A Q&A With Sundara Karma’s Oscar Pollock

Featuring Spring King, Izzy Bizu and Sundara Karma, the BBC Music Presents tour launches at New York’s Gramercy Theatre Nov. 14.  Presented in a parternship between The Beeb, Live Nation and the Great Britain campaign, the outing plans to further cement the BBC’s involvement with music and highlight the artists whose music is played across the network’s multiple platforms.

Sundara is a Sanskrit word that translates as “Beautiful.”  Along with Pollock, the lineup includes Haydn Evans (drums), Dom Cordell (bass), and Ally Baty (guitar).

Sundara Karma’s latest EP, Loveblood, arrives Nov. 4 via BEE & El/RAL.  The band’s debut album, Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect, lands in stores in January.

Will this be your first tour of the U.S.?

This is our first time [we’ve] ever [traveled] across America to play shows.  My dad actually lives in Los Angeles, so I’ve been there to see him a few times.  From what I’ve seen in America it’s fu**in’ wicked.  I’m excited.

It’s also the first U.S. tour for BBC Music.  How did the band become involved with the BBC?

They’ve been playing our songs, more or less, since we’ve started.  The BBC … actually got us our first ever festival slot, The Reading Festival, in our home town.  …  We were 17.  So we had a relationship for quite a while now.

It’s three weeks before the tour.  Is the band already in rehearsals?

Yeah.  We rehearse most days, anyway.  We still got to work out a proper set. Yeah, it’s never too late to start rehearsals.

Sundara Karma’s album, Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect, comes out in January.  Will we see the band return to the U.S. once the album comes out?

Yes.  I really hope so. If it was down to us, we’d probably spend the whole of next year in America.  That’s not down to us.  We definitely would like to get back out.

What excites you most about the upcoming tour?

The whole glamorization of being on the road in America. There’s something very cinematic about it, perhaps. It’s been a dream of ours ever since we started out. There’s a magic about it. Being in a different land … with your best mates and going to different places, meeting new and exciting people. … It’s very cool.

Having been playing together since your early teens, was it difficult to let outsiders work with the band?

We don’t close ourselves off from anyone.  Even though we’ve known each other for a long time, I’ve known Hadyn since I was 8 and we were in bands [then], but we’re not dickheads. (laughs)

The band began by playing covers of other people’s songs, such as The Doors, Thin Lizzy and Arctic Monkeys.  As a vocalist, do you have a favorite Doors or Thin Lizzy tune?

I really like “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” by The Doors.  It’s just nice to kind of let loose on that one.

And from a guitarist’s perspective?

Thin Lizzy’s “Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In The Spotlight)” is an all-time classic for me. … I also like the guitar on “Whisky In The Jar.”

Was there ever a time when you didn’t picture yourselves pursuing music careers?

I don’t think so.  I’m sure when we were younger we wanted to be astronauts or something.  In a sense we’re still spacemen.  Ever since we were in school we were like, “We gotta fu**in’ do this.

Do you think the band is where it should be right now, ahead of schedule or even a little behind?

There is no schedule.  We’re just happy where we’re at right now.  The only thing is we’re terrified of being a massive band.  I don’t know if I could really cope with that.  Where we’re at right now is amazing.  We don’t have to do part-time jobs.  We’re able to just do this.  To be able to live off of it. It’s really great.

Are you more recognized on the street then even six months ago?

I guess so.  We all live in Reading.  Sometimes when I’m walking around, shopping or something, and someone will stop me. … That stuff has never happened before.

What’s the creation process like for Sundara Karma?

I write in my room at home.  Normally, at nighttime, for some reason.  It’s really quiet and I get to focus a little bit more.  Once I have something that I’m kind of happy with … I take it to the guys and we start playing through it.  That tends to be how it happens.

What I really like to do with writing is do it in tiny little bits. It [can take] a crazy amount of time, like three months to write, but I’m not always working at it.  I look at the project every so often and add a bit here a bit there, add a lyric here, add a lyric there.  I really enjoy that kind of writing because it doesn’t feel forced.  It feels like I can step back from the process more and kind of just let the song write itself.

Do you think your writing will expand as you see more of the world?

I think my writing will expand as my understanding of the world and life expands.  I guess that would go hand in hand.

Are there any particular stops on the upcoming tour that you’re looking forward to?

New York.  I’ve never been there.  And Chicago as well.  To be honest, everywhere, every second of [the tour].

Has social media helped Sundara Karma develop relationships with American fans?

I think so. We see them every so often, people sending their love from across the pond.  It’s really hard to gauge how well our music is [being accepted].  That’s another reason we’re very excited to be going out, to see how our music is reacting with people on a personal level.

Where do you see the band in a year, a year and a half?

It would be cool, if we don’t have a second album out by then, to be very close to having it out. And just being in a place to play our music, really excites us still.  … That’s the dream.

Upcoming Sundara Karma shows:

Nov. 14 – New York, N.Y., The Gramercy Theatre
Nov. 15 – Boston, Mass., Brighton Music Hall
Nov. 18 – Philadelphia, Pa., The Foundry
Nov. 20 – Cleveland, Ohio, House Of Blues – Cambridge Room
Nov. 21 – Columbus, Ohio, A&R Music Bar
Nov. 22 –  Detroit, Mich., Shelter
Nov. 23 – Chicago, Ill., Bottom Lounge
Jan. 27 – Manchester, England, O12 Apollo Manchester
Jan. 30 – Leeds, England, O2 Academy Leeds
Jan. 31 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, O2 Academy Newcastle
Feb. 2 – Liverpool, England, Liverpool University Guild Of Students (Mo untford Hall & Stanley Theatre)
Feb. 3 – Glasgow, Scotland, Barrowland Ballroom
Feb. 4 – Glasgow, Scotland, Barrowland Ballroom
Feb. 6 – Southampton, England, O2 Guildhall Southampton
Feb. 7 – Bristol, England, O2 Academy Bristol
Feb. 9 – London, England, Alexandra Place
Feb. 10 – London, England, Alexandra Place
Feb. 11 – Birmingham, England, Rainbow Venues
Feb. 12 – Liverpool, England, O2 Academy Liverpool
Feb. 13 – Sheffield, England, The Leadmill
Feb. 15 – Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, University of Northumbria
Fe b. 16 – Manchester, England, Albert Hall
Feb. 17 – Glasgow, Scotland, The Garage
Feb. 18 – Leeds, England, Leeds University
Feb. 19 – Reading, England, 3Sixty Bar, Reading University Student Union
Feb. 20 – Leicester, England, O2 Academy Leicester
Feb. 22 – Portsmouth, England, Wedgewood Rooms
Feb. 23 – Cardiff, Wales, Cardiff University
Feb. 24 – London, England, O2 Shepherd’s Bush

Nov. 14-23 is the BBC Music Presents Tour with Spring King and Izzy Bizu.

For more information, please visit Sundara Karma’s website, Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and Instagram page.