Kite String Tangle, Having A Field Day

By Ash London on January 6, 2015 in Arts

I was cruising along Carrington Road earlier this year with the windows down and the sun shining on my happy little face when a glorious explosion of ethereal goodness came blasting through my radio. Juggling the steering wheel with one hand and searching for my phone with the other, I madly scrambled to Shazam the song before it ended. For the sake of the story, let’s say I pulled over and did so safely.

‘Arcadia’ by The Kite String Tangle turned out to be the track I had so quickly fallen for. The Kite String Tangle is the one-man project of Brissy boy Danny Harley. You might know his track ‘Given The Chance’, which took out 19th spot on Triple J’s Hottest 100 last year. It definitely won’t be the last you hear from this talented soul.

He’s playing Field Day this January alongside some pretty spectacular names, and I caught up with him for a chat before the big show…

My hometown is… Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The name came from… an ambient project I used to have – no drums, no vocals and very airy. I came up with the name because it had nice imagery and nostalgic qualities. The music changed, but the name stuck and now we’re here.

I’d like to think that my music is… relatable and unique to some degree. I think having vocals on all of my tracks is a point of difference for me when compared to other producers.

The ‘Stone Cold’ music video came about… largely through the director Lachlan Dickie. He’s a bit of a genius and we decided we wanted to contrast some of the pop-ness of the track with a more alienating video clip. I think he made a really great piece of visual art.

On my EP, ‘Vessel’, I’m proudest of… the song ‘What If’. It’s my favourite on the EP and I think it’s going to be more of that direction come album time.

If I could choose anyone to remix one of my songs, I would choose… Jamie xx. He’s a sonic wizard!

One song that makes me really nostalgic is… ‘Break Stuff’ by Limp Bizkit.

There was this one time I was starting out that… I played a show in the smoking area of a venue to about five people.

If I could have written any song, it would be… ‘Royals’ by Lorde. I really love the ‘simple but effective’ nature of the track.

If you come and see me at Field Day, you can expect… a lovely time and some bright lights during the daytime.

I’m excited about sharing the bill with… SBTRKT, Jamie xx and Alt-J. They are my ‘must-sees’.

The best part of making music as a solo artist is… the total control over the final product. Collaboration is amazing too. They’re both very rewarding in different ways.

My dream gig… is playing Glastonbury or Reading Festival. That would be amazing!

I never want to get to the point where… music feels like a job.

I’ll know I’ve really made it when… I can sell out a world tour… ha ha.

The Kite String Tangle will play at Field Day on January 1 at The Domain in Sydney. For tickets and information, visit www.fielddaynyd.com.au.