Los Angeles-based Lone Kodiak have crafted a catchy punky rock sound that they like to say “feels familiar, sounds new” and describe as “huge, intense and driven.”
The band started out with Parker (vocals and guitars) and Alden, who had a band in Portland a few years ago. However, just as things were going well, they were met with tragedy when keyboardist and vocalist Sarah Jennings was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was at her celebration of life service that the pair decided to try again, this time in LA.
They spent a couple of years experimenting with their sound before recruiting drummer Josh, who shared their background in punk and hardcore. And they completed the lineup with Ben, who helps to deliver the layered guitar sound they lean towards. The new quartet released their first album, If We Have a Future, last year, which is closing in on a million streams. And its song Inner Monologue enjoyed great success on Soundcloud and went to number one on several European rock charts.
And describing the sound they’ve crafted over the last few years, Parker told us: “Guitar driven, emotionally intense, moody, and thought-provoking.”
Our latest taste of this is their ridiculously catchy new single Reptilian, which was released today (9 May). It opens up with looping keyboard notes before a big drum roll ushers in lively vocals “I saw you turn into a reptile in my room, They won’t believe me but I, I know it’s true, Took off your skin, blew a kiss with your tongue in two, They won’t believe me but I, I know it’s true” supported by driving drums. Cool guitars support whispered vocals followed by more intense, fast-paced repeats of the same lines “You think you got special instructions from the voices in your head, You have been given a ‘great mission’ except that’s not what they meant, And when you cry out from your prison they’ll say ‘That’s not what we said, You must be cold and lonely, hungry, I know I’d rather be dead!” That flows into repeats of the catchy chorus and the whispered then heavier vocals, ending with whispered vocals.
As mentioned, Reptilian follows on from last year’s album If We Have A Future, which includes equally loud and energetic tracks like a personal favourite Breads On Oak, the singalong Obvious States, and the lively Inner Monologue, which you can check out in the video below:
The Lone Kodiak sound is inspired by a wide range of rock, punk and metal influences. For example, Parker tells us his biggest influences include Billy Corgan and early Smashing Pumpkins, Hum, Explosions in the Sky, early Weezer, Deftones, Heilung, and Thom Yorke, lyrically.
And on what inspires them to write music, Parker explains: “We can’t really help ourselves. We’re not making any money despite decent streaming numbers and vinyl sales. In industry terms we’re ancient. But we’re having a lot of fun and we love being together and connecting with audiences.
“I try not to intentionally write about any one topic or another, but let the mood of the music inform the lyrical content. In the case of Reptilian, it’s really a critique of those justifying cruelty and bad behavior in service of a greater good/higher power/belief system, though on its surface it’s just a paranoid conspiracy theory thriller and its listeners can interpret it however they want. Lucky Charm, meanwhile, is specifically about loving someone or something you know you’re going to lose.”
Reptilian is the first single to be released from the upcoming EP No Receiver, which is released on vinyl on 20 June and on streaming services in July. They’ll be releasing another single, Lucky Charm, around a week before launching the EP with a headline show at The Echo in LA on 20 June – tickets are available here – followed by a gig in Portland the following weekend. Lone Kodiak will also be back in the studio in the summer, and they’ve already recorded a new version of an early track that will be released shortly.
And Parker added: “Our favorite thing in the world is comments and messages, so if you’re reading this and our music has affected you in the slightest, please let us know!”
You can follow Lone Kodiak on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
GigRadar 