Looking after number one

This year, David Kitt followed the platinum selling success that was The Big Romance with the chart topping Square 1, hogging the top spot for three whole weeks.
“I’ve done really well in Ireland and it keeps growing and getting bigger and bigger, which is great,” Kittser reflects. “I’m always really anxious releasing a record. I’d think that it mightn’t appeal to fans I already have or not find a new audience or whatever.”
David cites the completion of the album as his best personal moment. “Finishing Square One was the most fantastic feeling,” he recalls. “Sitting in a mastering room in New York listening to a playback of the album was a highlight for me. So much work went into it, so to hear all that hard work paying off gave me a real sense of personal achievement. Gigwise, it was probably Witnness. We were unannounced and were just added at the last minute because of The Flaming Lips being moved to the Main stage to fill in for The White Stripes. There was no real sense of anticipation, but it ended up being one of the best gigs I’ve ever done.”
After some hesitation, Kitt plumps for Dizee Rascal as his album of the year. Gigs?
“Yo La Tengo at the Ambassador and the Skatalites just the other night in the Village,” he responds. “It was like Bootsy Collins in ‘95 in terms of the whole place being really up for it.”
As for meeting cool people, it’s been a reggae tinged year for Kittser.
“Meeting Prince Buster and shaking his hand was amazing,” he beams. “I told him how cool he was. He looked great dressed all in black. I also got to talk to Rico Rodriguez from the original Skatalites line up. He was telling me about his Irish ancestry. His mother is Irish and he married an Irish woman. Two early reggae encounters I was lucky enough to experience.”
Kitt is also happy for this year’s two big success stories, The Thrills and Damien Rice.
“I think in both cases they’ve worked really hard,” he opines. “Also in both cases they’ve got the look you need to make it big abroad. I think it’s cool. For what they do it’s as good as any international band for that kind of thing. I thought it was cool to see a young Irish band bypass the whole Whelan’s thing and the cliquish nature of the Dublin scene. I think they were very clever to do that. They’re young and if they keep that focus they’ve got a bright future ahead of them.”
As for other local stars, Kitt digs Goodtime John and Jape.
“I think Goodtime John’s record is going to be exciting,” he enthuses. “He is writing some really great songs and again, for someone who hopefully has a good few years to go. I’m really excited about his next record. Also, the new Jape material. Recently, I was working on a tune with Richie Egan and his writing is incredible. In general, it was another year of desperately trying to find new music but being a bit disappointed. There were a couple of pop moments like the Outkast single ‘Hey Ya’ which I thought were cool. But for me those two domestic things seemed to be the most exciting.”
2003 looks like being another busy one for the boy Kittser.
“My record is coming out in the UK in January so I’m hoping that I get a bit of luck over there,” he confides. “The last one did really well here but didn’t really make an impact anywhere else, but already I’ve noticed that having the number one is helping. I’m also in the process of recording a new record which is going to be a covers album. Most of it will be recorded at home and it will be a return to a more lo-fi sound. In a way, it’s something to keep me occupied and to use other people’s songs to try out new ideas. I’m really excited about that and hopefully it should be out before the summer. It’s going to be a busy year.