5 Questions With:: Kins [Bumbershoot Edition]

Interview conducted by Kristen Schell.

Serendipity brought them together and creativity has made them flourish. Kins are an indie-rock band based in the UK. Alex Knight and Thomas Savage met in Australia while their previous bands were on tour. Alex moved to England where they found the remaining two members of the band. We chatted about making mixed tapes and their creative process. While I only spoke with two of the four they were a pleasure to converse with.

Their set [at Bumbershoot] was a masterful blend of both high and low energy songs. Heads were bobbing and hands were clapping. The music was outstanding live, which is always a plus for any bands.

Are there going to be any new songs as teasers from your upcoming album?

 

“Seattle’s going to hear the first live version of one of songs on the next record,” said drummer, Alex.

Where do have you been spending the majority of time touring/playing?

“Every time we leave North America it’s always too soon, I’m never ready to leave”

How do you go about creating new music?

“Mostly me [Thomas Savage] noodling around and the live versions are adapted so they are more exciting. There are no rules, especially being in bands before. We aren’t concerned about image because we just try to have no boundaries.”

Tell me a little bit about your album artwork? What made you select the image of the ape carrying the dog?

“It’s definitely related to our personalities.  It’s a two species interacting that clearly wouldn’t happen.”

What are your plans for the future?

“The huge focus is this second record… longevity is the plan, to build a catalog and sustain a career making music” 

After our interview, Kins noted how Americans are “peachy about life,“ at least when it comes to music. I guess we can say that both Kins and Lucy Out Loud love, share, and get excited about new music!

Festival Review:: Bumbershoot

It was phenomenal weather for the always-raining Seattle, WA and Bumbershoot 2014 was hands down one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was able to enjoy the luxuries of a three-day pass to scope out both old and new artists. The experience as a whole can be best described as breathtaking – I say this because between all of the walking, my breath was literally gone (not to mention how many “wooo’s” and “you’re amazing’s” were screamed out after each outstanding performance). I ended the weekend with no voice, sore legs, and a giant grin. 

For those who may not be familiar, Bumbershoot is a festival hosted around the Seattle Center in Washington, which highlights a variety of different artists, comedians, and other performers. It is a HUGE deal over on the west coast and people all over come to be swept up in the action. (Fun fact – bumbershoot actually means umbrella…does anyone else see the connection here? no? …okay, moving on.) Here at Lucy Out Loud, we had the chance to cover the festival for the first time(!!!) and this was not only an opportunity for us to get some west coast coverage, but it was also a way to check out even more artists we’ve never heard of or posted about before!

Though the festival also included some great comedic performances, we focused more on the musical side of the festival and took some time enjoying awesome live acts! Our musical favorites from the festival included The Lonely Forest, Hook ‘N Sling, and Young Karin. Their performances were phenomenal and their crowds were screaming for an encore – what more could you ask for?

In between the chaos that is a music festival, we also had the chance to sit down and chat for a bit with a handful of bands and artists who were scheduled to perform. All of who were ecstatic to sit down and talk to us about their future goals, beginnings, and share their enthusiasm for being at Bumbershoot!

This experience left us with some new musical favorites as well as some exclusive interview teasers. And to continue with the festival coverage we’ve been posting lately, starting tomorrow we’ll be giving you guys a daily dose of Bumbershoot interviews with artists including Gregory Alan Isakov, Kins, Young Blood Hawke, Campfire OK, and La Luz! 

Keep your eyes peeled and let us know if you attended the festival – if so, what were your thoughts and experiences?!

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Written by Kristen Schell