Words by Christopher Kevin Au
If you attended Groovin The Moo, Falls Festival or Splendour In The Grass this year, it’s very likely that you’ve heard Kinder’s name being thrown around in high regard.
Their festival appearances have been supplemented by relentless touring in clubs along the East Coast, and it’s no wonder that Kinder – comprised of Maitland sisters Savannah and Briony Osei – have primed themselves as one of the country’s most exciting emerging acts in dance. Their high-octane sets are filled with thumping, adrenaline-fuelled house that’s perfectly suited to sweaty clubs and open-air festivals alike.
Having recently picked up a residency at Ministry of Sound’s weekly soiree at Ivy, Kinder will also be rounding out their current tour dates with a homecoming of sorts – taking the stage at This That festival in Newcastle alongside Alison Wonderland, Zeds Dead, Hucci and many more. We caught up with Kinder to talk through their skyrockting profile, strange superstitions and some of Newcastle’s hidden gourmet delicacies. Read below, and be sure to catch them at This That:
Congratulations on your recent set at Splendour In the Grass. How did it feel to be on the Mix Up Stage alongside some of the biggest names in electronica?
We were probably the most nervous/excited we have been yet. Briony didn’t speak to anyone for the entire car ride into the festival that morning. It has been a dream of ours to play that festival and it was so rewarding playing on that stage in particular.
A lot of people were also raving about your sets at Groovin The Moo. For anyone who hasn’t seen you live, what does a Kinder set involve? What other festivals do you have to tick off in Australia?
We try to include fun songs that the crowd can sing along too. We also love to have a dance up on stage! We love having fun with our audiences, we try to make it a performance as much as we can.
You girls got an early start in DJing by playing at friends birthday parties. Any particular favourite memories from that era? What were some of the biggest dancefloor bangers during those years?
Steve Aoki – Boneless was a banger, still is! Actually we DJ’d at a party on a farm, and we drained the generator, so the dad came to fix it. We made a few rookie errors back in the day.
When did you graduate to doing gigs in clubs? What was the Maitland scene like in terms of supportive venues for aspiring DJs and producers to play at?
It was maybe six months after our parties. We actually began in pubs in Bathurst because that’s where Briony went to uni, and there is quite a good scene in Bathurst for DJs. To be honest there are not many clubs in Maitland, there’s only one or two in which Savannah has played one of these solo. We mainly stuck to the house parties in Maito and they were always lots of fun!
Being siblings, how has it been balancing your personal and professional relationship? Do you still have sibling fights?
It is hard sometimes, we live together so we are very close, and like all siblings we have our moments. We have little fights a lot the time. In fact Savannah once hit me (Briony) whilst we were playing, she forgot that there was an audience watching. Mum has since had a big chat to her about being professional on stage.
According to an interview with Missguided, Briony “has a weird superstition, if she thinks a bad thought she has to make a weird noise after the thought so it doesn’t come true.” Can you try and describe this noise in writing to our readers? When did this habit start?
Hahaha. Well it’s a very quiet noise, just a little ‘UNK’ at the back of my throat, like a grunt. Okay, as I say this I get how weird it sounds, but it’s a just a weird superstition that I now can’t stop! It started maybe 2 years ago, lucky I don’t have lots of bad thoughts, so I don’t walk around all day grunting at people.
Aside from DJing, you’ll also be working on your debut EP to drop this year. What’s the latest with that project, and what can we expect to hear?
We have been slowly working away at this. It’s been a little bit slower than originally planned because we have been overwhelmed with DJ work. We have been writing material and recording our vocals as well as collaborating with some amazing producers in Sydney, Melbourne and some overseas. We are trying to work on a fresh new sound that might be a little different to existing Australian dance music, it’s definitely taking some time, but we would rather find the exact sound we want before releasing anything.
You have a long slew of club dates before performing a hometown festival set at This That in Newcastle this November. How does it feel performing and seeing your friends in the crowd at these shows? Or even your Mum filming with her iPad?
We have found the festivals in Maitland and Newcastle are our most supportive crowds, and always so much fun.
There is a real sense of community in Newcastle and Maitland and even if we don’t personally know the people in the crowd, there is a very special connection. This That has always been an amazing festival for us and we always have lots of friends in the crowd, which is very special! Whilst it can be a little awkward with mum and the iPad, we do appreciate her support.
For anyone who hasn’t been to Newy, what is the essential Henny Penny lunch item?
Chicken Gravy Roll for sure!
What’s on the cards for Kinder for the rest of 2017?
Probably working hard on our own music. We have lots of gigs, but I think the majority will be local gigs for a little while now that our tour is almost over. We also have a residency at the new Ministry of Sound Club, which is very exciting!
But yeah, we had a very exciting first half of 2017, so we’re looking forward to the rest.
