Things change, time passes, new years begin, and the music still keeps on comin’. In 2020, BANDED hopes to bring you the BEST of Rock N’ Roll today. The fourth edition of Rock My Soul and the FIRST edition of the decade features one of our absolute favorites, KISS KISS BANG.
Bringing the fire in the studio and on the stage is Trevor Smith, Andrew Hopper, Clayton Crowder, and Malcolm Warren. After coming across their latest EP ‘Hearts on Fire’ when searching for bands to feature on this playlist, they instantly stole my heart and took over my Spotify streams. And after seeing them live three times now, it’s safe to say if you’re looking for a true rock experience - GO SEE THEM LIVE. It’s high energy, wild, rockin’, + with a little dash of KY twang.
The band made the bold decision to cover the Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’, releasing it today - and I’m really f’ing glad they did. Get to know this uniquely wild crew and give their take on the classic a listen on this edition of Rock My Soul…
KISS KISS BANG
A classic rock n’ roll quintet born and bred in the heart of western Kentucky form a powerhouse of a raw and electric modern slam band with monstrous guitars and Eagles-style vocals that carry near constant three part harmonies. Accompanied by a thundering rhythm section of groove running bass and wild n’ out, heavy hitting drum beats that act as a constant heartbeat to the already tight and locked in Bowling Green showmen, Kiss Kiss Bang have been one of the top tier, heavyweights of the local music scene for only a few years. A complete renovation from the ground up in 2018 changed not only the sound of the band, but the soul itself. Sharing stages with multiple national acts over the last couple of years have helped the young bloods get a little more long in the tooth and more the wiser at just what it takes to not only get to the top, but f**king stay there!
Alright - introduce yourselves to the world…
We’re currently a 4 piece Rock n Roll band from Bowling Green, KY. If you ain’t heard, we’re the band that your dad would jam, but bad ass enough that you’d jam it too.
How did the name Kiss Kiss Bang come to be?
There’s a lot of speculation, there’s a Robert Downey Jr movie with a similar name. HOWEVER, Kiss Kiss Bang was a song title from a band called The American Bang. Plain and simple, Kiss Kiss Bang fits our rock n roll attitude. And besides, it’s a 3 step process
What was the band’s most memorable moment of 2019?
The most memorable moment for us in 2019 was getting to hop in a van, and make the trek up to New York City. None of us had been. So it was definitely mind warping for your small town heathens, but we had a blast. Music got us there, it single handedly took us there. Just a big feather in our cap. Such an amazing experience.
Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?
We may have a couple of us here and there that might do stretches or scream obnoxiously loud. But no famous pre show rituals. But our pals Philip Morris and Jim Beam are always there to kill any edge that any of us may have. So 1 big f*k’n hunnit to those guys.
What inspired you to cover ‘Hotel California’?
This was a tricky one. Cover one of our favorite songs and get buried at the stake? Or find a different song? It was an easy choice for us. Nobody touches Hotel California. Quite frankly, after diving into the song and really learning it, i don’t think anybody would blame a musician for not touching that song. It’s in depth guitar solos, precise bass lines, and difficult harmonies not only make this song one of the “holy grails” of jams, but it also makes this song pretty tricky to play. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s one of our favorites, and we had a ball recording it, and it goes over so damn good live. So dig it
What can we look forward to in 2020
NEW MUSIC! We’re working on writing new material at the moment. And from one cat to another, each song that we write just seems to get better and better. Intelligent songwriting while also having catchy hooks (guitar riffs, vocal riffs, bass riffs) is the big theme for us right now. We want to write music that kicks your ass and takes your lunch money. So be lookin for new jams come 2020!
ARTISTS FEATURED: Kiss Kiss Bang, BRKN LOVE, Lipz, Junkyard Drive, Black Coffee (now South of Eden), Rival Sons, The Lazys, Florence Black, Blame Candy, Shiraz Lane, Testarossa, Goodbye June, Blackbird Sons, Shy Harry, Wildstreet, Joshua & The Holy Rollers, The New Roses, Watermox, Brand of Julez, Electric Mary, Melted Vinyl, Lovely World, Wake the Sun, The Textiles, WD-HAN, The Heroine, Rhines, Death Mama, Toy Called God, Dirty Honey, Big Wreck, Black Heart Saints, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, Pröwess, Revival Black, The Cruel Knives, Mark C. Daniel, The Cold Stares, Joyous Wolf, Dead Posey, Sweet Fever, Daylight Sinners, The Stir, STONE HORSES