The Kaiser Chiefs were nowhere one day and then, one chant-along anthem (I Predict A Riot) and one blinding US Live 8 performance later, they were everywhere! Now the band are global superstars and to their keyboard player, Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines, it must feel incredible, especially when he looks back at the band’s past. “We all had a history of being in bands around Leeds for many years – Nick [Hodgson], Simon [Rix] and I since school,” he says. “The five of us have now been playing under one guise or another since summer 2000.”
The band recorded some demos in 2003 which the label Drowned In Sound picked up on and put out the single Oh My God. Then they embarked on the 2005 NME tour which was the kick start they needed. Now they can count huge sales, Brit Awards, sell out gigs and top 10 hits in their list of achievements.
“I have the Novation ReMOTE 25SL and the new XioSynth,” says Peanut. “When I need a combination of organ, piano and Wurlitzer, but not all spanning 73 keys then the ReMOTE 25 comes in handy. The semi-weighted keys feel sturdy and not like they'll be knackered after one tour. And the added bonus of the many controller knobs, buttons and faders on it is that I can send program changes and control effects from it too, hopefully meaning less fumbling around in the rack between songs!”
“As for the XioSynth, well, I'm in the middle of creating some patches to be included on it (if they're good enough!) so I am having fun with that. It seems a very powerful synth for such a small size. It's instant and hands-on – I like that.”
Peanut and the rest of the Kaiser Chiefs look set to get even busier over the coming months and there’s even some new material. “We are currently on tour in Europe, testing out the songs for our new album which is released in February,” Peanut explains and then adds: “The ReMOTE 25 is going to become part of my live set-up for triggering the sounds I've used on the new record. And before Christmas we'll be making a video for the first single and finalising mixes and artwork. Then next year we travel the world, playing people the new record!”
