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Modern UK rock band with a retro-infused vibe, AK & The Red Kites self-release the long-awaited and anticipated debut album ‘Hotter Than The Sun’ on May 8. We caught up with frontman Andrew Knightley to get the background on the album, which is available to pre-order HERE.
It’s been two years since we last spoke. How have those two years been for AK & The Red Kites? (Biker Days Festival in Basel must have been a great experience!?)
It’s been busy behind the scenes preparing for the album launch. We’ve released a bunch of singles so far, and they’re doing great on streaming sites. Basel was great actually, so many Bikers there and I’m talking thousands! It was so damn hot though, we played mid-afternoon for 90 mins and were melting by the end but loved every minute.
In what ways has the band grown in those two years, and also yourself as a musician/songwriter and bandleader?
We’ve played a good few shows together now and are working on new material and recording. It’s more of a band now than just my project, and it works great as a power trio. We’re writing together now and coming up with some great stuff. Songwriting is always something you want to evolve with, and I think the maturity is growing in that sense. As a bandleader, I guess I’ve developed more patience over the years, but these guys (Rob Hoey and Ash Sims) make it easy.
Debut album ‘Hotter Than The Sun’ is set for release on May 8th. How are you feeling in the run-up to its release? Nervous, excited? Both?
Yeah, a bit of both, I just hope people get it and want to get on board because I truly believe it’s a great album of songs, there are so many flavours on there, but the album just rides effortlessly on a musical journey. It’s an exciting time for sure.
Looking at the tracklisting on the album, ‘Stronger’ is the only track to feature from 2024’s ‘Proverbial Storm’ EP. What was it about ‘Stronger’ that made it impossible to leave off the album?
It’s the song that got an Editorial playlisting by Slash on Spotify, which is quite a big deal, and to date, it’s had nearly 300k plays. I also love that track and the message behind it, so I thought it should probably go on the album as it complements some of the other tracks around it in the running order.
There is a fantastic flow to the album; it feels like an actual “album”. How many sleepless nights did the tracklisting bring you?
Ha! Yeah, I did spend quite some time paining over that, and thank you for noticing. The intention was to take the user on a journey, and every track is so unique. There is absolutely no filler on this album. The producer, Mike Krompass, was quite insistent I didn’t overplay or have many long solos, and most of the tracks come in around the 3-minute mark. That was a conscious decision, so the music keeps flowing without fatiguing the listener.
‘Broken Love’ was always going to open the album, yeah?!
Well, I mean, it had to be, didn’t it? Yeah, it’s a bit of a banger and just fires straight out of the traps.
‘Pearl’s Before Swine’ is probably our favourite track on the album. It has a cracking groove to it, a little bit sleazy, a little bit groovy – a great song for strippers! What can you tell us about this one, especially the intriguing title?
I like the way your mind works, ha! Yeah, that one does have a great groove thing going on. The hook line is really that guitar riff and is under 3 minutes long, I believe. It’s really about being a musician and going under the radar because people are looking in the other direction. Sometimes it feels like you’re casting your pearls before swine. It’s also about modern society knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. We live in a very disenfranchised world these days.
‘West Coast Romance’ follows it on in great style, nothing fancy, just a stellar top-down, wind-in-the-hair, good-time romp with plenty of hooks for an audience to latch onto. How quickly did the song come together, and have you road-tested it live yet?
I’ve been on a few road trips to California, as I love the vibes there. This song is really about that. I think that one did come together quite quickly, as I’m writing about one of my favourite places. We actually haven’t road tested that one yet, but we will for sure on tour in May!
Any track in particular give you problems in the studio?
To be honest, they all came together quite easily. I demoed all the stuff at home before getting in the studio, so that helped. Lyrically, I was paining over ‘Sierra Starlight’ right up until I recorded the vocal as I wanted to create the right lyrical landscape for it. In the end, the recording of that was an amalgamation of lyrics I’d been working on. Mike the producer just kinda made me keep it simple, and I love the way that one came out in the end. Most of the guitars on that track were lifted from the original demo, as it sounded great as it was. I thought I was just laying down some loose guitars for a demo, and they ended up on the final track.
Tracks like ‘Cosmic Train’ and ‘Karmic Rituals’ have been in the live setlist for a while now; have they changed in makeup since they first appeared?
Not that I’m aware of, but of course, when you play songs over and over, they do develop a bit of a life of their own, live. We’re quite faithful to the recorded versions, though.
The album is available on CD and 100 limited edition numbered and signed colour vinyl. Having a physical product is obviously important to you: have you held the vinyl in your hands yet?!
I recently got the CD’s delivered, and they look great. We haven’t had the vinyl yet, though. These days, there’s always a backlog for us independent artists – we’re looking at a September release for that, but folks can pre-order it now.
The band are performing at the Outlaw Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend in Glossop on May 1st, and the next day it is over to Wales for an appearance at Beltane Gathering. Who are you looking forward to catching at both?
I toured with the Bad Touch boys on The Dust Coda duties in October, so it will be great to catch up with those guys at Outlaw, and Gypsy Pistoleros will be great at Beltane.
How is the rest of 2026 looking for AK & The Red Kites?
It’s hotting up, so we have dates in May around the UK – Chesham, London, Bristol, Cardiff, and are looking at doing more dates and festivals later in the year. Lots still to be announced. We will also be getting back in the studio to work on album number 2, which is really exciting.
Lastly, we have sadly lost a lot of Rock and Metal legends these last 12 months or so, one of which was, of course, The Spaceman, Ace Frehley. If you had to choose three songs to demonstrate the genius of Ace Frehley as a guitar player, what would they be?
Absolute legend and one of my main guitar heroes ever, it was really sad news indeed. I would pick Strutter, Black Diamond & Detroit Rock City. What a legend!
‘Hotter Than The Sun’ is available on May 8. Pre-order HERE.
AK & THE RED KITES ONLINE
Official Website – Facebook – Spotify – Instagram – YouTube
Portrait photo credits – Rob Blackham/Blackham Images
Live photos – credit Rockrpix
Interview – Dave
