A Different Kitchen’s seismic debut single “I’m Fine I’m Fine” is a heavy-hitting, all-consuming alt-rock reckoning with human connection, inner tension, and cathartic release. An intense expression of vulnerability, it’s the perfect introduction to this Norfolk-born band.
for fans of Fontaines D.C., The Smashing Pumpkins, Wet Leg, Nothing But Thieves
Stream: “I’m Fine I’m Fine” – A Different Kitchen
I truly hope that these new songs can help to bring light to the importance of mental health awareness and wellbeing.
Don’t be fooled by A Different Kitchen’s rough exterior; underneath their hard rock shell is a raw, tender, and deeply human core.
It’s hard to be a fully functioning member of society these days; it was already difficult before the pandemic, and then 2020 brought with it a slew of new baggage, forcing us to carry this extra weight around everywhere we go. It’s three years now since the world first “closed down” in March 2020, and it’s true what they say – time is a healer – but if it’s not one thing, then it’s another; and the heavier it gets, the harder it is to “keep calm and carry on.” If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that our mental health and emotional wellbeing are paramount to living a full and fulfilling life – and the pain and pressure won’t go anywhere if we don’t acknowledge what’s going on and talk about it. A Different Kitchen are here to bring it all out into the open; to give voice to our innermost thoughts and feelings, and to express, through their music, what casual conversation so often fails to do on its own.
Self-described as “a psychedelic endeavour challenging modern society,” the Norfolk-born quintet want to be a vessel for our own intimate self-reflections – those important honest conversations we have with ourselves – and they achieve as much with their seismic debut single: An intense expression of vulnerability, “I’m Fine I’m Fine” is a heavy-hitting, all-consuming alt-rock reckoning with human connection, inner tension, and cathartic release.
How are you so quick?
Look, look, look
I can touch his knees
Stroll out to the road
We walk together, hold my hand
(How you feeling? I’m feeling fine)
I saw Jack and he looked well
He had a girl and black hair
But he looked mostly the same
In a strange way
I wait for you again
Staying away from it
And this place is a bloody mess
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “I’m Fine I’m Fine,” a simply stunning introduction to a band we can’t wait to get to know better. Hailing from Norfolk, A Different Kitchen are an alternative indie band writing “music for themselves, uninfluenced by modern trends – just real experiences.” Formerly going by the name Sükko, the group was founded in 2018 by Eliot Clarke and Felix Jordan, and eventually expanded to the five-piece outfit it is today. After writing, recording, and rebranding in 2022, they are ready to reintroduce themselves and share “a more emotive and personal group of songs” throughout the coming year.
Kids on scooters
Is it your first time out?
And aside from that
Is the big kids who hang round back
Their first song comes from a fleeting experience that frontman Eliot Clarke couldn’t stop thinking about; the kind of moment that’s here and gone so fast, that you barely have time to react right then and there – to say what you want to say, or do what you want to do. Only after the fact, once you’ve had time to sit and process everything, are you prepared to tackle that situation properly – but alas, it’s long gone, over and done.
“‘I’m Fine I’m Fine’ is a story of a man I used to know,” Clarke explains. “Someone who was always overlooked. An outcast. Someone who needed a friend. We ran into each other not so long ago, and he was accompanied by a woman and had dyed his hair jet black. He looked happy. Man I hope he was happy.”
We hear this brief encounter play out in the chorus, as the band erupt in an impassioned, high-octane climax of searing guitars, roaring vocals, and unleashed emotion:
(How you feeling? I’m feeling fine)
I saw Jack and he looked well
He had a girl and black hair
But he looked mostly the same
Without saying it explicitly, A Different Kitchen focus on all the words left unsaid, and how that uncertainty not only eats away at the narrator, but also could be Jack’s undoing. It’s so easy and painless to reach out, and yet we do it all too infrequently. Hopefully, this song can inspire at least one such connection.
“We want to use our platform to promote a positive message from our personal experiences and individual vulnerabilities,” A Different Kitchen tell Atwood Magazine. “The last couple of years have been tough for everyone. We must help to build a platform that gives anyone who might be struggling emotionally the confidence to open up and to speak their mind – something we all struggle to do. I truly hope that these new songs can help to bring light to the importance of mental health awareness and wellbeing.”
Whereas My Chemical Romance laid “The Foundations of Decay” last year, A Different Kitchen are laying foundations for support and inclusivity, openness and empathy. It feels good for such an edgy, alternative, hard-hitting rock song to come with such a spirited message and admirable mission. In rebranding themselves, A Different Kitchen hoped to become the kind of band that would cook up songs people not only wanted, but also needed in their lives; to “influence systematic change” through their purpose-driven music. Without a doubt, they’ve already hit their target from day one
“Humans are not perfect, but we can improve,” Clarke shares. “This a conversation that needs to be had.” Stay tuned for more music addressing current global issues surrounding racial and gender equality, and the value of mental health awareness and wellbeing.
An enviable entrance, “I’m Fine I’m Fine” is a beautifully cathartic alternative fever dream. Stream A Different Kitchen’s sonically and emotionally charged debut single exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
I sold dreams just to make friends
And did things that I regret
I lie to myself until it looks fine
My eyes turn blind
I saw Jack and he looked well
He had a girl and black hair
But he looked mostly the same
He looked happy
Man I hope he was happy
But I didn’t ask
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Stream: “I’m Fine I’m Fine” – A Different Kitchen
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© Felix Jordan
© Felix Jordan
