Opening Eyes And Ears One Letter At A Time; An Interview With Letter Kills

Even though Letter Kills hasn’t hit the arena circuit, the routine their huge sound is likely to carry them to sooner or later, they’re still making big waves on the smaller stages at this year’s Vans Warped Tour. With a fanbase that has been built mostly through touring and a short three-song EP, Letter Kills is set to take center stage by recently signing to Island Records, and by releasing their first full length record (on Island) due out in late July. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Letter Kills bass player Kyle Duckworth on their recent stop in Phoenix, Arizona on the Vans Warped Tour.

Interview conducted in person by Doran Dalton. Pictures provided by Doran Dalton.

Name: Kyle Duckworth (bass)
Band: Letter Kills

Bettawreckonize: Thanks for taking the time to sit down and do this.

Letter Kills: Thank you too.

BW: Can you tell me your name and what instrument you play in the band?

LK: My name is Kyle and I play bass in Letter Kills.

BW: So, how has the tour been going so far?

LK: It’s been a lot better than last year. We’ve been able to enjoy this one a lot more.

BW: So, this is what? The second time you’ve done the Warped Tour?

LK: Yeah, we were on the whole thing last year.

BW: So, being veterans of the Warped Tour, what are some things that you’re going to do differently this time or things you’ve learned from last year?

LK: Mine, I have a few things: getting my rest, eating healthy, and showering. (laughs) Yeah, showering is the big one. But, just staying comfortable.

BW: What are some of the things that you’re looking forward to on the Warped Tour?

LK: Um, our record actually comes out during the Warped Tour, on July 27th. So, I’m very excited for that. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m looking forward to.

BW: Are there any bands that you’re looking forward to seeing everyday here on the tour?

LK: Uhh…Story of the Year. I think they’re a really great band and good friends. Coheed and Cambria, Sugarcult is gonna be out a little bit later. The Sounds, I enjoy watching them, The F-ups….there’s a bunch. Juliet Lewis and the Licks….there’s a whole bunch.

BW: The band’s first full length album drops on the 27th right? And you did the Warped Tour last year and you’re on it again this year. Is that all just on the strength of your live performance and a three song EP?

LK: Yeah, I mean, a lot of people that we have on our “team”, I guess you could say. Our label, management, whatever. Uh, they have a lot of pull, they have a lot of “ins” and we’ve kinda used that leverage to get us in the door. So we’ve been pretty fortunate to get on a lot of the tours we’ve been on without having an album out.

BW: But even still, besides having those ins to get you on tours, do you think the Warped Tour is a good tool for helping smaller, up and coming/unsigned bands, to really get some recognition?

LK: Oh yeah. Definitely. It’s a great tour to promote yourself on. Even if there are only 40 kids watching your set everyday, your name is still posted on the list and there’s so many people that see that, or walk by your merch booth. There’s a lot of people, a lot of fans you can gain by just being out there.

BW: What are some of the bands that you get lumped into a category with?

LK: I think we get lumped into, and we don’t really want to be, not that we don’t like these bands, we just don’t feel like we should be put together with them. Bands like, The Used, indie, kinda screamo-ish bands. We would like to be thought of as just pretty straightforward rock.

BW: So, is that what you think separates you from them, or what’s the main thing?

LK: I would like to think that. I think there’s certain elements of our music that you can find from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, I think. So, I think that’s what sets us apart.

BW: What were the circumstances that led up to you guys getting signed to Island Records?

(If the following answer sounds sorta screwy and/or a little cryptic, specific names, labels, and bands were left out of the following comments at the request of the interviewee. I’ve done my best to re-write the answer to honor that request.)

LK: One of our friends, who is in a band that’s from the same city that we’re from, came to one of our practices and liked what he heard. So, he told his label about us and we got a showcase with them, they liked it, so we got a lawyer and it just started growing from there. Before we knew it, we had a showcase for a handful of labels and Island (Records) seemed like they were the most persistent and understood what we wanted and who we were.

BW: They have a pretty good stable of bands too.

LK: Yeah, they do.

BW: Did that play any part in your decision to sign with them?

LK: Umm, we had a decent relationship with a couple of bands, Thursday and Thrice, and they had just signed to Island, so yeah, that definitely played a part in it.

BW: You said that the album doesn’t come out until late July. So, for the kids that are coming out to the shows that maybe haven’t heard you yet, what are some of the things that you would like them to walk away with after seeing your set?

LK: I would like them to walk away thinking that they’ve never seen anything like that before. That they’ve just been entertained and that their eyes and ears have been opened. Visually and through the music.

BW: What else, beside the Warped Tour, does Letter Kills have planned for 2004?

LK: Mid-September we’re gonna go out with Story of the Year, Lost Prophets and I don’t know who else is gonna be on that tour, but that should be a pretty good tour. We’re going to do about a month of that. That’ll go to about Mid-October. I don’t know what we’re doing after that yet. Hopefully a tour with like Velvet Revolver or Jet, something along those lines would be awesome.

BW: More like straight up rock shows?

LK: Exactly.

BW: So then what are some of your musical influences, like specifically?

LK: Me personally, um, I listen to a whole lot of stuff, I mean, I can listen to: White Zombie, Guns n’ Roses, the Black Crowes. And then I can listen to more folkier stuff, like Damien Rice or stuff like that. I’d say biggest influence would be Guns n’ Roses right now, and it varies. I’ve gone through a few stages but I’d say Guns n’ Roses.

BW: So, if you’re sitting around with some friends, hanging out, what five CDs do you put in your CD player?

LK: Appetite for Destruction (Guns n’ Roses), Black Crowes, Shake Your Money Maker, probably Razor’s Edge….

BW: That’s AC/DC…

LK: Right. I’d throw in…White Zombie, Astrocreep 2000. And number five….man this is tough…Ah man this is kinda hard. I’d throw in….I don’t know?….The Darkness.

BW: Sweet. Well that’s all I’ve got. Any closing statements or plugs you wanna make?

LK: Uh, no, no more plugs. Just….bye, I guess. (laughs)

BW: Okay, well thanks again and good luck with the rest of the tour and the new album. I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from you.

LK: Thanks so much.