KITE answers a few questions before today’s gig

North Idaho’s most creative and energetic fab four KITE have returned to action recently following some time off last year while lead guitarist Scott Clarkson played X-box and recovered from a successful back surgery. KITE, who along with Clarkson includes drummer/ lyricist Michael Koep, lead singer/guitarist Monte Thompson and bassist Mark Rakes, has booked a smattering of gigs for February, including two shows for today. The whole family can catch a set as part of Winter Fest at Kootenai County Fairgrounds at 3 p.m. At 9, the group will be performing alongside Spokane’s Flying in a Tin Can at the Grail Nightclub on Seltice Way, where the over-21 crowd is likely to get quite a bit saucier.

I was recently able to ask most of KITE members a few questions about their 10-year history together and grill them a bit about recording the follow up to 2006’s incredible “Sleeping In Thunder” album, which they’ve promised to drop at some point this spring. (For the full, extended version of the interview and links to hear KITE’s music, visit blogspot.getout northidaho.com.)

Q: Discuss some of your all time-favorite records that inspired you to do what it is you do.

Mike: When my older brother put the needle down on Rush’s “2112” back when I was 11 years old, something rattled my view of the future. Of the thousands of records that have inspired me, that one in particular seemed to embody something magical. Also, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall,” the Beatles: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and of course, a thousand others if only there was time.

Mark: Rush’s “Moving Pictures,” an album that was played constantly by my best friend Clay’s older brother when I was 8-ish. Kind of set the path, I think. My dad’s record collection included the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Cream and Jimi Hendrix. Radiohead’s “OK Computer” was a musical revelation for me. It showed me there was so much more that could be done with “rock” than I’d ever imagined.

Scott: “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. First off, the writing is amazing. They created a feeling throughout the album and never forgot it. It’s a wonderful theme album. Also, “OK Computer” by Radiohead. The arrangement and instrumentation is what turned me on. The music totally compliments the lyrics and vocals. The guitar work is moody and melodic.

Q: Describe some of the absolutely greatest and perhaps regretfully disastrous KITE gigs that stand out in your memory.

Mike: We’ve been quite lucky in regard to performances (is there some wood to rap upon nearby?), and I can’t necessarily point to a disaster. One particularly fantastic show took place on the night that Mark Rakes joined the band. It was KITE’s first time in front of an audience in two years, and it was a joy to know that we could only get better from that moment on. Halfway through the show we gave Mark his own key to our studio – I guess that meant we were going to go steady.

Mark: The Gravity 10th Anniversary Party was a blast. So many people came out to the show, and so many people expressed to the boys how much their material has meant for the past 10 years. I was just glad to be able to help make it happen (I’m still the new guy … only been in the band now for 18 months or so).

Scott: There are good days, and there are great days. If I have a bad gig, I try to learn from it and make it better the next time. We always have a wonderful audience. Making new friends and fans, that’s a fantastic gig. Every show is memorable for me.

Q: Talk a bit about the new album you’re currently in the process of creating. Is KITE heading in any wild new directions? Should we expect some Swedish electronic death-rap, perhaps?

Mike: Something that I’ve been loosely discussing with Monte, Scott and Mark has been this idea of living in the present moment, living in the now. Somehow, when it comes time to write, an overarching theme seems to rear its head, and it becomes a bit of an obsession. This “now” concept has been lacing itself within the lyrics so far, but I hesitate to actually mutter a potential title yet. We are hoping to release the record in the spring of 2008, and we also hope to tour through the summer.

Mark: It’s been great fun. Perhaps a little bit of a departure from previous records, but in a good way, and still KITE. It’s not a conscious direction change, more of an evolutionary process, and very much based on where everybody is right now lyrically and musically. That said, we’re only about half done, so who knows where the nows will take us.

Scott: The new album is going to be great. We are always pushing ourselves to explore. We are working for a spring release, with touring to support it, starting regionally,and spreading out from there.

Q: Share some thoughts about the local music scene. What other local artists are worth checking out?

Mike: Cristopher Lucas, Ron Greene, the Half Racks, Lucid, The Johnny Forest. I think the local music scene is better than it has been in years. More and more people are coming out to shows and putting that electrical feel back into live music.

Mark: Cris Lucas, our wonderful friend and a man with many musical talents. He does so many styles so well. Ron Greene, who’s new CD “Sketches” is out now. The Johnny Forest is a great, fun, inventive band from Spokane. We’ve been friends with Gator for years, and his new band, 33, sounds great.

Scott: The scene is always there; it just changes a bit from day to day. There’s a lot of good music out there, and it’s up to the music listeners to keep a scene going. More people in the clubs supporting original music, means more quality music in the clubs. There are tons of talented musicians out playing. Cris Lucas is inspiring. Ron Greene is doing some great music. Gator and 33 are awesome.

Q: What are your thoughts on being content as a North Idaho band versus leaving to seek potential fame and fortune in a more booming metropolis like so many local bands often end up doing?

Mike: Ultimately, we want to create well-crafted records and entertaining performances before all else. We believe that our work ethic and our creativity will attract our fortune, and by fortune I mean people who enjoy what we do and are willing to support our next creative effort. That is the real fortune. We believe in this day and age it doesn’t matter where you live – and we grew up here in North Idaho. This is our home, and we attribute much our inspiration to this place.

Mark: We’ve had several friends that have made it – been signed to major-label contracts, and in the end all that meant is they gave up control of their art to marketing departments and accountants for a few years, and in the end get disillusioned and leave “the biz.” The internet is a powerful thing. We have fans all over the planet. We’ve sold CDs to folks in England, Brazil, Italy, all over. We’ve been on radio shows in Poland, Canada, and who knows where. I guess success, fame and fortune can be defined a lot of ways. Scott: In the words of a wise man, “If I can find it here, I can find it anywhere.”