBC Sussex, Radio Reverb and many college radio stations worldwide, how does it feel when you hear your own music played out on a major radio station such as BBC 6 Music?

T. Well....you often miss it! But it's nice to know it happens and obviously give you a kind of stamp of officiality because anyone can put a song out these days, so getting recognised is a way of letting you know you're doing something right

Have you enlisted the support of the BBC Introducing team in your area?

D. Yes Melita Dennett has played 2 of our songs on her show which has been a great support

We’re all coming round to yours for dinner, what are you cooking us?

T. The Mrs says pasta I'm afraid...wouldn't be my choice
D. I'm bringing out Snoop Dogg’s cook book. His tacos are amazing.

You’re from Brighton which is a proper melting pot for artists and bands at the moment, what is it about the place that breeds such quality acts?

T. It's embedded now. A lot of creative people making their living in the media and arts tend to gravitate to Brightomn, usually once they've established careers in Brighton. Over time they have kids who are brought up in a creative environment and pick up instruments. On top of that it's a small city with a lot of venues, much easier being in a band here that in London, for example. PLUS the music colleges provide a steady stream of artists wanting to perform.

You’re not too far from London, have you played there yet and if so, where was it and how were you received

T . Yes we have...a few times. It was fine. although I wouldn't say much different from anywhere else. Danny and myself both lived and played in London bands in the past , so it's no big deal

We’re off to the pub, may I take your drinks order?

T. I'll have the most overpriced artisan hipster ale available please. if it tastes like Fanta that's a plus!

If you could spend one day in a studio with any musician (dead or alive) who would you go for and why?

T. I'd like to come up with a very hip answer...Connie Plank....Bob Ezrin....Eno.....But TBH having seen the Get Back Beatles doc recently...McCartney...fucking genius.

D. I've always been a big Pavement fan so Stephen Malkmus or maybe Jimmy Page would be awesome

Are you planning any festivals for 2022? If so, where and when?

T. Would love to!

D. I applied to a whole bunch so fingers crossed

What’s next for Hybrid Kid? More new music in the pipeline?

D. We have a gig coming up 24th June then it’s back in the studio to record 4 new songs

I assume you’re all over the socials, where is the best place to keep up with your musical exploits?

The best places to keep up with us are Facebook or the Website

Finally, would you rather fight a dinosaur sized chicken or ten chicken sized dinosaurs?

T. I'm a bassist, not a chicken fighter

D. I reckon a humungous chicken would still just cluck whereas 10 mini velociraptors would be vicious!

We’d like to thank both Danny and Tim for sparing the time to chat to us, we certainly learned a bunch of stuff about the band and wish that we lived nearer to Brighton so we could check them out! The gig they mentioned above takes place on Friday 24th June at East St Tap Brighton. They're sharing the stage with Vanilla Franco (killer surf punk), Sollus and Foxy Wombat (who doesn’t love the sound of Foxy Wombat?), if you’re in the Brighton area, you have NO EXCUSE, be there! Remember, they’re back in the studio after the gig to lay down 4 new tracks, keep your eyes on their socials for more info as it lands!

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