KARNIVOOL // A Decade Later, Themata Rises

Karnivool’s Themata is to prog as The Saints (I’m) Stranded was to punk rock. It’s impossible imagining an Aussie scene without it.

Bands like Dead Letter Circus, The Butterfly Effect and Twelve Foot Ninja sprang up from that fertile ground Themata broke ten years ago. There’s little doubt Themata inspired Aussies to experiment, rock hard and take on the world. Ian “Kenny” Kenny, the band’s vocalist landed in Los Angeles from Europe mere hours before this interview was scheduled, almost on a whim. “There’s such a delay between my thoughts and my speech,” he says languidly. Throughout April and May, Karnivool will again take Themata on the road for a national Themata Decade tour. Fans carry Themata inside them like totems. Karnivool have released two albums and two EPs since, but Themata is the unequivocal golden child. Shows have already sold out. It almost goes without saying: Themata is kind of a big deal.

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Hysteria: Did the anniversary sneak up on you?

Kenny: It did, because Heath, our long-term manager and friend of the band said last year, “Hey, did you guys realise that next year is the 10th anniversary of Themata and have you considered doing a tour on that?” We were like, “Fuck, yeah!” But up to that point, we hadn’t put much thought into it. If we didn’t do it this year, it just wouldn’t feel right at any other time. It’s all feeling very current for something that happened ten years ago.

Did you ever feel Themata was a big presence when it dropped?

We didn’t think of it at the time, but Themata reacted with people. With music lovers – whether it was lovers of rock or prog. For Australian bands, it definitely kicked things off. Friends and peers still bring up the way Themata affected them. It’s always been there through our career up to this point, even with putting out Sound Awake, putting out Asymmetry.

What about you personally?

Prior to that we put out an EP called Persona which we kind of threw together without thinking. Once we had the material for Themata we said, “This is the good enough and right enough for the first Karnivool album.” It was like three years of writing. It took a lot to get right. Fuck, they all do. We were different people back then, leading different lives. We were so enthralled by what this band could be. We had so much love for what we were trying to achieve. It consumed every fuckin’ hour of every fuckin’ day. It was such a part of our identity. It was everything.

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“We were so enthralled by what this band could be. We had so much love for what we were trying to achieve. It consumed every fuckin’ hour of every fuckin’ day. It was such a part of our identity. It was everything.”

[KENNY]

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Is that why it struck a chord? People felt that love.

It’s interesting you say that, but I think you’re right. It’s weird to say this, but its ten years on and I’m only just getting perspective on that. We’re discussing it again; what the record meant to people and meant to the band. People could definitely feel that love through the album.

Was ten years ago that much different compared to now?

I think we understand the band a lot better. We understand who we are as musicians and songwriters. We understand what we all need from music. We know how to survive being a touring band, how to survive making records, how to survive being on labels. Back then, we were very green and bulldozed our way through. But fuck it, it worked for us. We’re a different band now. We’re aware of what we have.

When you see bands say either to yourself or in the press, “Themata is why I’m here,” what’s your reaction to that?

We’ve been a touring band for over ten years, put out three records and EPs, different single releases. Even so, Themata still comes up in conversation. Like I said, it was one of those records that just struck people. What a wonderful thing to be a part of. It just leaves a mark. It’s one of those albums that I hear people say where they were when they heard it and how it affected them. It’s fuckin’ wonderful, man.

Shows are already sold out. Did you expect such a feverish response over Themata not as an album, but what it represents to people as a concept?

It definitely is a concept. But we didn’t. We didn’t think it would have the same reaction as it had been. Which is interesting, because I don’t know how we didn’t see that coming. It’s all very new again. The band is so excited going out and playing this record again. It’s just reaffirming what effect it had. We’re just really fuckin’ looking forward to getting out and actually doing this thing. It’s going to be cool.

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KARNIVOOL THEMATA DECADE TOUR

with special guests Cairo Knife

Thursday April 30 – University, WOLLONGONG
Friday May 1 – Panthers, NEWCASTLE
Saturday May 2 – Metro, SYDNEY – SOLD OUT
Sunday May 3 – Metro, SYDNEY
Thursday May 7 – The Northern, BYRON BAY
Friday May 8 – The Coolangatta Hotel, COOLANGATTA
Saturday May 9 – The Triffid, BRISBANE – SOLD OUT
Sunday May 10 – The Triffid, BRISBANE
Tuesday May 12 – The Corner Hotel, MELBOURNE – SOLD OUT
Wednesday May 13 – The Corner Hotel, MELBOURNE – SOLD OUT
Thursday May 14- The Corner Hotel, MELBOURNE – SOLD OUT
Friday May 15 – Kay Street, TRARALGON
Saturday May 16 – Wool Exchange, GEELONG – SOLD OUT
Monday May 18 – The Gov, ADELAIDE
Tuesday May 19 – The Gov, ADELAIDE – SOLD OUT
Thursday May 21 – Discovery, DARWIN
Friday May 22 – Metro City, PERTH

Tickets on sale from Karnivool.com.au