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Jeremy Williams-Chalmers
Arts Correspondent
@jeremydwilliams
7:00 AM 24th May 2020
arts

Interview With Pleasure Trap

 
A born performer, Rory Kaye was a 90’s baby. Born in London, growing up on the road, with stints in Middlesbrough, Manchester and Southern Spain. Rory’s childhood was soundtracked by a mix of albums by Eminem, Black Eyed Peas and The Beatles among others. As Kaye hit adolescence, his tastes evolved and he began to listen to rock bands such as the Foo Fighters and Slipknot, who inspired Kaye’s first musical project, Rory Indiana, a critically acclaimed band with Radio 1 plays on Daniel P Carter’s Rock Show and a 4K review in Kerrang.

Now in his early 20s, Kaye’s attention has turned to something fresh. A new identity and a new musical project called Pleasure Trap. Except this time Kaye has not confined himself to any particular sound. Intrigued by what to expect, we asked Rory what songs make him...

First and foremost, hello and how are you?

I’m well thanks! Currently sitting in my brother's garden in my boxers soaking up the sun!

Tell us about the record you have just released… How do you feel when releasing a record?

The record I’ve just released is a track called Remedy! I quite often lose the love for my records, it’s always the newer stuff I’m writing I’m vibing to, but this one has stood the test of time because I still love it! We spent 3 years writing and in the studio, so I guess the biggest emotion I feel when putting out a record is anticipation. With a hint of relief!

What inspired the record?

I went into the initial writing session, trying to channel my inner Justin Timberlake. So there’s a a bit of a nod to that late 90s/early 00s sound. The sample we used had a really organic, funky feel and sat well beneath some lyrics and melodies I was already sitting on. When I’m working on a track with my team, we often go on a big journey across different ideas before landing on something. There was always a vision for Remedy though and lyrically the track is a true reflection of how I was feeling at the time. I hold a sentimental connection with it. Other than a few important structural changes that we made, the identity of the song always remained. We finally landed on a vocal delivery that worked and the results are now up for eternal scrutiny.

Tell us a little about your creative process...

It honestly varies song to song! I’m most creative in the mornings. I’ll wake up, make a celery juice, have a coffee and maybe a cigarette, before getting into some new ideas. I generally sift through splice which is a sample library, find a loop I’m feeling and then spend first first hour or so just singing over it. Tryna develop melodies and an area for my voice on it. Sometimes verses fall out of me, other times I will work for months on a song working line by line, waiting for the next perfect lyric to fall from the sky. I like to think of songwriting a little like fishing… You gotta cast your line and wait for the fish to bite!



If the record were an animal, what animal would it be?

Hyena!

Define your sound in five words…

Whatever I feel like writing!

What was the first song that caught your attention?

Pump it - Black Eyed Peas! Monkey Business was one of the OG albums I seshed as a child.

What was the first song you bought?

My Name Is by Eminem was my first song on CD.

And the first album?

Thriller by Michael Jackson.

What was the best concert you have ever seen?

Eminem at Twickenham Stadium was legendary, went on my own got right to the front and soaked up his brilliance.

What did the experience teach you that you have translated to your own shows?

It taught me the in the importance of versatility. He’s tongue in cheek and being playful in one song and being dark and deep in the next.

What other artist are you most excited to hear from?

Ren from Brighton is disgustingly talented and makes me want to quit music! Likewise his sparring partner Sam Tompkins. I can’t wait for a new Daniel Ceaser record also.

If you could work with them, what would you hope to record?

Ren has this ability to be so poetic and conversational in his records. Money Game pt 2 has probably one of the smartest lyrics I’ve ever heard. It’s in your face and nice and confrontational so maybe something along those lines?

If you had to pick three artists to be filed next to, who would they be and why?

Twenty One Pilots because they just write hits, some of the biggest ear words in their records. Ocean Wizdom cos he’s wonderfully British and got BARS. Finally, Billie Eilish 'cos she just makes future music and is so unapologetically herself.

If you could jam with one artist alive or dead, who would it be?

The Beatles because they are my Dad's favourite band, I think that would just be so cool.

If you could have written one song by another artist, what would it be?

This is a hard question! I’m a pop slut and appreciate a well realised pop record - so on that basis it would have to be Attention by Charlie Puth.

Someone is making a film of your life, who will play you?

I mean I wanna say Idris Elba cos he’s just the best. Maybe Jake Gyllenhall?

Lastly, tell us one thing you have never revealed in an interview…

I have a chimpanzee riding a horse yielding an AK47 tattooed to my upper arm.