Chicago – Between Kongos’ phenomenal stage presence and their outstanding debut album Lunatic, it is no surprise the single “Come With Me Now” went platinum. Hands down, Kongos put on one the strongest sets at Lollapalooza this year! From Dylan jumping around the stage bare foot while playing his bass to Johnny wowing the crowd with his accordion, Danny playing slide guitar like butter, and of course, drummer Jesse bringing it all together with some killer beats, it was absolutely breathtaking. And did I mention they brought Mo Gordon – their stage manager slash MC – out for an incredible Beatles and Dr. Dre mash-up?
After seeing the four brothers perform “Come With Me Now” and “I’m Only Joking” in front of a massive morning Lolla crowd – it was really quite impressive; they played at 12:15 p.m. yet despite the early start, filled the pavement and the north field of Grant Park with exhilarated fans – I was thrilled to sit down for a little Q&A with Kongos on the final day of the festival. Aside from filling me on whom they were excited to see perform at Lollapalooza (Skrillex and Kings of Leon), the guys talked music new and old, moving from South Africa to the United States, and The Wire.
Sarah Hess: What types of music did you listen to growing up? And how much did your musical tastes change as you moved around the world?
Jesse Kongos: We grew up listening to so many different kinds of music. Probably because our dad was really into all kinds of stuff, you know, African music, opera music, classic rock, everything. He had a massive record collection and would just put it on in the background while we were growing up. I don’t think it’s changed much, but it probably broadened a little as we moved across continents. It’s very diverse.
SH: While living in South Africa, did any of you – or perhaps your parents – listen to Rodríguez?
Daniel Kongos: No, we got our timing completely wrong; even our dad [did]! The movie [Searching For Sugar Man] is accurate. He was that huge. Our dad left before he started getting big. He moved to the UK. When we came back it was the late eighties, early nineties, and he didn’t have that big of resurgence then. For us to go back and watch that movie was incredible because we never even heard of the phenomenon that he is.
SH: How old were you guys when you moved to Phoenix? Did any of you experience culture shock when you first moved to the States?
Dylan Kongos: The oldest, Johnny, was sixteen and Danny, the youngest, was eight when we moved to Phoenix. Yeah, it was a little bit of a culture shock, but we adjusted pretty quickly because we were at that age when you can adjust well. Johnny went straight into high school, having grown up in South Africa. We went into middle school and grammar school, and it was different. School and making friends was very different from the way it was in South Africa.
SH: Lunatic is an amazing album, filled with so many great songs. One of my favorites is “This Time I Won’t Forget.” What inspired this song?
Johnny Kongos: “This Time I Won’t Forget” was inspired by a guy that we knew in South Africa that was very precious to all of us in the family. We had to leave South Africa and had to say goodbye to a lot of people obviously, and we did not have any immediate plans to go back so it was just inspired by that. But it can applicable to anybody who is important in your life and trying to remember them before it’s too late and they’re just a memory. You know, just try and be there in the moment.
SH: You’re currently touring with Lolla alumni and 2014 headliners Kings Of Leon. Do you find yourselves relating to those guys, as you’re both family bands?
Johnny Kongos: We just started. It’s only been two shows, so we haven’t gotten into the full double sibling rivalry yet. (everyone laughs) But I’m sure we’ve shared things [in common] even though we have completely different backgrounds. Brothers are still brothers.
SH: Do you guys fight a lot?
Dylan Kongos: We fight like four sisters!
SH: You played a new song today: “Take It From Me.” What’s it about?
Jesse Kongos: Yeah, we haven’t even put it out yet, so it’s new to us. We don’t know when we’re gonna record it yet. We’re still supporting Lunatic right now. It’s about the momentum of an impulse, you know. Something goes in your brain or whatever and it’s hard to pull it back.
SH: Clearly you’ve been working on new material, so when should we expect another album from Kongos?
Jesse Kongos: Because Lunatic is a bit old to us, it’s two years old, it’s only been noticed in the last six months or so here in America, so in that time we got a chance to write and demo a lot of new songs. We’re excited about the next album… whenever that may be.
SH: I saw your Lolla set, which was amazing by the way, so I need to ask you about your mash-up with Mr. Mo Gordon! How often do you guys perform together, and how did you guys meet?
Daniel Kongos: Thank you! Yes, Mo Gordon! Every time we have a longer set, a festival set, or a headlining set, we bring him on. He’s also stage manages. He sets up our gear. He takes off his walkie-talkie and performs with us. We met him through a friend a long, long time ago in Arizona, and we started doing little collaborations. You know, mash-ups or whatever. We work really well together. He’s one of our best friends.
SH: Lastly, I read you guys are fans of The Wire. As I am too, I have to ask who your favorite characters are!
Dylan Kongos: All of them! There’s literally not a bad character on The Wire! But Marlo!
Daniel Kongos: Marlo is amazing! Bubbles. Stringer is incredible, but most surprising though is Marlo. There’s no way this guy can pull off this role, and then by the end of the show, well he clearly sold me!
I tell you what, the Kongos brothers sold me on their music! If you haven’t already, you should check out Lunatic and see Kongos live. They’re currently touring with Young The Giant and Kings Of Leon, but they’ll also be playing plenty of other shows in between. Check out their facebook for tour dates.
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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