10 Quick Ones with KARL PHILLIPS from KARL PHILLIPS AND THE REJECTS – May 2017

According to a recent press release: “Ska collides with Punk guitar riffs and mad rapping skills on the newest single from Midlands, UK based, 7 piece rock band Karl Phillips And The Rejects, “Plastic Gangsta.” Releasing May 10th with introductory spins on BBC1 Radio, “Plastic Gangsta,” which shows Karl Phillips following a young gangster as he goes about his day posturing and generally making a fool of himself, will be available to download 5/19 via Medical Records.” We get frontman Karl Phillips to answer our 10 Quick Ones about the upcoming release and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Its pretty straight forward really. My new single “Plastic Gangsta” is about a guy that wants people to think he’s some kind of gangsta… when in reality he’s nothing but a weasely little coward that still lives at home with his mum.  There is one hidden nugget that only long time fans might have noticed. In the video for “Plastic Gangsta” I shake hands with a dude just before I jump on stage – and that guy was the main character in my first ever music video (a song called “Beef Teeth”) from nearly a decade ago!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My dad got a guitar when he was in his 40’s… he was so shit. So i was like “Dad get me a guitar, and i’ll show ya how its done” A few months later he bought me one for my 18th birthday and the rest is history.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Eminem, Madness, Rage against the machine, The streets, and loads of UK Grime rappers.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Eminem

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Hip-Hop/Uk Grime mixed with Ska/Punk and heavy rock!

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Getting into festivals for free!

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

None of us cook… ha. I’ve always got a bottle of Jager with me and Matt (one of our guitarists) likes to get the acoustic out sometimes.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I used to be a P.E teacher, so probably that or a footballer (if my knee wernt smashed to pieces already ha)

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

Yeah. The first 8 years. Where i made zero effort, was always off my face, and expected everything to be handed to me…. I’d probably do that different given the chance ha

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Any record from Prodigy’s first 2 albums…. Or The Streets’ first 2 albums. That would’ve been alright.

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Category: Interviews