OK, Time For Plan B: Enter Shikari on Starting Again With 'A Kiss For The Whole World'
Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Written by Jack Terry
Photo: Lukasz Palka
"It was like we witnessed the death of the band," Enter Shikari frontman Rou Reynolds says, looking away as he reflects on Covid’s impact on a band with a prolific workrate and fearsome live reputation. "We had a year and half of not playing any shows and not writing. That hadn’t happened throughout our whole adult life, it was a scary time being disconnected from the fanbase. For the first time it didn’t feel like a pause, it felt like the end of something. We didn’t know if we would play again."
Fortunately, the genre-mashing quartet, completed by bassist Chris Batten, guitarist Rory Clewlow and drummer Rob Rolfe, have been around long enough that they've amassed one of alt-rock's most dedicated followings, and they weren't going anywhere. When the band emerged blinking into the light clutching their new album ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, they promptly sent it to number one. "It's humbling, we never get bored of hearing that what we are doing has a big impact," Chris adds.
"We're shovelling coal into the engine that keeps people going," jokes Rou. But it's a valid way to look at things. Since arriving in a flurry of punchy synths and gravelly emo-core in 2007, they have released six studio albums infused with a sense of hope that belies heavy subject matter. "Enter Shikari has always aimed to bring people together through positive music,” Rou continues. "We use pitch and rhythm and light to manipulate people’s emotions. People try to describe us as all sorts of things, but we let go of being frustrated by tags and scenes. We just want the music to be dynamic and passionate."
A huge driver behind bringing people together are their live shows, which are riotous, joyous celebrations of love and unity. Whether they're decrying corporate greed, drawing attention to global warming or promoting equality, Enter Shikari have every word sung back to them by packed out rooms of baying fans. So, when they couldn't tour in the wake of 2020's ‘Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible’ everything ground to a halt.
"We were not ready at all to do anything new until we did live shows for that album. The record hadn’t really lived its life. Getting it onto the live stage was the key to being able to move on," says Rou. That touring cycle took the band to a headline slot at 2021's Download Pilot, after which point the creative juices got flowing for ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’.
"We had a couple of writing retreats where we were housed away in an Airbnb, then went into the studio to develop 20 or 30 good ideas and songs," explains Chris. "The problem is that when you've worked on a song for a period of time, you grow quite attached to it, so cutting them is really hard."
But they used this rapid amassing of material as impetus to get out there again. Never ones to do things by the book, Enter Shikari spent the run up to the release of ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’ completing a round of monthly residencies across the UK. Returning to the same intimate venues in London, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow in February, March and April, it gave them the chance to delve into their deep back catalogue and give fans a new experience each time.
"We knew we were releasing a new track each month and that fuelled the idea of the shows,” explains Rou. “The setlist saw some drastic changes for each loop which let us challenge ourselves. When you do that, it makes the show feel more dynamic. You feel more excited to play."
It also allowed them to dust off their fabled ‘quickfire round', a frenetic medley of some of their deepest cuts that allows them to fit even more fan favourites in, much to Chris's delight. "Havoc B [from 2009's Common Dreads] is really powerful. I missed playing it a lot."
One big catalyst for digging out those hidden gems was the release of Standing Like Statues, an Enter Shikari biography penned by Kerrang! editor Luke Morton. Spending time reflecting on their past led to a new appreciation for certain cuts that have been on the shelf for some time. Rou says: "It enabled us to have all these interviews where we were looking back. We'd never done that—we are always so focused on what comes next. But it was quite enjoyable to go over the history of the band and all the twists and turns we've been through."
But, as Rou points out, Enter Shikari are ultimately a band that look forward. The residencies gave them their first opportunity to play those new singles and really get a feel for the reaction from the fanbase. "It Hurts and Pls Set Me On Fire feel like staples already, everybody has been singing along with the same volume and venom," Chris enthuses.
And while 2023 has been off to a busy start with the live shows and the release of an album, their year is just getting started. “For the rest of year, there's loads of touring," says Rou. "We are doing Japan, America and Australia towards the end of year, as well as dates in Europe. But the next big focus is Slam Dunk Festival. It's going to be our most ambitious show ever, so we've got lots of programming and production to sort out. We want to get to the stage where we are super confident but first we need to have lots of meetings. There are loads of decisions to be made."
For Enter Shikari, they've entered their "emotional 2.0" era. The pandemic and the new album have allowed them to hit reset and realign with why they set out to do this in the first place all those years ago. But the mission remains the same: good vibes, powerful messages and human connection. And, to be honest, we could all do with a bit more of that.
'A Kiss For The Whole World' is out now via SO Recordings. Tickets for Enter Shikari's 2024 UK arena tour go on general sale at 10am on May 5. £1 from every ticket sale will be donated to the Music Venue Trust.
Enter Shikari Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri February 09 2024 - LEEDS first direct Arena
Sat February 10 2024 - NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena
Mon February 12 2024 - EDINBURGH O2 Academy Edinburgh
Wed February 14 2024 - MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
Thu February 15 2024 - MANCHESTER O2 Victoria Warehouse
Fri February 16 2024 - CARDIFF Cardiff International Arena
Sat February 17 2024 - LONDON OVO Arena Wembley
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