Interview: Renaissance Kids

Following my review of the Renaissance Kids debut EP HERE, I got a chance to catch up with the boys for a chat.

The debut is not long released. I have to say I loved it, the approach, not to mention the production. What kind of feedback are you getting? “We’ve been getting a lot of positive reception on the album and sound, which is great! Being compared to such broad bands like Blessthefall, The Amity Affliction is pretty rad, and then hearing Owl City and Blink-182 in the same interview is a trip. We know we had something odd, and seeing other’s views on that is pretty great. I would definitely call Another Life a success.”

Do you think fans from previous projects have followed you? “Most definitely! It’s a great feeling knowing that you have individuals (new and old) interested in seeing the next step of your personal artistic endeavors, especially when it’s a project completely different from what you were doing before.”

Talking of your previous projects, you had a lot to look forward to with them. What made you pack it in and start afresh? “We were so busy thinking about the end and the next step that we didn’t take the time to enjoy the middle. You’ve gotta have chemistry between band members, and over time I felt that dissipate socially and musically. It was a lot to take in for all of us, and it all happened so awkwardly. Why stay in a situation that makes you unhappy? You know what’s best for you, whether you want to accept it or not. Eventually you just need to find something else. Change is hard, sure, but life was never supposed to be easy. Starting this band from the ground up was a heart opening experience. It reminded me of why I loved being a musician in the first place and helped me realize where I went astray in my own decisions. There was no obligation, no influence, no tiptoeing… There was just us and the music. These events are all stepping stones, and you just gotta take life one stone at a time.”

Why just the two of you? Normally when a band forms, you get a few members, and then it grows. Why stop at two? “I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s stopping at two members; life holds many unopened doors. We originally wanted to tell our story, and we did just that. Everything else is up to fate.”

How does it work live? I take it there is a lot of pre-produced sounds going on, but is one of your gigs that bit more hectic than a full band? “Well, ideally we’ll get up there and give them a most excellent show! Luckily for everyone i’m no GG Allen -laughs- but we’ve got some pretty solid ideas up our sleeves. Whenever you play, you gotta lose yourself in the moment! We’ve been going through a few atmospheric aesthetic concepts that are all winners for sure. We’re going with the flow right now, building as we go. We’ve been networking with a lot of promising bands internationally and are pretty psyched to start getting things in the works with them! Expect shows in 2016.”

You are all about living in the ‘now’. How does “Another Life” represent this? “The lyrics are a reflection of a past and present philosophy, it’s a symbol of growth and belief in one’s self. Everything we’ve done, we’ve made happen spontaneously. It was just us saying “Let’s go all out on this.” instead of playing it safe.”

Accepting the present, it is your past that got you to the point you are. Do you let go of the bad things, or accept they are also part of the journey? “If you’re taking the time to accept things, you’re not realizing your full potential. Honor your growth. Everything that has lead up to now is grounded in reality and there’s nothing we can do to change that, but we can keep looking forward now. I believe that you need to maintain control of yourself and your needs with much optimism. Life isn’t gonna slow down for you; so don’t be late. Time flies and things only happen once, so just live.”

Now is good, but you need to plan for the future.What is in store for 2016? “With the release of the upcoming sophomore EP, we’ve got a pretty killer plan going on! Lots of shows, most definitely! The EP concept went through a few phases, but ultimately has us returning to our roots. We can’t help ourselves from keeping things freaky!”

Any chance of a UK tour? “Oh yeah. We’re totally going to make that happen.”

I love the hugeness of songs like “Waves” and “Time Frozen And You Set The Fire”. It amazed me two youngsters could produce such classic songs on a debut. When it comes to the sound, are you both shouting ‘I want it to sound bigger and better’? “As musicians who have a huge background in gaming, atmosphere is everything to us and the ability to flip visual concepts into sound comes with the territory. We bounce sound ideas through explaining a situation and building the world around it. Undertow’s production rolled like a wave itself. It’s a really sentimental track to me, as well as Time Froze & You Set the Fire. You happened to name my two favorites! Undertow was the first track we did together, and you can really hear the growth throughout the EP itself. As you build, you can easily settle anytime. That’s what I love about working with Christian and Cameron; we were able to fill in the blanks and see what others couldn’t. We had such sentimental lyrics that weaved together like they were meant to be. I remember closing my eyes and feeling what seemed like a whirlwind of fire around around me sharing our experiences in that sound booth. You develop a new appreciation for each other as you fill in blanks and find new openings. It helps us push each other. I really appreciate building what is there, like the bells in Time Froze, the increasingly epic choruses in Undertow… The lyric video to Time Froze and You Set the Fire is a prime example of what’s going through our thought process as we bring the songs to life. We built a story, and instead of letting the song breathe, we let it run free.”

Okay, let’s finish with something taking your ‘here and now’ theory. If you had a time machine, and could take one journey, would you go back in time ,or forward… and what event would you like to see? “My desire is to punch it to 88 and experience the days leading to the fall of Atlantis. Just the idea gives me goosebumps. Like the story goes, it all just happened so quickly… It’s nuts, man. The ocean will always be my home, and experiencing the sea reclaiming what is now a sunken city shrouded in mystery is such a trip. It sure as hell would give me something new to write about! But I have the strangest feeling this would end up like Picard’s flute. I don’t have to find a Necronomicon to return to my time, do I? -laughs- Thanks for having me, it’s been an awesome time. Until next time, friend!”

Interview by Ritchie Birnie

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Review: Renaissance Kids – 'Another Life' EP

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