Norfolk duo Kulk have a great band name. Not only does it look good in a funky metal logo, it also works nicely for size on a show poster, sounds very satisfying to say, and - perhaps most importantly - is based on their mutual love of Home Alone, and the actor who plays Kevin, a certain Macauley Culkin.
They are of course far more than their love of the cheeky Christmas classic, as the East Anglian pair have managed to weave the magic and mystery of their home into their music and live shows. Jade and Thom, the couple who make up Kulk, describe the band as "simultaneously an exploration of human suffering and an extension of our own relationship", and feel that their music is infected with love for people, even with its inherent heaviness and brutal power. The same goes for their last release, 2024's 'It Gets Worse' - the album is, in many varying ways, influenced by the county of Norfolk and the people within it, and the history woven into the fabric of life within it, but at its core 'It Gets Worse' is "a people record". Jade and Thom themselves are also people people, our interview with them at ArcTanGent Festival was a joy to partake in and we saw them a number of times across the weekend after the fact, and they always had a smile on their faces.
Speaking of 'It Gets Worse', the duo's third album, it had been two and a half years between records, but more than half of that time was spent writing, rewriting, recording, and rerecording, until they were both happy with it, even if it meant "sacrificing some of the accessibility for a better record." However, one notable part not written by either is a guitar solo featuring Adam from the band Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. Adam asked them if they'd have him on the album, and the two jumped at the chance - but couldn't manage to make studio time stick! Eventually, whilst out on the road together, he sat down in a green room backstage at a show in Ipswich and did ten takes of the solo straight into a PC. Thom took the recordings home, grabbed his two faves, panned them hard left and right and put them through some amps and plug ins and then the solo was done!
The live response has also been excellent for the record, with fans singing the lyrics back to the band and showing proper recognition at different songs, which was a real first for the band - which leads wonderfully onto Kulk's next big adventure, recording a live set inside a recreation of an Iron Age house in Dorset, the Earth House. The pair already had a more primal and mystical feel than most bands, so to put them into a faithful recreation of a Saxon house provides a whole new level of mystical power to their live show. Featuring five previously released songs and one unreleased track, it's a hypnotic watch that will draw you in and leave you in a trance for the entire duration of the alluring, crushing performance. The connection between the two is clear to see, as is their connection to the house and the atmosphere within it.
After the fact, they were predictably unable to say anything but positives about the entire experience - “Performing in a space like this was surreal, even with mics, cameras, drums and amps it still felt like we had traveled back in time. Every note and every snare was sublime, each minute we were there you considered the thousands of years that led to this point, insignificant and powerful simultaneously." The director, Ali White, also had plenty to say about the wonderful time spent there - “I knew we needed a band whose sound personified the Neolithic magic of the Earth House space - and Kulk were an obvious choice. Their hypnotic and brooding grooves are harnessed from elsewhere and we saw it unleashed in real time. Filming live sessions can be awkward in their intimacy but we were all united and acted as conduits for something powerful that day. What we witnessed happen in the space was a transcendent experience. It came together very easily, all we had to do was make sure we could capture it and I hope the video goes to show some of the energy that flows between these two unique artists, as individuals and as a unit. What you see is exactly as it happened, no overdubs, edits or camera tricks. It was a pleasure to collaborate with such a creative force and I won’t forget the mud walls vibrating any time soon.”
With such a force of nature, it's never truly possible to predict what will happen next - but even though they are so primal and powerful, Kulk have managed to deftly and delicately work their way up the pile and will soon be right at the top.
Kulk's Earth House Session will be released on YouTube on January 31st, via Earth House Sessions.
Words: Jake Longhurst
Photos: Kulk
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