Interviews: Küntsquäd

On this new occasion, we had the opportunity to interview the Death Metal/Crust band Küntsquäd from Australia. Check out the interview and follow this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Was it planned, or did it just happen organically?

We wanted a provocative name but also one that had some contextual relevance to our culture, and further to this, also had a deeper, meaningful connection to the feminine. The word kunt is both a term of endearment and of disaffection, so most appropriate to describe our disposition. … but more importantly,  the idea for the band name was derived from its powerful historical connotations found in many diverse languages and cultures. The fact is, the word ‘cunt’ has strong feminist origins. It’s best described in this article here qz.comhttps://qz.com › the-most-offensive-...The most offensive curse word in English has powerful feminist origins ( for a more detailed description). It also has a history in the story of ‘Kunti’, who is held as a figure of great importance within many Hindu traditions and especially with worshippers of Krishna Vaishnavas. It’s a term of empowerment for women, and it is being reclaimed by feminists of all genders. Therefore, it was fitting that we used the play on the word cunt (the unofficial Australian slang word of affection or disaffection ) and reclaimed the word to embrace all these things. Also, the umlauts. I like the fact that the umlauts make us sound Norwegian, cos we’re obviously not, but the umlets change the vowel so that the pronunciation changes “Koontskard’ .. .in case someone’s mum is unintentionally offended by the word kunt.

2. Why did you choose to play this genre?

It wasn’t a chosen genre per se, it’s how the bands sound has evolved over time. We are all into heavy music, and I guess as a songwriter, your tendencies are to write based on your own likes in music. It helps when everyone in the band has a similar vision in terms of its musicality and influences; however, everyone brings their own bit into the project, so the music is often a conglomeration of everyone’s style once pieces are worked on in the rehearsal rooms.

3. Did you know each other before forming the band?

Yes and no. Our previous guitarist, Steve ( who is recently deceased), I knew very well and shared a long 30-year history with. It was he who introduced me to Brett, our bass player. Our previous drummer, Bryce, whom I have also worked with in other projects, introduced me to Adz, our current drummer. And as for our current lead guitarist, Nik, we met him on tour in Brisbane a few years ago. He had come to check us out, and being a fan of the band, he obviously had an interest in our music. I had been friends with him on socials for some time before we actually met. So when Steve and the band parted ways, I sussed out whether he was interested in the job. He has since moved to Melbourne, where we are based, and is currently doing that work for us.

4. What is each band member's favorite band?

This is always a difficult question to answer because we’re all so eclectic in our musical tastes, and to name one band is impossible. However, as guessed, our fave bands are rooted in various genres… for Nik it’s Black Metal, Brett is more of a thrasher and likes bands of that genre. Adam is from a doom background, but I can’t say it’s his only taste in bands. I am inspired by many genres as well, so again difficult to name one, but my preferences have always leaned towards extreme metal, and given Rok does our artwork, and I'm friends with Chris and Dave, I’d have to mention Sadistik Exekution … just because them haha .

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

My main inspiration is the observance of the world around us… It’s not hard to find subject matter when there’s so much happening in the constructs of the society we live in. 

6. Where was your last gig?

Last gig was in Adelaide, a state of Australia. We often drive for interstate gigs when we can. There’s much to see on the road, but on occasion, we’ll fly depending on how far it is. We try and get away from our home base as often as we can to broaden the experience, and also to keep it fresh.

7. Where would you like to perform in the future?

Definitely aiming to get to Europe and the US.. Australia is so limited in terms of movement; it’s a large continent with states so far apart in comparison to other countries. We’d love to do a major festival in either of those countries, so hopefully, after the release of this new album, we’ll get a chance to fulfill one of our goals. Asia is on the cards for this year, but hopefully, there’ll be more offers once it’s out there.

8. Which artist or band would you like to collaborate with?

I’d love to do a collab with Mortician… Will Rahmer is an interesting fellow, I’d reckon a collab with him would be like the equivalent of two explosive volcanoes going off guts simultaneously.

9. Is there anyone you wouldn’t want to collaborate with?

Not really, but there might be some questions around some of the more nefarious out there, simply because of their off grid activities, not naming anyone in particular, but there are some very dodgy people out there using their platform for stuff other than the music, and that’s kinda sucks, especially if you are a fan of theirs. Otherwise, there would be no one I’d not have a go with… there’s always something of interest or lessons to be learnt from working with people doing other genres of music or other cultures. Just looking at some of the extreme contrasting genre mash-ups on YouTube tells you that musicality has no borders or boundaries, and that’s healthy imo. Some are just brilliant.

10. Have any of you ever experienced stage fright? Do you have any tips for beginners on overcoming it?

I always get nervous before gigs. I think that a lot of people suffer from that because it’s a combination of anticipation, energy, adrenaline,  and insecurity as to what is to come or be confronted. I have a drink or two beforehand to settle the nerves a bit, but sometimes that doesn’t work. My advice is always around preparation. If you practice well beforehand and refresh the content to be performed in your head, the confidence of knowing you’ve done you’re prep as best you can, can help pull you through that headspace a little.

11. Which bands have influenced you the most?

Similar to question 4, there is no one band I can say has been the most influential given the eclectic nature of my tastes; however, one can easily see the mash-up of influences in my writing if you have a close listen to it. There are many bands ranging from Black, Grindcore,  to death-metal and beyond those specific genres that I could name, but that would be inaccurate to name only those few. I often relate to bands that have a more relaxed attitude towards their art, because being precious about yourself or your music is almost like a wall going up between the listener and the artist. No need for that really in this industry because it’s difficult enough as it is without people hatekeeping the scene. So it’s that ideology that inspires me more than their musicality or genre. Like everyone, relating to a piece of music is very subjective in terms of the criteria for that choice. Nevertheless, it is fair to say for m,e it’s primarily Australian bands who were probably ahead of their time in many respects, that I relate to with respect to like ideology

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

A fan once asked if he could like the sole of my boot… lolol. Despite my protestations, they swiftly proceeded to do so before I could finish my sentence. Very fucking weird, but hey, whatever floats your boat, so to speak.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Our fans are the best. The loyal ones are our motivation and inspiration to keep doing what we do. The support they show us by actually turning up to the gig, buying your merch, albums, and stuff is humbling and appreciated. They’re a sick bunch of peeps, and the onstage banter is so much better when they’re there.. makes our life easier tbh. They are everything, and our aim is to entertain them as much as we can.

14. What do you think of our site?

Your site is a valuable and important part of the process of spreading the word, particularly for lesser-known bands and the like, so without you guys and the work you all do in exposure and support, it would be an even more difficult uphill battle. Your site is unique in that sense, but also because of the distance between yourselves and bands like us, the information you provide is critical in keeping the fires alive and spreading the goodwill amongst the metal community. So thank you!

15. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Not really except for this which is we want to come to a town or city near you and so anyone out there willing to do that, we’d be onboard, ensuring your goats and virgin blood juices of your favorite messiahs are safe… so if anyone would like to invite Küntsquäd your way for a few gigs, we’d be stoked. Just putting it out there… Cheers