London-based newcomers Kin Kabal blend hooky guitars, satirical lyrics and late-capitalism dread edge in an alt-rock sound that they describe as “energetic, sharp and gritty.”
The band was started by Canadian singer/songwriter Nina Hain and Irish guitarist Daniel Byrne, who responded to an ad from Nina just after moving to London from Dublin. The pair began writing songs together, and swiftly added bassist Ross Coppin and drummer Andres Pellogrino to complete the lineup.
On the sound they’ve crafted since, Daniel told us: “If I was to explain our sound to people, I would say it is very alternative rock, guitar-forward, emotionally charged, big singalong choruses, sharp lyrics with a new wave edge.”
Our first taste of this is the band’s debut single Clear, which was released on Friday (27 Feb). It opens up with a cool little guitar riff that continues over a thick bassline and Nina’s engaging vocals. That flows into a big singalong chorus, which ends with a funky little lick that continues into an edgier second verse. A second chorus ends with more intense vocals and a mass of guitars, as the track comes to a powerful conclusion.
On the track, Danny said: “It was one of the first songs we ever wrote, and it is one of our favourites too. We hope people enjoy it as much as us, and people always seem to enjoy this one. It is a pretty straightforward rock song, quite simple structurally with a guitar-driven, hard-hitting chorus.”
The band’s members have a wide range of music interests and backgrounds. Nina is big into badnds like Nothing But Thieves, Paramore and Wolf Alice, Danny is a big fan of the likes of Guns n Roses, Depeche Mode and his countrymen U2, and Ross’ influences include Oasis, Royal Blood and Linkin Park.
And on what inspires them to write music, Danny explains: “Usually when we write songs we try to keep as simple as possible and loads of layers on top, guitar-wise and vocally. Most of the time, it is one of us bringing in a full song or an idea, and we would go from there with it.”
Clear is part of three singles that the band recorded before Christmas and will be releasing in future months. The band has worked with London-based producer Oliver McKiernan and hopes to get back into the studio in the summer to record more music. You can also see them play live at The Finsbury, in London, on 19 March.
You can follow Kin Kabal on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify.
GigRadar 
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