On the eve of their first ever Hong Kong show, the Jezabels' drummer Nik Kaloper explains…

…the band's gruelling touring schedule.
"At the moment we have about 50 shows coming up across three continents so that’s bigger and grander than anything I could have ever imagined even last year, yet alone a couple of years ago. It’s all pretty incredible."

…the fanatical response the band received at Australian festival Splendour in the Grass.
"I was stupefied by it. We’ve talked about it in the band a little bit – not that we aren’t endlessly grateful for all these excellent things – but everything that’s happened to us has just been so incredible and so surreal you’re in a little bit of a daze, like it’s not actually happening. You just anaesthetise yourself to it just so you can get on with your work and don’t waste any time giving yourself any pats on the back."

…the first song on the album beginning with a 90-second Kaloper drum roll showcase.
"It was funny: we didn’t really write these songs with a track order in mind but it seemed like ‘Prisoner’ was a logical way to start the whole album. It’s actually over-dubbed drum fills with all these paradiddles and stuff so it’s a bit: it sounds interesting but that’s more production then me. I’m just sort of getting nervous and playing too fast, which is typically how I drum: all fuelled by nervous energy and self-doubt."

…writing and recording an album in four months, while touring.
"It was pretty full on: we had about four ideas, not even full songs, by the beginning of 2011. We started to demo and record in January, then we had a month long tour in March with [Texas music festival] South by Southwest and then we did another month in May through Europe, and then we finished it by by June."

…that being fucking ludicrous.
"[laughs] I agree: actually, it is fucking ludicrous! I don’t know how it worked, but I guess it did."

Andrew P. Street

The Jezabels play with Metronomy and The Naked & Famous at KITEC on Tuesday Janaury 10. Tickets: 3128 8288; hkticketing.com