~ printed in issue 10, Spring 2014. Interview and pix by Madeline Glowicki ~
Archy Marshall is a 19-year-old kid from London and the singer, guitarist and songwriter for King Krule. Last December I had the opportunity to tour North America with King Krule while playing for TOPS. The music has a real teen-angst quality, which makes sense since Archy was only 15 when he wrote most of it. A friend who had joined them on tour explained to me that Archy wrote the album to try and impress a girl; when I asked him if it had worked he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. The oldest member of King Krule (which consists of members Archy, James, Jack and George) is 20, but you’d never know it unless you got a look at their rider (a large cheese pizza and Sour Patch Kids). After much pestering, I managed to catch up with Archy for an online chat while he was touring in Asia. Although the conversation was short, it is very telling of his personality.
Archy, I was just wondering if you still wanted to do that interview? I know you’re busy.
Yeah! I’m in Japan. It’s like 2 in the morning here.
We can do it when you get back on top if you like.
What do you mean? I’m on top right now!
Haha, I mean we can do it when you get back to London. You ARE on top.
Nah, I prefer the other way around. Underdog mentality is the key to success, especially in life.
Damn, you’re starting the interview without me. So you’re in Japan now, and you were just in Australia. How was it? What were you doing there?
I was living my life to not a full standard but to a satisfactory standard, which proves to me that beauty lies in every detail.
Sounds very stoic of you. Someone mentioned you wrote the King Krule album when you were 15. Did you ever see yourself making it this far when you were writing it? I can’t imagine you doing it just to get famous.
Nah, I was thinking about getting famous. I was. I was 11 years old thinking about my interviews whilst taking a shit on the toilet.
Like thinking about what you would say and who you’d like to be interviewed by?
What I’d like to say for sure, but I never cared who would interview me.
Besides taking shits, what were you even doing at 11?
Man I’ve been doing a lot since I was 11 and I’ve only done what I love since.
Where do you think you’d be now if you didn’t have music?
Nowhere. I feel this vibe about my head and no one is aware. But I don’t care, I swear.
I have to say that rap group Sub Luna City is super good, I’ve been walking around the city listening to that album a ton.
I know.
You know how good it is or you know I’ve been listening to it?
I don’t know how good it is but I know I’m constantly good. I know my own shit better than anyone who I don’t fuck with. I take influence from everyone I respect. From you to Earl to Jim Hendrix to Jaco Pastorius to Bill Evans to Kafka to Jane [Penny] to David [Carriere] to Kurt Cobain to Elvis to Erickson to Sartre to Flying Lotus to Mad Lib to Dilla. I’m aware of my insecurities.
What about your brother as an influence? Doesn’t he do all your album art for you?
Yeah, my brother is the best artist in the world at the moment.
How much do you think he influences you?
I took influence from him to an extent; I knew not to do things as sad as that. What I do is not tainted.
If you knew this was your last interview, what would you want your last words to be?
I’m high! I need some head phones to make music right now.
A Conversation with King Krule
~ printed in issue 10, Spring 2014. Interview and pix by Madeline Glowicki ~
Archy Marshall is a 19-year-old kid from London and the singer, guitarist and songwriter for King Krule. Last December I had the opportunity to tour North America with King Krule while playing for TOPS. The music has a real teen-angst quality, which makes sense since Archy was only 15 when he wrote most of it. A friend who had joined them on tour explained to me that Archy wrote the album to try and impress a girl; when I asked him if it had worked he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. The oldest member of King Krule (which consists of members Archy, James, Jack and George) is 20, but you’d never know it unless you got a look at their rider (a large cheese pizza and Sour Patch Kids). After much pestering, I managed to catch up with Archy for an online chat while he was touring in Asia. Although the conversation was short, it is very telling of his personality.
Archy, I was just wondering if you still wanted to do that interview? I know you’re busy.
Yeah! I’m in Japan. It’s like 2 in the morning here.
We can do it when you get back on top if you like.
What do you mean? I’m on top right now!
Haha, I mean we can do it when you get back to London. You ARE on top.
Nah, I prefer the other way around. Underdog mentality is the key to success, especially in life.
Damn, you’re starting the interview without me. So you’re in Japan now, and you were just in Australia. How was it? What were you doing there?
I was living my life to not a full standard but to a satisfactory standard, which proves to me that beauty lies in every detail.
Sounds very stoic of you. Someone mentioned you wrote the King Krule album when you were 15. Did you ever see yourself making it this far when you were writing it? I can’t imagine you doing it just to get famous.
Nah, I was thinking about getting famous. I was. I was 11 years old thinking about my interviews whilst taking a shit on the toilet.
Like thinking about what you would say and who you’d like to be interviewed by?
What I’d like to say for sure, but I never cared who would interview me.
Besides taking shits, what were you even doing at 11?
Man I’ve been doing a lot since I was 11 and I’ve only done what I love since.
Where do you think you’d be now if you didn’t have music?
Nowhere. I feel this vibe about my head and no one is aware. But I don’t care, I swear.
I have to say that rap group Sub Luna City is super good, I’ve been walking around the city listening to that album a ton.
I know.
You know how good it is or you know I’ve been listening to it?
I don’t know how good it is but I know I’m constantly good. I know my own shit better than anyone who I don’t fuck with. I take influence from everyone I respect. From you to Earl to Jim Hendrix to Jaco Pastorius to Bill Evans to Kafka to Jane [Penny] to David [Carriere] to Kurt Cobain to Elvis to Erickson to Sartre to Flying Lotus to Mad Lib to Dilla. I’m aware of my insecurities.
What about your brother as an influence? Doesn’t he do all your album art for you?
Yeah, my brother is the best artist in the world at the moment.
How much do you think he influences you?
I took influence from him to an extent; I knew not to do things as sad as that. What I do is not tainted.
If you knew this was your last interview, what would you want your last words to be?
I’m high! I need some head phones to make music right now.