Kerri Watt has been on the radar on the UK Americana scene for years, making a statement with 60s and 70s inspired outfits; her striking vocal is reminiscent of great singer-songwriters of those eras.
She’s got us all nostalgic with her latest video, too. It stars School of Rock’s Cody Molko as he navigates towards one of the awkward rites of passage of early teenage years; the first kiss.
If it looks like he’s surrounded by the romantic ephemera of a time gone by for one so young, that’s because he is. The items were all retrieved from Watt’s parents’ loft!
The box TV, the board games – Jumanji, Mouse Trap, the Furby, the Daffy Duck statue all come straight from my bedroom circa 1998.”
Kerri Watt
Molko, son of Placebo frontman Brian Molko, gives the role heart. He provides just the the coming-of-age movie feel that Watt was looking for. With the earnest angst and school dance finale, it’s a fitting homage to teen romances like Never Been Kissed and 10 Things I Hate About You.
Kissing Fools is the third single from Watt’s forthcoming album, Chasing Aeroplanes. With its release on Cooking Vinyl later in the year, we’ll get to hear how Watt’s retro-infused Americana has been interpreted by Machine, who’s better known as a metal producer. He’s previously worked with Lamb of God, Clucth and Fall Out Boy. A world away from a Scottish singer-songwriter, that’s for sure, but just the kind of collab we like the sound of!