South Africa’s most beloved alternative rock group aKing are back with a third studio album, entitled ‘The Red Blooded Years’. Encore decided to catch up with lead vocalist and guitarist, Laudo Liebenberg, to discuss the departure of founding member Hunter Kennedy, future plans and beating each other up for a video shoot.

How do you feel your sound has evolved on The Red Blooded Years?

I think we're willing to experiment now, where with the previous albums we played it fairly safe. We introduced a synth to our set-up and that changed the way the songs came to life. To us it feels like a blend between the first two albums and a newer sound that we haven't explored enough yet. It’s like a debut album for us again and we’re already working on the next.
 
While writing, what were your biggest influences musically and what were you listening to at the time?

I was listening to Jeff Beck, Thin Lizzy, Big Country, Tears for Fears, Phoenix, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Who and some other 80s stuff.

Do you feel the departure of Hunter Kennedy impacted the band from a sonic point of view? If so, how?

I think it was quite a natural departure. Hunter never wrote a lot of music for aKing, but had a great lyrical presence when the sound was set. We wrote well together and I learned a lot from him over the years, I think the band is sonically where it would've been even if Hunter didn't leave.

Could you give the details behind Hunter’s departure? How did that impact aKing personally?

He was quite busy with Supra Familias and Die Heuwels Fantasties at that stage and it became apparent that a change was needed for us to be as efficient as possible as aKING. He agreed that priorities have shifted and that it would be mutually beneficial for us to find a new guitarist. We are great friends, so luckily there wasn't any awkwardness or hard feelings on either side.  

Are you all still close friends?

Yes very close.

What has Andrew Davenport’s inclusion brought to the band?

Andrew has a natural ear for music. He's a melodic and creative vocalist/songwriter and that is exactly what we needed. Three vocalists in a band opens up a lot of doors for song-writing. I think we have time and space to grow now, without forcing it, and that's what we're planning. Keep on writing and putting out material is the main objective.

The ‘Catch Alight’ video depicts the band members beating each other up. How much of that was real and how much was staged?

None of it was real, but it was very entertaining to moer each other in the faces and groins etc. We had a stunt-man who helped us do it right, so we didn't kill one another. Everything was staged and controlled, but that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt sometimes.

Any bloody lips, cuts or bruises?

Yup. Andrew almost dislocated my jaw with a punch. I got a big gash on my back. Hennie’s balls got kicked into his body, his face took some glass-kisses from a bottle. Also, a piece of sharp wood cut through Andrew's jeans missing his achilles-heel by millimeters, and Snake's back took some knocks.      

Where did you guys find the anger needed to pull off such a shoot? Surely you don’t really want to hurt each other?

We psyched each other up before the time, slapping and tugging away, but there was no real aggression involved, we just focused and tried to follow the directions as closely as possible.
 
Now that you have three albums under your belt, where do you see the band heading in the next five years?

Hopefully we'll be overseas in a studio somewhere working on the 7th or 8th album with great producer.  

Are there any international plans in the works?

Yes, we're getting our live set ready for some showcases abroad, hopefully before the end of the year, definitely next year.

Any plans for solo efforts or collaborations?

There are some side-projects in the pipeline over the next year or two, definitely some collaborations, but no solo projects as of yet. I think I'll write some songs and keep them for when the time is right before attempting a solo effort.