Dear readers we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with an Australian band that blends Psychedelia, Stoner, Progressive and more. We welcome Khan.
Hello how are you?
“Hey mate, I’m good thanks! It’s Josh here (vocals/guitar). Cheers for getting in touch and for the review. Your work in the scene is very much appreciated!“
Your sound incorporates elements of Stoner, Psychedelia, Prog Rock and beyond. Where does your passion for these sounds come from?
“I’ve always loved music that doesn’t follow the norm. That’s where my love of progressive music came from. Music that pushes the boundaries of ‘what’s allowed’ and thinks outside the box. The psychedelia and stoner aspects come from my love of effects, tones and riffs. I never set out to create music of a certain style, I just wanted to make music that reflected what I was feeling and what I enjoyed listening to.“
Your new album “Creatures” was released in February 2023, how would you describe this work?
“Creatures is probably our darkest and heaviest album to date. It has more dynamic and progressive elements that make it feel moodier and erratic.“
The music and vocal parts are very intense, what themes do the lyrics deal with?
“I wrote this album in my early twenties, so it deals with me being a young adult and feeling despondent about the world and the people in it. It gives a good insight into my mental health at the time haha.“
Long-form tracks where you explore different genres and styles, how does the creative process of your music take place?
“I usually just write until it seems like the right time to stop haha. I record and demo everything and then send full songs to the guys for them to learn.
I originally wrote Creatures for a different project (a two-piece where I played a baritone style guitar and looped sections) and it came together in about a month. We played a couple of shows, but the band never did anything, and the music just sat there as demos for about 7-8 years. We then decided to turn it into a Khan album, so I wrote a bunch of guitar parts for it, changed a few bits and pieces which it then became what it is today.“
The sound is engaging, will there be a chance to be able to hear your music live in the near future?
“We’re about to start our next Australian tour before we head over to Europe to play Desertfest Antwerp and Fuzz Festival in Stockholm. We’re putting together a tour around those dates and hopefully we can get to as many places as possible.“
This is your fourth record release, how has your sound evolved over the years?
“Creatures was actually written right smack bang in the middle of when Vale was written which was when I first really started getting into more progressive music. Early on I was more influenced by the 90s alt rock/grunge scene and bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers which you can probably hear a lot more in our first EP On Silent Space.
I think the sound has evolved to be more progressive in nature with all the previous styles and genres still having an influence on what comes out. I’d hate to write an album that sounds just like the last so I’m happy for our sound to evolve.
I’m very excited for people to hear our next release. It’s been in the works for a while now and is coming together nicely!“
Rock music has evolved over the decades, how do you see this genre in the future?
“That’s really difficult to say. If people keep pushing the boundaries and experimenting with combining different genres and sub-genres, then hopefully rock music won’t get bogged down and forgotten about.“
The Australian music scene has always produced interesting artists, how do you see today’s music scene in your country?
“There’s a bit going on down here. There’s a healthy music scene especially in Melbourne but it’s difficult touring because we’re so far from everything. Even within Australia all the major cities are at least 8 hours from one another. I’d love to be able to get to more places within Australia and internationally but it’s so damn expensive.“
Do you have any other passions or artistic activities outside of music?
“I love video games! I wish I had more time to play haha.“
I thank the band for the interview wishing them the best in the continuation of their artistic career.
Support the band, buy their new album on Bandcamp: https://khanofficial.bandcamp.com/album/creatures
Read our review of their new album here: [Review] Khan – Creatures
