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K.I.D

NAME: K.I.D

GENRE: Alternative / Garage pop

SOUNDS LIKE: The Darcys

The up and coming Poster Child EP hits you with a nostalgia that is insane. The term ‘poster child’, used to describe a deformed kid that people put on posters to raise awareness for a certain cause. Nowadays, it just means a person of any age whose characteristics, both good and bad, are representative of any ideal or situation. An archetype, really. This is a fitting name for an album that talks about a variety of issues varying from crippling anxiety to shitty boys.

KID starts off from humble beginnings. The band is comprised of just two members; Kara Lane, who performs the main vocals, and Bobby Lo, who writes most of the songs. They met in high school in Toronto when smoking cigs during class, and developed their friendship into a performing act where they performed in various gigs, open mics, and even restaurants. They released their first album, the self-titled “K.I.D. EP” in 2014, which launched them into acclaim with their song “I Wish I Was Your Cigarette”. Even though they’re not extremely popular, they made some serious impressions on people like Mike Crossey, producer of the Artic Monkeys and the 1975, and have been on several successful tours with Bleachers, Cupcakke, and The Beaches. They’re already rapidly rising in popularity, it’s only a matter of time before they shoot into fame.

Poster Child, within itself, is not a very long album. In only 4 tracks, Lo writes about sex, depression, nihilism, and other non-conventional topics. They begin with “Boy”, a song that induces an instant affection with its early 2000s pop vibe and relatable lyrics. It’s ⅓ nostalgic, ⅓ pining, and ⅓ sexual frustration, and definitely the happiest-sounding song on the album. Contrastingly, their debut single “Errors” is the most depressing, at least lyrics-wise. Similarly to the first song, it has a confident and fun tune, but the words describe the lowest of lows, when you can’t even try to get out of bed and only ‘watch pornography all day’. The third song on the album, “Taker”, is decidedly more angry and vengeful. It kind of sounds similar to the Ramones with the 80s punk rock vibe, describing the selfishness of others. It’s that feeling when you do so much shit for something and they don’t return the favor. Simple, but it gets the point across. Finally, “I Cannot Sleep At Night” is similar to “Errors”, in which it talks about mental illness but more about anxiety, dissociating, and other shitty brain stuff. It basically precisely describes how I live every single day of my life, the shit’s on point.

Although not my typical style, from the first listen, I was hooked. When you listen to it for the first time, the songs have a certain upbeat attitude that is similar to all the other types of mid-twenties daydream songs comparable to 90s MTV pop years and years back. There’s a certain tone that is reminiscent of early adulthood and throwing bricks through windows and just generally not giving a shit about anything. However, when you delve deeper into the lyrics, almost all of their lyrics feature intensely relatable writing. Their writing is intoxicating for anyone really, but especially for the outcasts and the abnormal. In this album, listening to both “Errors” and “I Cannot Sleep at Night” especially, was like using music as therapy. What’s appealing about KID is that they write about real life, the nitty-gritty that isn’t usually addressed in pop, but they do so in a way that is both fun and enjoyable. The hazy synthesizer pop makes you want to get up and party but also sit alone in the dark and take a smoke. Whatever it is, it gets you up off your ass and forces you to have fun.

KID is currently touring with Cupcakke right now, and we talked to them a bit about songwriting, their relationship, and their aesthetic. Poster Child is now available on Spotify and iTunes.

 

LAUREN: What’s the dynamic of K.I.D.?

K.I.D: We've been in bands together since like before we had pubic hair. We know each other extremely well which makes for a really comfortable atmosphere while creating. We don't take ourselves or each other particularly seriously but we take the craft seriously.

What do you draw upon most as your inspiration for songwriting?

We're inspired by the mundane. We enjoy romanticizing unglamorous situations, like perpetual loneliness or chronic masturbation, because that stuff is real and relatable and not frequently spoken to in pop music.

You’ve mentioned in an interview before that you guys are basically like siblings. How has your relationship with each other developed and how has that influenced your songs?

There's something very sacred about the bond between a girl and her gay best friend, it's a very unique relationship that comes with a real sense of openness that I think comes across in our songs.

Your sound, album covers, and outfits all commonly feature a lively vibrant aesthetic full of colors and block text and plastic bags. What kind of look are you going for and what influences you to pursue this aesthetic?

We're very inspired by cartoons and retro animation In terms of the overall aesthetic. Fashion wise we just shop at K-Mart because who has money for clothes?

How do you juggle being musicians with other parts of your life?

We don't, our lives are a mess tbh.

I listened to Poster Child and my favorite song was Boy. What inspired it?

Handjobs given under suburban starlight.

As your sound becomes more popular, you get to play more gigs with interesting other bands like Bleachers, The Beaches etc. What is it like playing with those other people and have you made any mentionable connections?

We only tour with acts we really connect with. We love the beaches and we're super close with Cupcakke who we're touring with now.

What is your favorite lyric that you’ve written and how did you come up with it?

Living in a waiting room, counting down till I can have you.

 

Listen to the Poster Child EP below.

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