RESIDUAL KID

A lot of big names are backing some little (in size, but not sound) rockers.

Billboard has learned that teen rockers Residual Kid are joining an impressive list of acts signed by industry veteran and Warner VP Seymour Stein to Sire, the label he co-founded, including Madonna, the Talking Heads, the Ramones, the Pretenders and the Replacements.

The fuzzy, grungy three-piece consists of brothers Ben Redman (drums, 16) and Max Redman (bass, 14) as well as guitarist and lead vocalist Deven Ivy (16).

In a statement, Stein remarks "Despite their young age and youthful appearance Residual Kid are not a boy band, but rather a young and exciting and highly talented rock band. This fact is borne out by their audience which was comprised mostly of 18 to 35 year olds, along with many older local veteran musicians in who have taken the band under their wing."

The band has already recorded with J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr), Steve McDonald (OFF!, Redd Kross) and Andre Kelman (Beastie Boys, Cat Power), releasing the Faces EP in 2012 and posting various demos including a SXSW sampler directly on their website including an audacious and awesome cover of Sonic Youth’s “100%”). A new EP is expected to be released in 2015 on Sire/Warner. The band previously signed a publishing deal with BMG/Chrysalis.

Stein continues, "[I] was literally swept off my feet first time I saw Residual Kid in Austin. Had heard about band from Kate Hyman, one of the greatest veteran A&R women ever. [Residual Kid] was the most refreshing new band I've seen at SXSW in several years."

In this video, the lanky, stringy haired teens perform “Fabulous,” an unreleased demo recorded by J Mascis and skate around in Venice Skate Park.



"Fabulous" - Residual Kid from Johnny Milord on Vimeo.

"They have what it takes to take them all the way and time is certainly on their side," says Stein. The Austin natives play their home town this Friday at Fun Fun Fun Festival with Metz and The Blood Brothers - Billboard Magazine

The first time I saw Residual Kid, I was slightly terrified. The trio had just taken the stage at Baby's All Right in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the rhythm section's tiny frames topped with Cobain-esque, don't-give-a-fuck mops of hair. The singer had a young Thurston Moore kind of lankiness to him, with squealing guitar tones to match. After a heavy wail of feedback, they busted into a song that perfectly fit their appearance with a punked-out, early 90s grunginess, but with even more energy. The twenty-somethings in the crowd all shot each other stunned looks.

"Oh shit," I remember saying to one of my bandmates. "We have to follow these guys?"

It's not just that they were an exceptionally tight band channeling allh the right influences. It's that each member of our band, a five-piece psych rock outfit from Philadelphia, was literally twice their average age. And nowhere near as cool.


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The crowd in Brooklyn that night wasn't the first to be wowed by Residual Kid. The Austin, Texas natives have been at it for awhile, gigging throughout their music-saturated hometown and embarking on a small tour here and there.

Somewhere along the way, they caught the attention of Seymour Stein. Earlier this month, the 72-year-old Sire Records founder and Warner Bros exec sent a record contract to Residual Kid. Yes, the same guy that signed The Ramones, Madonna, and The Talking Heads took one look at these dudes and thought they were worth a roll of the dice in a business whose future seems perpetually uncertain. Residual Kid's first release as major label artists is expected next year.

"I was swept off my feet the first time I saw Residual Kid in Austin," says Stein, noting that the packed crowd was comprised entirely of adults. "The most refreshing new band I've seen at SXSW in several years."

This is pretty much the standard, unavoidable first impression anyone gets when they see the band: First, that they're young—Singer and guitarist Deven Ivy is 16, while brothers Max (bass) and Ben (drums) Redman are 14 and 16, respectively. But whatever novelty exists in the fact that these kids are fresh out of middle school melts away the moment they start playing.

"My first thought was, 'I can't believe how good this is,'" says the band's manager Bart Dahl about the first time he saw the band in 2013. "They played with incredible ease that was hard to wrap my head around. I was like, 'Are they playing covers that I've never heard?'"

While the band has been known to throw in a cover from time to time—at Baby's All Right, they ripped through Sonic Youth's "100%" with near perfection—what Dahl was hearing that night at the band's first official SXSW showcase were originals. They just happen to draw heavily from influences beloved by Dahl, even if most of those records were recorded before the band members were born.

"They didn't live through it," says Dahl. "But these guys get it."

The third reaction one has upon seeing Residual Kid—after "Wow, this band is young" and "Shit, this band is good"—is probably something along the lines of: "OK, what's the deal? Is this some kind of child beauty pageant scenario for cool teenage boys?"

