Progressive rock act KYLOLUS has been writing songs for many years now. This being his platform that gives life to what he does best. Being one that creates than being an artist or a band really. His first album has just been completed with a whole lot more in the works of course. See what else was discussed with us all below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Well, Kylolus is not actually a band, but it’s also more than just me, Murray Edmunds! First and foremost, I’m a songwriter, not a performing artist, and I think of Kylolus as the platform that gives life to my songs. I’ve been writing songs for many years (since learning piano as a kid), but to turn these songs into professional recordings that sound as good as they can be, I need to collaborate with others. So for a number of years now, I’ve been working closely with Andrew James in Chipping Campden. He’s a professional singer and vocal coach, who does most of the vocals for the Kylolus songs, as well as producing them and helping me with the instrumental arrangements. We’ve also been collaborating a lot with local guitarist Steve Skidmore (aka “Skidders”) who’s a very talented and versatile player and who brings the perspective of a guitarist to the music. Guitar is one instrument that just can’t be convincingly substituted with plug-in technology. Occasionally, we’ll also employ other musicians and singers when a song requires it.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Kylolus is actually a derivative of a computer password I was given at work! When I first uploaded music to Soundcloud, I was asked to give an artist name. I didn’t think ‘Murray Edmunds’ sounded very ‘rock’n’roll’, so I gave my old password as a temporary solution, expecting to replace it with something better. But every name I could think of was either already in use or didn’t really fit the vibe of my music, so in the end I stuck with it.
I know it’s not the easiest name to remember (which is why all my websites feature the name in a logo in big capital letters!), but at least if someone does remember ‘Kylolus’ and Googles it, they will easily find my music!
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
I live in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. There used to be a very famous recording studio here where many of the big bands of my youth came to record in the 1970s and 80s. I believe ‘Chippie’ was also once considered to be the heart of the ‘folk belt’, and was the base for Fairport Convention.
To be honest, I don’t really follow the current local music scene, but I did manage to borrow the singer (Cole Bryant) of a local heavy rock band for one of my recordings. His band is called Hell’s Gazelles, and they’re awesome! I was also a colleague at work to the drummer in Flights Of Helios who have an wonderful psychedelic rock vibe. I’d also have to recommend my Kylolus collaborators, Andrew James and Skidders, who are both awesome songwriters themselves, and who have released their own music on all the usual platforms.
4. How would you describe your style?
Well, I learned classical piano and was raised on ‘prog rock’, so those are my obvious influences. I try to challenge myself and be varied in my songwriting, but I tend to gravitate towards ballads and rock music. I’m more at the softer, melodic end of the rock spectrum, sometimes with folky or ethereal tones, and some of my songs have been likened to musical theatre. If you like Fleetwood Mac. Mike and the Mechanics, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Elton John – that sort of thing – then I’d like to think you’ll also like Kylolus.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
I’ve uploaded a lot of songs to Soundcloud over the years, but I’m now in the process of rationalizing and re-recording my portfolio to achieve higher quality recordings for release on the major streaming platforms.
So, I’ve just completed a first album called Uncharted Territories. The album contains 11 songs selected to exemplify my work and provide a bit of musical variety. Hopefully, listeners will find strong catchy melodies and worthwhile, thought-provoking lyrics. As I was a writer in my profession, I take lyrics very seriously, and I believe that the words of a song should have real purpose.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Oh yes! Over the years, I’ve written more than 40 songs, and I always have a few new song ideas ‘in progress’, so there’s a lot of material I’m hoping to get recorded or re-recorded. I’ve already planned the content of the next two albums, and working with Andrew and Steve the second album is well underway. But for the next release, I’ve actually decided to do a single titled ‘When’. I hope it will be out in April.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
As I say, I’m a songwriter not a performer, so there’s no prospect of touring. I know that’s where the money is made these days in music, but the ambition is just to put out my songs, hopefully have them heard and enjoyed, and be proud of that.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
The plan is very simple: to continue to enjoy making music. I just love the creativity of songwriting and the whole recording process, and it can be incredibly cathartic too. It’s what I thrive on, and I always look forward so much to taking a new song into the studio. There’s a lot of songs to come, so a lot to keep me going. In terms of ‘musical growth’, it would be nice to expand my circle of collaborators (any good female singers out there?), and perhaps explore sync licencing opportunities.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can hear Kylolus on all the usual streaming services – Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer etc.
You can also find Kylolus on Facebook, where I’d love to hear from you!
I don’t have much in the way of ‘merch’, but I do have a stock of CDs of the album (Uncharted Territories) for purchase if anyone would like one. I’m a bit old-fashioned, and I rather like recordings in physical form!
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
I’d like them to remember that the lyrics in most of the songs were inspired by real-life events, which I’ve often tried to generalize in the words to make them as widely relatable as possible. I’d like to think that listeners will be affected a little by the lyrics, and have their attention grabbed by the melodies. Above all, I’d like to think that some listeners will enjoy the songs enough to return to them. For me, that is the ultimate mark of success for a songwriter.
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