KIND formed in 2013 and released their debut album âRocket Scienceâ on Ripple Music in the waning days of 2015. That album garnered favorable reviews across the board, including from Metal Hammer who stated that it built up âan atmosphere thatâll sound awesome played liveâ. That was proven by a West Coast tour KIND undertook with Ripple labelmates Salemâs Bend and a live appearance at Desertfest London in 2018, as well as many shows throughout the Northeastern U.S.
The Origin & Identity:
How did you all come together as a band, and when did it feel real?
Darryl – KIND got together near the end of 2012. Matt and I had been talking about getting together to jam and finally got around to it, and Craig and Tom came down to practice as well once they heard about the new band. We’ve been together ever since.
Where did your band name come from, and why does it feel like you?
Darryl – The name KIND comes from the slang term for really good weed. I know most people don’t use that term much anymore but it seemed like a great name for a stoner rock band.
Did you have a clear vision for your sound from the start, or did it develop naturally?
Darryl – We had a pretty clear vision right from the beginning, but early jam sessions were all over the place and pretty crazy. Then we would refine our jams and turn them into songs. Some of the early rehearsal recordings were pretty crazy, just way out there.
What should listeners know about your newest album?
Darryl – “Close Encounters” came out in 2023 on Ripple Music. It covers a lot of ground for us. There’s a little bit of prog on there, some straight doom, some punk type of stuff. We tried to mix it up but keep it heavy. I think we achieved that.
Influences & Creative Process:
Who or what has shaped your sound in ways people might not expect?
Darryl – We’re all into different kinds of music, not just heavy stuff. We try to mix it up so it’s not one dimensional. Krautrock is just as important as Sabbath to us.
When creating a song, do you follow a routine or mix it up each time?
Darryl – Early on we used to have crazy jam sessions and record them, then we’d pick out stuff that we really liked and shape it into a song. Nowadays, I tend to come up with the bones of a song and then show the guys and we all work on it together. Some stuff gets written in the studio as we’re recording, such as “Of the Ages”.
Are there moods, riffs, or ideas you find yourself returning to?
Darryl – Not really. Although our thing is that we tend to write songs that don’t necessarily return to an earlier part of the song, they go to different places by the end of the song.
How do you make writing decisions â together or does someone usually lead?
Darryl – I tend to come up with the basic riffs first, then show the guys and we all work on it together. That seems to work best for us now. Craig writes all of the lyrics and vocal parts, that’s totally his job. Tom and Matt lock in as the rhythm section and hold it all together.
Musical Technique / Composition:
When layering sounds, do you focus more on tone or on mood?
Darryl – For me, it’s more about tone. I’m always looking for great guitar tones. I think I’ve got my basic sound really dialed in at this point, but definitely look for other sounds to overdub to make it more interesting on record.
Do you use alternate tunings, odd meters, or unusual chords to shape your sound?
Darryl – Odd meters, yes. “Burn Scar” is in 11/8 and 10/8, then goes into 4/4. Some other songs are in odd meters as well but we try to not overdo that. Soundgarden was great at playing in odd meters so they were a big influence as far as that goes. We tune down to C standard, and a couple of songs are in drop B flat tuning, but that’s about it for tuning.
How much of your arrangements come from improvisation versus planning?
Darryl – When we first started there was more improvisation but now it’s more mapped out. We try to mix up our song arrangements so it’s not just verse/chorus/verse/chorus, etc. A lot of songs end up in a totally different place from where they started. That’s by design.
Stories & Experiences:
Whatâs one moment that truly captures what this band is about?
Darryl – For a song, I’d say “Hordeolum” off of our first album. That song came out of our early jams and it goes all over the place. We still play it live to this day and usually end sets with it. It sums up the band really well.
Does playing live bring out a different side of your music?
Darryl – Not really. We tend to play the songs the way they are on the albums, except we’ll jam live a little more sometimes during a solo part. But for the most part we tend to stay true to the recorded versions of the song.
Whatâs the quirkiest experiment youâve done in the studio?
Darryl – For the song “Rabbit Astronaut” off our first album, we just kind of jammed on that for a while, it wasn’t really a finished song. Then we chopped and edited it down to a workable arrangement and we had a song. It’s kind of like what Miles Davis used to do. He’d just record a bunch of stuff and then Teo Macero would edit it and chop it up. Same idea basically.
Has a fan ever done or said something that made you see your music differently?
Darryl – Nothing I can think of other than just letting us know that they dig it. That means a lot to us, it really does. Just having someone tell you that they dig your music means a lot.
Current Inspirations & Recommendations:
Any up-and-coming musicians you think deserve more attention?
Darryl – There are some really good new bands in the Boston area. A couple that come to mind are Swamphead, who are really sludgy in an Eyehategod kind of way, and Strawberry Coffin, who are more traditional doom with simple but effective song structures. Both bands are heavy as hell. You can check them out on Bandcamp.
Vision & Reflection:
Where do you see your sound heading next? Any experiments youâre itching to try?
Darryl – Not sure. We’re working on some new songs right now. We have one completely finished that’s a fast, short one. It’s our shortest song yet but we really dig it. We’ve been talking about writing a song that takes up one side of a record, like twenty minutes long. We’ll see what happens.
Which track do you feel captures your band best, and whatâs the story behind it?
Darryl – I’d say “Hordeolum”. It covers a lot of ground and it came out of us jamming and just seeing what happens. It’s heavy and trippy and all over the place. We play it at almost every show.
What do you hope people feel when they sink into your music?
Darryl – I hope our music takes them on a little trip. If you put on one of our albums and listen to the whole thing from front to back, I hope that someone can get lost in it and forget about all the garbage in the world and go on a little trip.
Turbo Regime:
Fuzz or distortion?
Darryl – Distortion. But the way I have my sound set up I can get a fuzzy sound just using a standard distortion pedal. Neck pick-up all the time, baby.
Analog or digital effects?
Darryl – Analog. I don’t use many effects but they’re all just standard analog pedals, even my delay pedal.
Sabbath or Zeppelin?
Darryl – Depends on how I’m feeling that day but Zeppelin might inch out Sabbath for me. Mainly because of Bonham’s drumming and Page’s dragon pants.
Heavy riff or mind-bending solo?
Darryl – As much as I love soloing and going off, I’ll take playing a super heavy riff any day. Nothing beats it. Just something heavy and simple and loud. It’s the best.
Vintage gear or modern kit?
Darryl – I’m not much of a gearhead but I’ll go with vintage. Old Marshall heads rule but I’m not interested at all in new Marshall heads. The less knobs the better, that’s what I always say!
kindrocks.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/KINDtheband
ripplemusic.bandcamp.com
