With our night at Sebright Arms coming up this Saturday (26th April), we sat down with headliner Blood Wizard for a taste of what's to come.
Words: Lloyd Bolton
This Saturday, 26th April, we take over Sebright Arms for a party and you're all invited! Performing are ladylike, Truthpaste and Unlucky as well as Blood Wizard, who headlines the night. You can grab your free ticket here.
Ahead of the show, we had a chat with Cai Burns, aka Blood Wizard, for a taste of what's in store this weekend.
When did you first start writing music? Was there a moment when you thought, "ok, maybe I'm actually good at this"?
I started teaching myself guitar when I was quite young. Back then, I was into mostly metal stuff, so the idea of writing my own songs just felt completely out of reach. A few years later, mostly through music tv channels, I was introduced to more different styles of music and I started messing around with classic chord shapes, and suddenly it felt a bit more doable. I think I wrote my first song when I was about 14 (and it was absolutely terrible of course), then played my first gig at 15 and just kind of kept going from there.
There hasn't been one clear moment where I felt like I had it all figured out really. My relationship with that has always been up and down but I like what I make and people seem to show up to our gigs so I must be doing something right.
How do you get yourself in the zone to start writing a song? What gets the ideas flowing?
I always write at home, just me and an acoustic guitar. Usually I have to mess around for a while, playing my usual habitual guitar riffs until I finally break through and stumble on something new. Being tired helps, or being in some kind of emotional state. Getting that little spark after hearing a piece of music or watching a film can do it too – something that shifts your head into the right space. It's not very predictable, but once I'm in the zone, I tend to get lost in it for a long time.
How would you describe the artistic shift in your writing for Blood Wizard compared to Kagoule? Were there any rules you gave yourself when starting the new project?
To be honest, I think I've always just made the music I want to hear. That part hasn't really changed since I first started. But in the beginning, the two projects were quite different. Blood Wizard started out as a place for me to put solo stuff up on Bandcamp – it was all just me in my bedroom. To separate it from Kagoule, I gave myself a rule: if it's played with a plectrum it's Kagoule, if it's fingerpicked it's Blood Wizard.
As Blood Wizard turned into more of a band and Kagoule came to a natural end, the lines blurred. These days it feels more like how I used to work before – I make a demo at home and then we bring it to life together in the rehearsal room.
How did you connect with Sad Club Records? What have they brought to the project?
I already knew about Tallulah's label through friends who'd released with her. When I was looking for someone to help with the second album 'Grinning William', we got in touch and it just felt like a great fit. She had the kind of enthusiasm I was hoping to find in a label – someone who really gets it and is up for trying things.
Even though the project is still entirely self-managed, having someone like Tallulah involved has been amazing, and it's been so nice having someone to bounce ideas off and build plans with.
What's your favourite part of playing live?
There's loads I love about playing live, but recently when we've played 'BIG FISH', it's gone off. I love seeing people doing that slow, heavy headbanging. Yeah it's gotta be that really.
What's the wildest thing that's happened at a Blood Wizard show?
Technically not a Blood Wizard show, but once some police officers stormed in whilst we were playing live because they had seen our band stickers around the city and tried to fine us a few thousand pounds when we came off stage for vandalism or something.
Another time, at a festival in Germany, I looked out mid-set and saw someone climb out of a wheely bin wearing a full scuba diving suit and just walk off.
What can people expect from this upcoming show?
We've been working on some new stuff I'm really excited about, so hopefully we can sneak a few new ones into the set. It's going to be a tight squeeze in that basement, but that just adds to the energy – I think it's going to be intense in the best way.
What were some of the highlights from your recent tour with Divorce?
They're really good mates of ours, so it was just super fun being on the road with them. We haven't toured that much as Blood Wizard, so it was cool to get in front of some new crowds.
The last show at Islington Assembly Hall was mad. It's such a beautiful venue, and playing to a sold-out room there felt like a real moment.
Any new music coming this year?
Yep – I'm literally in the studio right now! We're working on new tracks with Theo down at Farm Road in Brighton. We've just been tracking drums and bass today and it's already sounding massive. If everything goes to plan, it should be out later this year. Can't wait to share it.
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