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Brighton’s most unpredictable band returns with ‘I Wanna Live With You’, a genre-bending love song that delves into the neurotic and desperate aspects of relationships. As OPUS KINK seize the means of production and wave their own flag, check out our latest Hype playlist cover feature.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Will Reid.
Opus Kink are a band who defy categorisation. The enigmatic sextet, hailing from Brighton, have been carving out a niche with their unique fusion of jazz, country, and punk. Their music is a chaotic yet beautiful mess, a reflection of the world around them and the inner workings of their own minds. It’s a sound that has been described as everything from “gutter-pop” to “anxiety-inducing” and has garnered them a devoted following and plenty of critical acclaim alike.
First bursting onto the scene with their debut EP, ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry’, they showcased their genre-bending approach to songwriting and their electric live performances. They quickly followed it up with the equally impressive ‘My Eyes, Brother!’, cementing their status as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK. Indeed, they’re no strangers to anyone who frequents our regular live shows, having previously graced the stages of Dork’s Night Out with their electrifying performances. The feedback was unanimous – they’re absolutely bonkers.
At the heart of Opus Kink’s music is a sense of unbridled creativity and a willingness to push boundaries. They’re not afraid to experiment, take risks, or venture into uncharted territory. This fearless approach to songwriting and performing has made them one of the most exciting and unpredictable bands in a scene packed with glorious oddballs and weirdos. And with the release of their latest single, ‘I Wanna Live With You’, they’re poised to take their music to even greater heights.
Released via their own label, Hideous Recordings, in partnership with SO Recordings, ‘I Wanna Live With You’ is a testament to Opus Kink’s unabashed creativity and their ability to craft a pop classic with a twist – a precursor to what promises to be a year filled with surprises and musical innovation.
“To be clear, we’re all very well-adjusted, and it’s totally just a character. OK?”
Angus Rogers
Frontman Angus Rogers, both answering our questions and editing the music video for their next single, is adamant about the aims of the band’s latest creation. “It’s a love song,” he explains. “We’re feeding the ‘Love Song Industrial Complex’ as per the Meatraffle lament, but this one is more to do with the pedant’s desire to love like normal people do, or be seen to do so. Essentially, the neurotic and desperate aspect of relationships.”
“To be clear, we’re all very well-adjusted,” he adds. “It’s totally just a character. OK?”
It’s a good job he’s clarified that. Opus Kink’s brand of love is far from conventional, as evidenced by the eyebrow-raising line, “I wanna drink your blood.” Rogers elaborates, “I suppose it’s about the romantic urge to consume and be consumed entirely!”
But it’s not just the lyrics that are pushing boundaries. The band set out to test their mettle in writing a sub-three-minute pop classic with ‘I Wanna Live With You’, and they’ve succeeded with flying colours. “We believe that Prince himself would’ve killed to record it,” Rogers quips.
The single’s release on Hideous Recordings marks a significant milestone for the band. “We started the label a while ago for a larf,” Rogers explains, “but our saxman and big-time Hideous label boss Jed [Morgans] has built it into something wonderful over the past couple of years. We thought we’d seize the means of production for this one and wave our own flag.”
Rather than sail out into the unknown without a map, the band have enlisted the help of SO Recordings, who are quietly putting together a fearsome roster of exciting new bands with both BIG SPECIAL and Deadletter on their books. “Two heads are better than the guillotine,” Rogers jokes, but it’s a future partnership of serious potential when it comes to taking a band that don’t always fit neatly into mainstream spaces to the very top of their potential.
While they aren’t letting us know much about what comes next – there are a few hints. “A new dawn is tuning up on the horizon,” Rogers shares. “The doldrums are lifting like an ancient curse”.
What he will tell us, is that we’ll have more from the band “later this year”, where they’ll continue that unapologetic approach to songwriting that sets Opus Kink apart from their contemporaries. They’re not afraid to delve into the darker aspects of human nature, to explore the macabre and the beautiful in equal measure. As Rogers puts it, “The end result is shaping up to be a grotesque smorgasbord of various horrors, so hopefully, there’ll be joy, satisfaction, contempt and disappointment in spades for everyone.”
The label’s metaphorical flag isn’t the only thing Opus Kink is waving. They’re also gearing up for a string of festival appearances and their biggest headline show to date at London’s iconic Electric Ballroom on 11th December. The plan is to “play lots of festivals and dispel the icy wind from our bone marrow, if possible,” Rogers says. “Mainly, we will set about raising the tiny bloated corpse of goth salsa from its Tupperware once and for all.”
“We wanted to test our mettle in writing a sub-three-minute pop classic”
Angus Rogers
This kind of bizarre imagery and dark humour has become a hallmark of Opus Kink’s music and persona. And it’s not just for show – the band’s influences and interests are as eclectic as their sound.
Rogers, for example, has just read Kevin Barry’s Night Boat To Tangier and Love’s Executioner by Irvin Yalom, which he describes as “both gorgeous and harrowing in equal measure”. He’s also been listening to Bill Evans and John Martyn’s ‘Back To Stay’, which he says is “echoing in my brain.”
Bassist Sam Abbo, who Rogers jokes would be the worst housemate due to his “emasculating ability to record five solo albums and a film soundtrack per week”, is currently reading Elena Ferrante, an author the two “mutually gush over.”
This melting pot of influences, combined with the band’s unwavering commitment to their craft, makes Opus Kink a force to be reckoned with. They’re not content to churn out the same old sound; they’re constantly pushing themselves to create something new and exciting.
So, what can fans expect from the band in the coming months? More surprises, more experimentation, and more of the uncompromising artistry that has become their calling card. “Who we truly are, stripped of pomp and vanity,” Rogers teases. “We’re working on that for you.”
But for now, ‘I Wanna Live With You’ stands as a testament to Opus Kink’s singular vision and unparalleled creativity. It’s a love song for the ages, a twisted tale of consumption and desperation that only they could tell. And with their biggest headline show on the horizon and a slew of new material in the works, it’s clear that Opus Kink is just getting started.
As Rogers so eloquently puts it, “Opus Kink, trowels and hoses in hand, are about to uncover the one road to paradise.” And we, for one, can’t wait to see where that road leads. ■
Opus Kink’s new track ‘I Wanna Live With You’ is out now. Follow Dork’s Hype Spotify playlist here.
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