In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up and coming stars on the planet.       

This time we speak with Fake Laugh about his new album, Dining Alone, an emotive journey through hazy-pop and alt-rock textures.

Anyone that has taken a cursory glance at The Most Radicalist is recent years will notice the recurring appearance of Kamran Khan, also known as Fake Laugh. What began as a side project in 2013, became a fully fledged band for the London-based musician who has since gone on to tour with the likes of Muna and Gengahr. His self-titled debut full-length took four years to accumulate and that slow-and-steady approach to songwriting is apparent again with Dining Alone. As you’ll discover through our discussion with Khan, the sophomore record was close to five years in the making, which is perhaps why there’s such variety throughout the album, although he always stays true to that jangly pop and hazy rock aesthetic we’ve come to know and love. 

Thinking more on the new album, three tracks have stood out to us so far. Namely, the breezy-yet-complex ‘If You Don’t Wanna Know’, the playful lo-fi track ‘Near You’, and ‘Exotic Bird’, which is drenched in that signature wooze. Below we explore Dining Alone a little further, stepping out into the territory with tour guide and premiere Fake Laugh expert Kamran Khan.

TMR: Congratulations on the release of your new album. How long has this one been in the making? Were there any bumps in the road along the way?

Thank you! Dining Alone has technically been in the works for close to 5 years, as some of the older songs date back to 2015. I didn’t really know I was making an album until last summer though, so in another sense it came about quite quickly. I suppose you always know you’re writing songs with view to them possibly becoming part of a body of work, but in this case I just started working on things for fun with my friend and collaborator, Louis Milburn. There weren’t really any bumps in the road, mostly because we didn’t even realise which road we were on. We were out there joyriding!

TMR: In some cultures, for example in South Korea, the act of dining alone is traditionally seen as something shameful, even as the world becomes more disconnected in physical terms. What does “dining alone” mean in the context of this album?

I think I was drawn to the title partly because as an act, dining alone is quite divisive. Some people would be sad and ashamed to dine alone, whereas others actively enjoy it and perhaps even take pride doing so. I see a sort of regal comedy in the title too, which I hope is sometimes reflected in the music. 

TMR: That same idea is explored throughout ‘The Empty Party’, although would you say that one is more celebratory?

I’d say that in the case of this song, there is a bit of a duality at play again. The song is definitely more up-beat and does celebrate solitude somewhat, I think there’s also a bit of a gloom and desperation in the mix too though. It’s a bit of a mess. 



TMR: You could say we’re something of a fan of yours, having covered nine tracks over the years, but looking at the new record, which song are you most proud of?

I didn’t realise it was that many, thank you! But yes I’ve noticed and appreciated the support greatly. ‘Novelty Song’ is probably the one I’d lean towards from the new album. I think while it is pretty melancholic, it’s also quite peaceful. I also have very little recollection of writing and recording it, so I’m able to separate myself from it a bit more which is kinda cool.  

TMR: Throughout Dining Alone, you have a consistent hazy slacker-pop and alternative rock aesthetic. What is it that has influenced this style?

When I started Fake Laugh I was listening to a lot of artists who made music alone in their bedroom. It was liberating to realise that I could do that too. There is a fair bit of that atmosphere on the record. It's true, quite a lot of the elements which you hear on the record were recorded in my bedroom quite a long time ago. I do think this record takes it to a different place than my previous releases though. I’m quite keen to emerge from the haze and do something very different with future projects. 

TMR: Just a few days before the album release, we featured ‘Exotic Bird’, a woozy, melodic deep dive into comparison anxiety. Is this something that you see throughout society now?



Wow, that’s a cool and very on-point description of the song. I actually wrote that a long time ago, but yes it’s something that I felt and probably noticed around me at the time, and still do today. People of my age grew up in the strange, mirrored maze of social media and I think that’s played a big part in how we reflect on ourselves and others. Not to say that social media is totally responsible for those kinds of feelings. 

TMR: Prior to that one, we wrote about ‘Near You’, falling for its hook-driven fragility which you wrote a few years ago. How do you think you’ve changed as a musician over that time? 

I like to think I’ve become a bit more adventurous since then. It was fun to revisit that song and give it a bit more instrumental decoration and dynamic. When I wrote it, I was more concentrated on just nailing the bones of the song. I think these days I’m more inclined to push things a bit further, which has been aided greatly by working with my friend Louis who I mentioned earlier. 

TMR: Following that single you went off on a UK tour with Gengahr, how was that?

It was great! We played as a 3-piece rock band for the UK part, then I went to Europe with them and played a solo piano set, which was quite the contrast. The UK shows were especially fun, just a lot of great venues and lovely crowds. I’ve been friends with the Gengahr guys for quite a long time and a couple of them have occasionally played with me in Fake Laugh, so it was a nice familiar environment. Just some genuinely good times to be honest. 

TMR: What’s your most memorable live show moment?

When my guitar stopped working at the Camden Barfly in 2014 and I lay down on stage and sang the rest of the song. Most rockstar shit I’ve ever done and probably ever will do. 

TMR: Can Fake Laugh fans, old and new, catch any more of your gigs in the near future?

Well we have a couple of shows booked in London and Leeds for the end of May, but the way things are looking I very much doubt they will take place. Would love to tour more extensively in the future for sure, but for now EVERYONE STAY INSIDE. 

By Hannah Thacker

Photo credit: Klara Johanna Michel