Cover Feature Kings Of The Jungle: Wild Beasts

It’s not critical reception, ever-swelling venues or even fans’ reactions Hayden Thorpe looks to for reassurance that he’s making something worthwhile. Instead, the Wild Beasts frontman has a far simpler, much closer to home solution – get the relatives ‘round.

“My theory is if your in-laws hear your record and think, ‘such a lovely boy, I’m so pleased for you’, then your art is fucking terrible,” he grins from beneath his newly-groomed beard. “It’s a good barometer for your art – your grandma and your in-laws should be slightly perplexed.”

It’s unlikely that granny’s going to be head-over-heels for new album ‘Boy King’. A sweaty embracing of Wild Beasts’ most primal urges, it’s as probing and synthetic as they’ve ever dared to tread – a glitching, futuristic vision, swapping the pastels of their past works for a newfound love of neon and excess. It’s a two-footed leap out of their comfort zone. The four of them – fellow frontman Tom Fleming, guitarist Ben Little and drummer Chris Talbot – openly admit to their nerves at letting ‘Boy King’ loose.

“The feeling of nausea and terror means that you’ve revealed something of yourself that isn’t necessarily for everyday life,” reasons Hayden, “but who wants their music to be appropriate for everyday life?”

“We’re not out to comfort,” Tom agrees.