Starting as a band without a name seconds before performing at the Cape Town Baked Market, King Kind now have become a staple on performance posters in and around Stellenbosch and Cape Town. And the time has finally come: Their first single, Tangled, was released on May 5th 2023.
I had the pleasure of meeting ¾ of the band. In the one hour that we spent recording an episode of Okay, It’s Recording, here are a few details I managed to pick up about each member:
Ziev Kazansky:
- Lead singer
- Band mom
- Started singing when he joined a “cute Glee club” type thing at his primary school
- Passed his driver’s test the first time
Steven ‘Steve’ Jarvis
- Bassist and backing vocalist
- Member of three different bands
- Self-proclaimed ‘low-end whore’: will play for anyone
- Would still love his girlfriend if she were a worm
William ‘Bee’ Harris
- Electric guitarist
- Talented artist
- Was almost nicknamed ‘Worm’ by his sister
- Debuted his musical talent at Quay4
Nick Ferris
- Drummer
- On his deathbed at the time of the interview and, therefore, absent
The quartet started in 2021, performing at high-school friend, and Baked Shakespeare director, Juliette Rose-Innes’ Baked Market. King Kind found their name at the foot of Ziev’s e-mails, where someone had written: “Thank you so much, my kind king!” Desperate for a name to call their own, the band rapidly decided on King Kind and proceeded to perform their set. Ziev, however, was not a fan of it for a while. But, he says they have grown into it, as it has since become “an ‘us-thing’”. (To Ziev’s dismay, two potential band names were brainstormed during the interview: 'Noise on the Side' and '100% Worm' – yes, we did talk about worms quite a bit).
When asked about their genre, the three (present) band members say that the King Kind sound is “groove-based”, as they bring a “funky, rocky, acoustic vibe” to their performances. The band does not focus on one genre, saying that their sound has become more of an amalgamation of every member’s taste. Bee describes it as “a unifying sound”.
Although Ziev takes the lead with lyric writing, sometimes songs are born from a riff. Steve says with an air of pride that King Kind actually has a drummer that writes songs. The band also refute a singular voice, bringing all their emotions together when writing. Steve elaborates, saying they are all “very emotional young lads”; The band is unafraid to be honest with one another and “are not scared to draw inspiration from [their negative emotions]. If you’re sad or depressed… use that!”
Tangled, their first single, is a “happy”, “high energy song”, “something that is fun and enjoyable [that] you can just groove to”. It has that “party element” to it that Steve explains is perfect for festivals and live performances. Tangled is guaranteed to get the crowd on the dance floor with the its upbeat, fun vibe. Jarvis goes on to explain that having lively and cheerful music is necessary to get booked for events.
Steve: If you can bring the gees and have songs with gees in them…
Ziev (shrugs): …Not a bad idea.
King Kind have two particular performances that live on lovingly in their memory. The first, Ziev explains, was their serendipitous performance at ‘Some Sundays’, where the headliners were Die Heuwels Fantasties and Fokofpolisiekar. The second is their performance at ‘Let’s Save Obs’, which had the crowd growing and growing during their set, with people leaning out their windows to listen. The band has always loved to perform, with music being an incredibly crucial part of their lives, and they are all so excited to now have a song to their name.
More monumental performances are on the way for the talented quartet. Not only are they exceptionally gifted musicians, they are also kind and hilarious people. In fact, if you would like to get to know the band even more, the King Kind episode of Okay, It’s Recording will be released May 13th - it was so much fun to record. Keep an eye out for King Kind’s future gigs because their journey is only just beginning. Stream Tangled, out May 5th 2023, and, in the words of King Kind, remember to be kind.
Comments