GUEST PLAYLIST: Otherkin

In the midst of their OK album tour which sees Dublin-based Otherkin on the road until mid-December, we picked the brains of frontman Luke to compile a playlist of his favourite tracks – and one that he’d remove from history. 

Tracks I’m Digging at the minute:

Beck – ‘Dreams’
St. Vincent – ‘Los Ageless’
Wolf Alice – ‘Formidable Cool’
The Horrors – ‘Machine’
The Chemical Brothers – ‘Asleep From Day’
Thee Oh Sees – ‘Animated Violence’
King Krule – ‘Dum Surfer’
Car Seat Headrest – ‘Destroyed By Hippie Powers’
Bad Nerves – ‘Radio Punk’
QOTSA – ‘The Evil Has Landed’
Pixies – ‘Bone Machine’
Wilco – ‘I Am Trying To Break Your Heart’

What’s the first song you remember playing on repeat?

One of the first CDs that I was ever given was Fatboy Slim’s ‘You’ve Come A Long Way Baby…’ by my Dad for my birthday. ‘Right Here, Right Now’ was rinsed over and over!

What song do you wish you’d written?

There are certain songs that make you make an indescribable connection with; ‘Sweet Thing’ by Van Morrison is one that springs to mind. There’s something really pure and natural about that song. It sounds stupid but everytime I listen to Astral Weeks, mentally I’m transported to a dewy meadow in springtime and everything becomes really serene and still. There are very few songs that have that power, but Astral Weeks is stuffed with them.

Is there a song that your parents got you into?

My Dad’s a huge Pink Floyd fan. I’m not massively into them but I definitely heard ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘Shine On, You Crazy Diamond’ thanks to him playing it in our house.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Not necessarily sure it should be a guilty pleasure but ‘Pure Shores’ by All Saints is easily one of the best songs written in the 90s.

What’s your go-to track when you’re on the road?

We have an ‘On The Road’ playlist that we blare in the van all the time. My pick would be ‘The Dream’ by Thee Oh Sees. What a belter.

And before you go on stage?

I don’t really listen to specific songs before we head onstage but if I want something to psych me up it’d be ‘Black Math’ by the White Stripes.

If you could erase a song from history – make it so it had never been written – what would it be?

I’m not usually one to shit on other people’s work but if I have to answer I’ll say ‘Galway Girl’ by Ed Sheeran, undoubtedly. I’m sure he’s a nice guy, but my Lord, that is an abomination of a song. Also, the fact that he wrote it simply because he knew Irish people would like it makes its a cynical cash-grab in my eyes. Write a song because you feel like you want to express it, not because it’ll make you richer.

Give us a new song that we should be listening to… 

‘Something To Remember Me By’ – The Horrors. Heading out now soon to catch ’em live so I’ve been playing that a good bit today! One of their finest tunes to date.

The Playlist

For tour details visit http://www.otherkinok.com/tour
OK is out now

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

Melissa, 22. Editor. Student, music journalist, probably talking about Blur or Bowie