INTERVIEW | Krooked Tongue – Bristol Indie-Rock Trio on DIY Visuals, “Drugstore Cowboy” & Their Evolving Aesthetic
- SHOWGRAPHERS
- Nov 27
- 6 min read
Welcome to our latest interview, where the Bristol indie-rock band Krooked Tongue opens up about their journey from university parties to becoming one of the most exciting DIY acts in alternative rock. The trio discusses their signature blend of riffs, introspective lyrics, and cinematic visuals—plus the wild behind-the-scenes stories from the making of their newest video, “Drugstore Cowboy”. With a hands-on approach to everything from artwork to music videos, Krooked Tongue share how they’ve built a fully unified aesthetic and what fans can expect next as they head into a packed 2026.
Hey Krooked Tongue! For readers just discovering you—can you give us a quick introduction to the band and how it all started?
Hey guys! We’re Krooked Tongue, made up of Oli Rainsford (lead vocals, bass), Dan Smith (Guitar) and Harry Pritchard (Drums)!
We first met via some house party crossovers down in Bristol at university and eventually started playing together, the rest is history!
The name “Krooked Tongue” has such a distinctive ring to it. Where did it come from, and what does it represent for you now?
It was just kind of an amalgamation of trial and error mixed with a list of random words stored in our lists of ‘band name ideas’ haha! People seemed to like it so it stuck!
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it—but you want them to hit play immediately?
Musically, we always kind of sway within the canyon of alt rock and indie rock. We combine riffs and hooky melodies to create the sound that we carry with us now.
Lyrically, I always try to be insightful in my words. Finding something that is relatable to almost everyone in some way or another. I try and add another layer so that when people delve into the meaning of one our songs, it can bring a whole new life to our fan’s enjoyment of our music. I’m a big fan of poetry, so words are a really important aspect of songwriting for me!
Ok, let’s talk visuals. How involved are you in the creative direction of your visuals (photos, videos, socials)?
We’ve worked with some great people over the last couple of years! Photographers and videographers alike but since the beginning of 2025 and with the last few releases, we try and do as much as we can DIY.
For example, our last two music videos, ‘Let Em’ Loose’ and ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ were conceptualised, stylised and storyboarded by us and then filmed by our guitarist Dan (with the help of our mate Brian). And all for a whopping £0!! Sometimes an idea can be so strong that budget is less of an issue. And we also find it allows us to get creative with how we film stuff! Like the cinema sequence in ‘Drugstore’ was entirely mocked up with red chairs that we stacked together in a church.
Your single and EP artwork all feel very stylish and cohesive. Do you handle the design yourselves, or do you have a regular creative collaborator behind the visuals?
Yeah so when it comes to the artwork, we also try and do that ourselves! Especially with all the recent singles from ‘Nothing Ever Grows’ to date.
Harry has a background in graphic design so he handles the crafting of the artwork. He’ll ask me to send him references that I think reflect the songs message and I tend to draft up a mock artwork and send it over to him, where he then creates the final design, with some back and forth naturally.
You just released a video for your latest song “Drugstore Cowboy”. It’s got such a strong vibe—how did you approach creating this music video, and what was the process like bringing it to life? Did you work with mood & story boards or was it more of a beautiful mess in motion?
Yeah so like we mentioned earlier, it was kind of a mix of all of those things. A clear set of influences and references were laid out but we also just filmed a lot of stuff on the fly. We tried endlessly to try and ask and also sneak our way into cinemas to film bits but we had no luck. So mocking up scenarios became an vital part of the shoot.
There’s this really cool contrast between the song’s pacing and the visuals—you’ve got all this energy exploding through the cuts and flashes. Was that balance/contrast something you planned from the start, or did it come together naturally in the edit?
We definitely wanted to capture the high octane energy of say, a Tarrentino flick. We our influences proud when it comes to the video for ‘Drugstore Cowboy’. With the colouration and overall vibe, we wanted to capture the spirit of late 70’s- early 80’s Los Angeles. Something about that time period just radiated cool and is held as a shining example of American Freedom.
What’s one small detail or moment in the video that you really love—something viewers might miss on the first watch?
We loved filming the shootout section and having the video cut away from the music for a minute for the ‘cinematic’ made us laugh.
The bit where Harry and Dan have to swap seats because their ticket numbers don’t match up, we found funny. We’ve all been there, an empty cinema or an empty plane and a stickler for the rules has to sit exactly where the ticket says.
You worked some of the lyrics right into the video visuals—was that to spotlight a message that really matters to you, or more of a creative nod to a film or other inspiration you had in mind?
I think it helped us capture that Americana aesthetic. It felt like a good time in the video, to correspond with the build towards the final chorus, to highlight the climax in the songs story. Just before ‘The Big Heist’ so to speak!
If you could show us one behind-the-scenes photo or clip from the shoot, what would it be—and what story does it tell?
We actually have a little clip saved where Dan is moving backwards while filming our shots as we walk toward the entrance of the Cinema and he gobs it over a curb. Good times ay.
Your current press photos seem to be at the same video shoot. Was that a deliberate choice to create a unified aesthetic?
So these were actually just some still we took from the video that didn’t fully get realised within the Final Cut. They were shots we had storyboarded. We recreated the brake light glow for that red hue, a subtle nod to our video for ‘Backseat Therapy’ maybe.
What’s been your most fun shoot so far — the one that just felt effortless and chaotic in the best way? And on the flip side, which one really tested your patience or pushed you out of your comfort zone?
They’ve all been really fun in their own way. ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ probably takes the prize as we managed to do it all ourselves.
When it comes to photos, what little details matter most to you — lighting, colour, angles, the mood? What makes an image feel like “you”?
The photos have to match the era you’re currently in. Whether that’s a small snippet in time or a larger theme. They have to feel like the band and songs are in harmony so all of those aspects like lightning and mood are paramount.
If you could be photographed or filmed by anyone past or present, who would you pick and why? (You can totally dream big here — no budget limits, no logistics, just vibes.)
I would love to see a Krooked Tongue video directed by Kubrick. I feel like his use of colour and pacing would match up to our tunes in a unique and wonderful way!
What would your dream photoshoot location look like — a place that really captures your sound or the energy of your visuals?
We really want to do a shoot in a giant algae filled pond or lake, which sounds crazy I know but I just know it would look cool!
For you, what turns a live photo from good to unforgettable — the pose, the moment, the crowd, or something you can’t quite put into words?
I think the best Live Photos are the ones that really capture the life of the moment. Where you can feel it just by looking at it, it’s alive. Where the crowd and the band are in sync.
Are there any iconic live photos from other artists that you admire or that capture the kind of energy you aim for on stage?
All of the 60’s and 70’s stuff is unmatched. The grain and the overall aesthetic, you can’t really get that now. Before digital, everything looked more real. Like a memory.
Any of the Woodstock photos are iconic for that exact reason.
And finally—what can fans look forward to from Krooked Tongue for the rest of 2025 and the beginning of 2026?
We have such a busy year planned already in 2026! We have our debut album set to release in April. We’re heading on tour for Independent Venue Week in January and then to New York in March. Then a big old tour for the album release, EU hopefully soon after. Just so many cool shows to look forward to. In the meantime, we’re pumping out the tunes rapid.