Vonnegutt Discuss Author’s Influence

Vonnegutt, a band which combine “classic emcee skills coupled with evolving lyrics…pop sensibility (and) a dose of rock dynamics” have recently discussed their Kurt-influenced name with Jelani Sims. Frontman Kyle Lucas has explained that Vonnegut is his favourite author, although as the group formed in 2007 (the year Vonnegut passed away), their chosen name quickly drew criticism from some quarters. As Lucas explained, ‘Vonnegutt’ was chosen as a way of honouring the writer, “but people blew it out of proportion”.

Vonnegutt aren’t the first group of musicians to express their interest in Vonnegut's literature. On Whirlwind Heat’s album, Flamingo Honey, there’s a track titled ‘Ice-Nine’, after the chemical in Cat's Cradle. Wilco has also paid tribute to the author, in April 2007, by commemorating Vonnegut on their website. Vonnegut has also been directly involved with music – composing a requiem which was first performed in New York, as well as appearing on Simon Heselev’s ‘Tock Tick’, which features the author reading a section from Slaughterhouse Five.



Vonnegut has frequently discussed music in his novels and short stories and suggested in an article for the Sunday Herald that if he “should ever die”, his epitaph should read:

“THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED

FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

WAS MUSIC”