The Kik - Popular Ball

The Kik is back after a not-so-long absence, with the new album 'Bal Populaire', which will be released on March 29 by Excelsior Recordings. On it, frontman Dave Von Raven sings about the universal themes of life: love, death, the things we should not do but which we still give in to. He has been less concerned with current affairs recently, but has focused mainly on lighter, personal subjects.

A collection of life songs, as it were, for which Von Raven wrote almost all the text and music himself for the first time. Some adaptations of older songs appear, but 'Bal Populaire' is primarily a Kik record. Recorded in the Telstar Studios in Weert.

The love for the Dutch folk song resonates throughout the album. The new songs are full of the classic imagery we know from the genre: the café on the corner, the wisdom of your grandparents, memories of times long past and the appeal of that one special person. The title of 'Daggie Niet Gelachen' refers to the life lessons that Von Raven received from his grandmother and is - you could say - Dave's theme song. 'Alleen Nog Maar Alleen' is, although atypical for The Kik, a variation on a tried and tested song recipe: a rift between two people who can no longer stand each other.

In addition to the mainly original songs on 'Bal Populaire', Von Raven also breathes new life into a few older songs: 'Signorita' is a fiery cover of an obscure Flemish song from the 60s, once written by Harry Silver, Frans Vrancken and Jenny Dils, and on 'Kleine Nico', previously performed by Johnny Jordaan, a never-released demo by Johnny Hoes is used. With this, The Kik underlines its indebtedness to the old guard of the Dutch song, but Von Raven puts his own stamp on it more than ever. 'Bal Populaire' introduces a new generation to the quintessential Dutch tradition of the levenslied and has the potential to connect a whole new audience to the genre.