The PicUp Kids
Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States | SELF
Music
Press
In my continuing efforts to catch you up on news that almost got lost in the holiday shuffle, today I'm reporting on a CD called "Sounds of the 757," which features Hampton Roads musicians playing, singing and rapping for a good cause.
The project includes tracks from artists whose styles range from hip-hop to metal.Included on the disc are Sean Mack, Taylor Marlow, Polaris Bears, Infexzion, Storm George, The PicUp Kids and two Virginia Beach rappers, Crossover and LYFE Nation.
Proceeds from the disc go to support Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
LYFE Nation, whose off-stage name is Matthew E. Levine, assembled the project and released it last month to mark the two-year anniversary of his brother learning he was free from cancer.
"Two years cancer free, that's amazing to me," Levine said in a YouTube video. "I wanted to do something to give back to the place that helped my little brother out ... This album is dedicated to Logan Danforth who looked fear in the eyes and told him he would never give up - The Daily Press
Name: Grant Covington, Chelsea Elliot, & Katie Sherman | Hometown: Hampton VA | Pop / Alternative Hip-Hop/Electrohop / Alternative Pop Rock Artist
What makes The PicUp Kids so special is that we were two strangers turned best friends through the power of music. Max was doing the whole "rapper thing" and Chelsea was doing the whole "Punk Rock Chick" thing. We met at a concert and after a couple times performing together decided to form a POP Music duo. Many told us that it'd never work but we made it work and we're good at it. Our music is a mix of many different genres and because we come from different sides of the music spectrum, we accent each other well. - Muzik Lounge ~ Steven Salazar
A Norfolk based indie-techno, hip-hop duo called “The PicUp Kids” is slowly on the rise throughout Virginia.
“The PicUp Kids” was formed by Old Dominion student Max “Ataraxis” Covington and friend Chelsea Elliot. The duo met at a Christmas concert that Elliot was opening for with another band. “This girl can sing,” Covington said as he was recalling his first impression of Elliot at the concert. About a month later, he contacted Elliot and asked her to sing with him at a talent show.
Their performance at the talent show, followed by a wave of encouragement from the crowd, got Covington and Elliot serious about making music together.
“She [Elliot] was doing punk rock and I was trying to be the hard rapper. But I realized that wasn’t me,” Covington said. Nevertheless, the two were able to combine their influences together and grow as friends. In April, they released a promotional song, “Party of the Century,” and received more encouragement.
Two months later, “The PicUp Kids” released “Above All Else” for free on bandcamp.com. The band released their first extended play (EP) in July of last year. The EP, entitled “Above All Else,” is a slick and fist pumping tease to what will hopefully be a bigger album in the future.
With the featured eight tracks, they have built a solid foundation for the future. “Turn Off the Sound” opens the EP with a cool melody and a welcome from Elliot’s seemingly gentle voice. Covington then snaps in with a rap that perfectly blends with Elliot’s catchy and rave-like chorus. “That was actually a poem I wrote in the seventh grade,” Elliot explained, “it has a lot of meaning, but we shaped it so it could mean whatever you want it to mean.”
The rest of the EP builds upon the unique style with songs like “Love Parade” and “Rage.” The PicUp Kids wrap the EP up with “Above All Else (The Anthem),” which resembles a pledge to stay free from conformity.
In less than a year, the duo has already played at the NorVa in downtown Norfolk twice. They have also played shows in Virginia Beach and are set to perform at the DC Film Festival later this year. For now they may seem small, but if the PicUp Kids continue building up their fan base and release a full-length CD, they could very well be on their way to bigger shows and deals within the next few years. - The Mace& Crown ~ R Jay Molina
Discography
~~~~~~SINGLES ~~~~~~
"Party Of The Century" ~ Internet single used for a promotion commercial played throughout 757 area code FM radio stations
"Turn Off The sound" & "Tonight" played on 757 area code FM Station 96.1
~~~~ MIXTAPES~~~~~~~
"Tales Of The Popular Loners" ~ 8.31.2012
"Above All Else EP" ~ July 2011
~~~~~ TOURS ~~~~~~~
DMV Spring College Tour ~ Spring 2012
(Old Dominon University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Christopher Newport University, Longwood University, Mary Baldwin College, Howard University, Rubicon Cafe in Fredericksburg, DC Film Festival)
~~~~~ FESTIVALS ~~~~~~~
D.C Independent Film Festival ~ March 2012
Terra Firma 2012 in San Diego, California ~ April 2012
~~~~~~ MUSIC VIDEOS ~~~~~~~
Rage!
Between The Sheets
Ms. Brightside
Music In My Veins
Photos
Bio
THE PICUP KIDS are an exciting Electropop-hop duo currently residing in Virginia Beach, Virginia.The group was founded by Max Covington the summer he graduated in 2010, and it started out as only an idea for a movement of teens. Max was put down a lot in high school by "The Popular Kids", therefore he wanted to start a movement against The popular kids & the name he had for this said movement was "The PicUp Kids" which is a play on words. It was later in the year during a christmas concert that he would see his future duomate Chelsea Elliott performing with her punk rock band.
About a month later Max randomly asked Chelsea to perform in a talent show, with her singing the hook for a song he had wrote called "Party Of The Century". Their performance was so good that people insisted they hear more from the two. It wasnt until april 2011 that the two decided to officially start a group. Two months later the duo put out their first promo Ep Entitled "Above All Else" And their name has been growing exponentially since.
Being A Collective for about 2 years, The two have not only played in the nationally known NorVA twice to a few hundred people, but have headlined as well. They have Opened up for The pop duo MILLIONAIRES, performed in The Norfolk Scope Arena to a crowd of about 8,000 people, performed at various colleges, bars, clubs, relay4lifes and festivals. They have now wrapped up their first tour of hitting popular universities in Virginia & D.C with a few other venues added as well. In The year 2013 they official became apart of the "Raw Talent" organization. Even though the group is young, they are confident that if given the right opportunities, they have the ability to get very far in the industry.
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