Jamie Hince and Allison Mosshart, known together as the Kills, are looking to get back to business as they tour behind their latest album “Blood Pressure.” Although Mosshart has been constantly on the road with the Dead Weather and Hince has been re-establishing his life at home, both are ready to regain the Kills’ musical magic.
“I wanted to get back in the studio,” said Hince. ” I was so sick of playing the same songs. I wanted to write music, make films, see friends, and do other thins that didn’t involve sitting on a bus.”
| Onstage |
| The Kills |
| When: 7 p.m. Sunday |
| Where: 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW |
| Details: $20; 9:30.com; 800-955-5566 |
Hince found a lot more off the road than recovery from road weariness. After he’d settled in at home, he found himself pulling out his acoustic guitar and playing music with friends. From there, many of the songs on “Blood Pressure” were born.
Of course the Kills are a true collaboration. Even when miles separate the duo, they write and meld their ideas. They further fine-tuned the songs during the 12 months they recorded the album at Key Club Studios in Michigan.
Although listeners will hear the familiar guitars and driving rhythms for which the band is known, the songs also include much more instrumentation — including piano and mellotron — than the band has used in the past.
“I didn’t go into it feeling like I wanted it to be anything,” said Hince of his plans for the songs before recording. “It all just came gradually.”
The starting point, if there was one, was when Hince reacquainted himself with some of the ideas and songs he had set aside as the Kills toured. Hince also used his time to dabble with various instrumentation that made its way onto many of the songs.
Credit some of that experimentation with Hince’s admiration for the multilayered sound of Roxy Music, although he said that the Kills’ music likely seems the opposite of that.
“It was interesting to use different sounds and gospel choirs and try to explore those different feelings,” he said. “After four records, you can get tired of what [rock] guitars can be.”
