IRISH trio Kopek eschew the synth-heavy sound so prevalent at the moment for the kind of raw, stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll sound which never goes out of fashion.
The band, who hit the Midlands this month, released debut album White Collar Lies in May, following a successful release in the United States last year.
With influences ranging ranging from 90s alt rock titans such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins to classic rockers like the Stones, The Beatles and Muddy Waters, what is it about their kind of no-nonsense sound which always finds an audience?
“I think it’s the honesty of the songs,” says vocalist and guitarist Dan Jordan.
“Also, sometimes with electronic music is dated by what kind of synthesisers are around at the time, but with bands like ours we have songs people will always want to listen to.”
Jordan reckons the themes of the song, betrayed by the album’s title, also strike a chord in the recession-hit times in which we live.
“I think a lot of people relate to what’s on White Collar Lies, like the title track, which seems to grab people’s attention and speaks to the way they’re feeling,” he tells the Mail.
“Everyone is really feeling the pinch at the moment, especially here in Ireland and in Spain, where we were recently. There are very little jobs and little money around, and people can relate to what we’re writing about.”
After releasing their album in America first, the band spent six months touring relentlessly in the States, a notoriously tough nut for new bands to crack.
“It can be difficult at times and is very gruelling, but it’s definitely the way to break America,” says Jordan. “We got around to one or two cities twice but every time we go back to these place we see our fanbase growing a bit.
“We went to America first because we felt it was where our sound was best suited. The record company wanted to go there and our manager is America so it seemed the right thing to do, and worked very well.”
So what can the band’s existing fans and potential new ones expect from the Kopek experience when it arrives in these parts?
“They will hear a little bit of a different facet to the album, a little rawer and heavier,” says Jordan. “It’s gonna be a show people can really get into — with raw rock ‘n’ roll and lots of energy.”
