Pop Evil: Redemption Calling
The human spirit is one of the most resilient entities in this plane of existence. Over the course of a lifetime, no matter the length, a person will endure many trying times. In the moment it can be difficult to navigate those negative times. It’s only once we’ve sailed through the storm into calmer waters that we recognise the strength we possess. If we ever do. One band which champions the strength of the mind, body, and soul is POP EVIL. With recent album Skeletons doing the rounds within the live circuit, we sit under the learning tree of vocalist Leigh Kakaty.
“We had a lot of fun making this record,” Leigh starts with a smile. “We feel like it’s that next evolution to our sound.” When compared to previous record Versatile (2021), Skeletons is definitely that next step towards a much harsher yet fully formed POP EVIL. This incarnation of the band may have begun with Versatile but it wasn’t the fresh album cycle which prompted it. The germination started after the death of producer Kato Khandwala who had worked on the band’s 2016 eponymous record as well as with the likes of PARAMORE and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. “To lose a producer is devastating,” he comments. Speaking about the excitement the band felt to move forward with Khandwala and experiment with what POP EVIL could become, it’s clear that this was much more than a record producer as Leigh explains, “he was a mentor, a big brother, and essential to us as a band and as people.”
Following Khandwala’s fatal motorcycle accident, the band began the unenviable task of finding a new collaborator. Drew Fulk stepped up to the plate during the process for Breathe Again, a single from Versatile, and a new relationship was forged. “He’s that guy we’ve been looking for for a long time,” Leigh admits. “The way he’s gotten the band gelling and having that energy flow through the band is remarkable and incredibly exciting. In many ways this album is a brand new start for us.” Having reached the seventh album and feeling somewhat stagnant, POP EVIL emerged from the pandemic with a sound which feels more strategic and has much more direction.
Though is Fulk the main source of reinvigoration? While his contribution is monumental, Leigh is keen to add this lease of life comes from the band also. “Being in a band is like being in a sports team,” he starts. “People come and go, teams evolve and adapt but are still pushing forwards.” With the need to evolve at the forefront of Skeletons’ process it was only natural for Fulk to “steer the ship.”
As a result, fans were treated to the smash-hit single Paranoid (Crash & Burn) which would catapult towards the top end of singles charts. Written during demoing sessions in Los Angeles, Paranoid wasn’t supposed to be released when it was. POP EVIL had wanted a fourth single from Versatile. However with the speed new tracks were beginning to form – Eye Of The Storm and Paranoid in particular, it was time for the band to compose a new album instead. Touching on the pandemic as well as personal issues, Leigh admits that as much as the album helps fans through their own vortexes, it was also a healing process for him. “I think I had a lot of built up depression that was buried, it’s probably still there,” he confesses.
“Music is still a release for me,” Leigh answers when we ask about the concept of the record. “I use the lyrics as motivation to keep me going.” As we continue to dive into the album, we touch on the track Circles. “It’s interesting isn’t it? How you wait your whole life to get out and find your identity, but sometimes you have to move far away from whatever your nucleus of support is only to realise you’re being led right back to where you belong,” he muses. While that concept may breed some anger, the much bigger message for Leigh is “know you’re not alone”.
To bolster that message POP EVIL’s latest effort offers three collaborations with ZILLION, DEVOUR THE DAY, and FIT FOR A KING. The most surprising of the trio being Dead Reckoning. A heavier-than-usual slab of rock bordering on lighter metalcore. With the help of Faulk, Ryan Kirby (FIT FOR A KING) was sent the song and delivered his contribution in less than 24 hours. “POP EVIL has never been a band that’s afraid of pushing boundaries and Dead Reckoning is the perfect example of that,” Leigh comments. “That track has certainly given us a lot of confidence and a lot of swagger we’re looking to take forward not only in this cycle but in the albums ahead.”
While evolution is the name of the game, the band’s core message remains the same. POP EVIL is a cathartic band which thrives from supporting those who need them the most. “As a band we definitely feel the responsibility to make a difference,” Leigh tells us. “If we can help someone to forget about the negativity in their life for three or four minutes, then we take great pride in that.” Wherever life may take us, POP EVIL wants to send us on our way with the knowledge we are more than lonely skeletons.
Skeletons is out now via MNRK Heavy.
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