The French Kicks capture the essence of NYC through their early jangly post-punk beginnings to their current synth-pop, moody sound—with some songs feeling like a sample of smooth guitar riffs from local rockers like the Pretenders. But lead vocalist Nick Stumpf is somewhat evasive when it comes to pinning down what or who inspired them.
“We are usually influenced by smaller details of things we like, or even things we don’t like, and the list of people we’ve borrowed details from is very long.”
There’s nothing more exciting than to watch a band’s gradual rise from small local haunts to the magnitude of larger venues, but Stumpf says being out of his natural environs and on the road takes its toll on songwriting. “One thing is that it’s very hard to write when you’re on tour, and if you do well, it means you’re always on tour. And then when you get home you’re sort of drained out and need a little time before you’re going to have anything to offer. I think that’s something that’s not talked about all that much but is a real problem for people writing songs. There’s that saying also that you have your whole life to write your first record and two months to write your second, and that seems to be true. But a lot of the best stuff happens very quickly or by accident and has more to do with luck than anything else.”
They’ve also had the opportunity to work with guitarist Kush El Amin on this tour, which has opened doors for them musically. “Kush is a great musician and having him in that seat allows us to play pretty much anything, which is exciting,” said Stumpf. “We have spent the last few years trying to eliminate any limitations on what we can do as a band. Getting Kush in there feels like it might be the last step.”
These days, Stumpf has mixed feelings about his hometown: “I think most of us are very domestic when we’re not on tour, but I have developed a fondness for Sin-é bar on the Lower East Side. You can find some normal people there, and they have a pool table. New York feels a bit like a museum of itself these days, so it can be hard to go anywhere without getting a little down about that.”
August 7. Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie Sts.), 212-533-2111; 8, $10. (Aug. 6 at Maxwell’s)
