We sent Karen Luan from Kill Casino a few questions about how the band got together, what people can expect from their forthcoming EP and much more.

I believe you have been together since 2006, how did you come together as a band and come up with the name Kill Casino?
We met through friends, adverts, the London grapevine. I listened to the demos I first sent Chris the other day and they were truly bad. We’d all come out of broken bands so I think we were all just looking to start something fresh.

Originally we were called Jill Casino which was really terrible! It was an idea our ex-drummer came up with and he was pretty insistent about us running with it. Once he left, we knew we had to kill Jill because it wasn’t working so we became Kill Casino. There’s so many bands out there with Kill in the title nowadays – homicide is so passé.

You released your debut studio album ‘I’ve Been To London To See The Queen’ in 2007, have you actually met the queen or is there another meaning to the album title?
I have a letter from her lady in waiting. We were made to send her a birthday card at school when I was about 7 and you each receive a letter from Buckingham palace saying thank you. But it’s not like we’ve hung out. I guess it was mainly a reference to living in a city that has such a strong global image as this tourist destination, when obviously the people living here see the city in a totally different light.

Were you happy with how the album went down with both your fans and the press?
We really didn’t know what to expect. No-one had heard of us and we were releasing this record wondering whether anyone would care or whether the press would go for us. Getting it into the shops and seeing it o the shelves was a really big moment for us and we were pretty touched by everyone that supported us.

You have just finished work on your new EP ‘Paper Walls And The Voice Downstairs’ what was that like to write and record?
Writng was pretty steady but recording was a disaster. Everything that could possible go wrong, went wrong. And personally lots of awful things happened in quick succession. First my dad died out the blue, then my granddad. It was our biggest challenge to date finishing this record but I think we’re stronger for it.

Do you have any favourite tracks from your new EP?
I like Reykjavik and Nightclubs.

You have spent some quality time on the road recently touring with bands such as Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, Against Me and even appearing at the Camden Rocks Festival, what were all these great experiences like?
Quite surreal really. Against Me!, The Gimmes, playing at Koko, we just never thought we’d be fortunate enough to have those experiences. Trust me, we’ve spent a lot of our career playing dingy back rooms in dodgy pubs to a handful of disinterested people.

Once your new EP is released on the 10th August, can we expect a full length UK tour to help promote the release?
Fingers crossed, we’re working on it now. We’d love to do more touring, you finish recording and you just want to play some shows.

How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen you play before?
Chaotic. As a three piece you’re always conscious that you want to make the most of the space so I end up running around with a bass trying not to smack Chris in the face. We’ve had our fair share of stage injuries but people are there to see a show!

Where do you hope to see Kill Casino in 5 years time?
In Las Vegas living it up and playing the House of Blues!

What advice would you give to a new band starting off?
Don’t be disillusioned by a bad gig. You can use them to practise so that when an important show comes along, you’re ready to deliver a blindingly good set. And be really really savvy who you work with. There’s a lot of disreputable people out there ready to exploit bands. Never pay to play, never sign anything without legal advice and if something feels too good to be true, the chances are, it is.

One last random question that we ask everyone, if you could be an animal out of a Zebra and a Giraffe which one would you be and why?
Im on the side of the giraffe, surely everyone picks giraffe? You have the height advantage so you can see lions coming. Zebras are sitting stripey bait!

Thanks for your time, is there a message you would like to leave to your fans reading this?
That we really do appreciate their support and we simply couldnt do it without them.

Interview By Trigger