Fearless Vampire Killers Interview

We interrupt the Fearless Vampire Killers on their tour to ask them really important questions about the new goth music scene and bullying and THINGS.

Veteran Mooks will recall our piece on the new Gothic Music Scene of 2013, in which we cited FVK as one of the top new bands in an emerging Gothic underground.

We hooked up with Laurence Vampire Killer on a tour bus through the simple expedient of EMAIL (less romantic, mysterious and alchoholic than a face to face meet but eminently more achievable). Then we asked him LOTS AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS. To which he had ANSWERS. Because that’s how interviews work.

Fearless Vampire Killers isn’t your standard band name, though it certainly rolls off the tongue. What inspired it? Real life events?

It’s a film from the sixties that I grew up watching. The star, Sharon Tate, was my first love and the whole tone of the film had a rather profound impact on the way I work as a creative person. It’s incredibly dark, while having an underlying humour. The name also made a lot of sense. When we started the band we were very poor, and our lives were in the hands of real life vampires who decided how we should live our lives – our bosses at work, the government, landlords. We were like, let’s kill them all. METAPHORICALLY.

What are your inspirations and influences as a band?

We’re quite a story-driven band, so a lot of our influences come from films and books. Musically, we love the Kinks, Iron Maiden, Comeback Kid, Metallica, Chet Baker, Joni Mitchell – that sort of stuff. Good music, I suppose you’d call it.

You’re being seen as part of a new Gothic music scene. If there really is one, what’s the glue holding it together? What social/musical needs might it fulfil?

No idea. If there is a new goth scene, we started it 🙂 With the help of WiL Francis (The Gothfather), of course. All the bands that are part of this scene play WITH us. No one ever took us on tour, no one else does what we do. Especially in England. I wish they did; we wouldn’t have to do so many headline tours! I think the social aspect, the type of fans we have, stems from a growing depression. A lot of youth culture is represented by the media. Our niche isn’t catered for. Rock fans are outsiders now. A lot of our fans feel lost. In a world where everything is so accessible, so in your face, it’s actually quite hard to find your way.

Your last album ‘Militia of the Lost’ seemed largely a concept album. Will ‘Exposition: the Five Before the Flames’ be similar?

Exposition is a prequel to Militia. It delves into the back stories of the five Fearless Vampire Killers. It also represents our different song writing styles as each member of the band wrote a song. It’s almost a nod back to our past, a time where our music was much more eclectic, before we iron out our sound for album number 2.

All five of you seem really close. How did you meet?

We were at school together. I’ve known Drew since before we could speak and Kier’s been my best friend for fifteen years. We started bands in high school, Shane and Kier were in Korze 4 Koncern and Drew and I were in Self-Titled. We had a friendly rivalry going on. We realized the four of us were the most committed out of our mates and we moved to london to “make it” when we left school – that’s when FVK came about. Luke joined in 2011 and from there we went on to all this.

After being on the Kerrang tour and playing with Wednesday 13 and Black Veil Brides, where would you like to see FVK in five years’ time?

Wembley Stadium. No bullshit. That’s what we’ll be doing. That and owning a panda petting zoo.

At Mookychick we support individuality, and we hear you have been affiliated with the charity S.O.P.H.I.E. Could you tell us why you chose to support them?

Most of the band were bullied at school. We had a sh*t time. Sophie died because of bullies that went way overboard. Hurting someone or just discriminating someone for how they look is a heap of sh*t. We want to help combat that in any way we can.

For the potential fans out there, how would you describe your band in 5 words?

Funny, angry, loud, accidental, jarring.

Finally… is there anything we should have asked you but were too selfish to do so?

“Why, Laurence, do you have to be so damn awesome?”

To which I would have replied “sandwich”.

Buy Exposition: The Five Before The Flames [Explicit]

Buy Militia of the Lost [Explicit]