In Conversation
Interview & Words By: Lauren Plumb
Images By: Chloe Hashemi
“Previous projects were me stepping into my own shoes, stepping into my own boxers. Hopefully by this album I’ll have my own socks on, and I’ll be even more myself.” Speak about dressing for the job you want. This acknowledgement proves KhakiKid knows what he’s talking about. Following the release of the EP Girl Bites Dog, Khaki is now working on his debut album.
In the greenroom of The Lower Third, Original had the opportunity to talk to Khakikid before his second sold out show at the venue situated on the historic Denmark Street. Also known as the British Tin Pan Alley, this location has a vast history when it comes to music. As an epicentre for publishing, recording, and instrument shopping it makes the perfect hot spot for musicians.
The Lower Third is a live music venue, club space, and cocktail bar within Outernet London. The concert venue is located below the upper bar. The venue was built on the historic site of the former 12 Bar Club. Before the premises closed in 2015 a variety of household names performed there; Adele, The Libertines, and Jeff Buckley. We have no doubt that this location will be the same jumping pad for KhakiKid.
“Another [career highlight] is playing these shows in the UK and London.” KhakiKid, who went from putting half of a 100-person crowd onto a guest list to fill the space has now sold out two shows at The Lower Third.
Currently touring the UK and Ireland on his self-titled tour, he is using the platform to tease new music and perform with friends. Night one of his shows at The Lower Third saw the debut of an unreleased song called Eat Me Alive and night two saw him perform another unreleased song for the first time with collaborator Tamzene.
When he isn’t shocking his manager by playing songs, he’s told not to. He prefers a more laidback approach to prepping for shows. His pre-show ritual consists of pretending he’s elsewhere, “[I] Just distract myself right up until the show, and don’t think about it.”
Taking inspiration by artists such as 50 Cent and The Script as a child, Khaki used to practise singing in the bathroom mirror. The one bathroom shared between seven people was prime real estate, but it also doubled as the perfect rehearsal suite.
These 20-minute rehearsals would be cut short when other people living in the house would start banging on the door. “they’d say what are you doing and I’d say I’m taking a shit, but I was never taking a shit.”
Once he started his final year of school, he decided to truly invest in the career. “I bought a really cheap laptop for like £80 and I bought a microphone for like £60 and I used music as a distraction from studying.” From being a four-year-old loving Natasha Bedingfield, to becoming an adult questioning job prospects, it was no question to Khaki to do the thing he loved even if it meant the possibility of having an unstable income.
No stranger to manifestation, when talking about career highlights so far, he mentions the time he sold out his dream venue, the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. “When I first started music, I printed out a picture of it and stapled it on my wall, and we sold it out last year.”
Khakikid returns to the stage for the IE leg of his tour on November 11 at the Róisín Dub in Galway.