Not quite. While the band members' parents are all very supportive—"They're super-chill," Ivy assures me—the project is very much of the guys' own initiative. After meeting at the average age of 12 as students at the Austin School of Music in 2009, it didn't take long for Ivy and the Redman brothers to form an actual band.

"We were doing some pretty cool stuff like 'Rock You Like A Hurricane,'" says Ivy. "It was tight. We decided to stay together after rock camp."

They gained some members, lost some members and eventually settled on the current line-up and moniker by the beginning of 2012.

By that point, Residual Kid was already playing to bigger and bigger crowds in Austin and piling up local street cred along the way. In 2010, they joined the band Dead Confederate on stage at sold-out show at the Mohawk in downtown Austin. Before long, they were playing Austin's "Free Week" in which local acts perform across town with no cover, not to mention Fun Fun Fun Fest and a slew of other shows leading up to their SXSW debut early last year.

Along the way, the band has climbed the ranks of the Austin music scene both on the merit of their own talent and, crucially, via connections made through the city's dense and close-knit scene. They've met bands through their former guitar instructors, show promoters that happen to be former colleagues of one of their parents. And the next thing you know, they're recording tracks with J. Mascis in the woods of Amherst, Massachusetts (that happened in January of this year).

Indeed, while seeing the band play in New York, it's easy to think, "How the fuck is this even possible?" When you seen them play in Austin, the whole thing makes a lot more sense.

"It's apparent that living and growing up in Austin has been a tremendous benefit and that they've been mentored by some of the best in the city both on their musicianship and songwriting skills," says Stein.



From day one, Residual Kid has been embraced by their (typically much older) peers in the relevant punk, noise rock, psychedelic and metal scenes in Austin—and all the appropriate sub-genres thereof. This is just what it's like there.

To be sure, Residual Kid are quintessential Austinites in a few key ways: their laid back attitude, their obsessively deep knowledge of music, even their love/hate relationship with SXSW.

"It's overrated," says Ben Redman. "There are so many shows going on that the big guys don't always come to your show."

As true as is this is for most bands at the mega-festival/brand orgy, Residual Kid has obviously fared better than the vast majority of band who show up to lug their gear through downtown Austin in mid-March. "South By has helped us a lot with getting connections," Redman acknowledges. "But I dunno."

***



A month after the Baby's All Right show, I find myself sitting in the back of Empire Control Room in downtown Austin, shooting the shit with three decidedly teenage boys. Later that mid-July night, the band is slated to play a show that will double as Deven's sixteenth birthday party. But in the meantime, they're engaging in what seem like favorite pastimes: Talking about music, skateboarding… talking about skateboarding.

They start by rattling off a list of (mostly pretty obvious) influences: Nirvana, Sonic Youth, AC/DC, Black Sabbath. "13 is definitely the best Black Sabbath album," jokes Ben Redman with a smart-ass grin on his face. "That's how we got started."

For Residual Kid, the gig routine comes naturally: show up, unload their gear, soundcheck and skate. While the other bands are lining up at the bar, socializing or quietly chilling out in a greenroom, Residual Kid is out front one-upping each other with skate tricks.

At this point, the band lifestyle fits perfectly in their day-to-day routines. After all, music is all they've known since before puberty. The only occasional tension comes from balancing band life with school. Conveniently, the Redmans are homeschooled and thus have pretty flexible schedules. But Ivy, a junior at Austin High School, isn't so fortunate.

"I miss a lot of school," says Ivy. "I think most of the time they're pretty understanding. But I cut it pretty close last year. When I'm in school, I just have to get as much done as I can."



To date, the band has played primarily in and around Austin, usually booking shows on weekends. Now that they're major label artists, that's probably about to change, but Ivy is determined to finish out his senior year at Austin High.

It's clear that when they get together, the members of Residual Kid are prone to chatting about music. They share similar and extensive tastes—not to mention near-encyclopedic knowledge of the history of famous bands they admire and local bands they know.

Unsurprisingly, the conversation follows something resembling trajectory of a 15-year-old's attention span. They're in the middle of telling me about the experience of recording with J. Mascis—"It was just really cool," says Ivy, not even totally sure how they came to meet him—when they get sidetracked by what must be a common sort of conversation.

"See look, you could have a long quarter pipe right there," says Ivy, pointing at a garage door behind the venue. Immediately, the other two chime in, trading ideas about what kinds of skateboarding apparatuses you could construct in the space before them and how sick it would be.

After tonight's all ages show at Empire Control Room, the band will pack up their parents' vans and embark on their first real tour—to Denver and back for about a week. Ivy is traveling separately and planning to go snowboarding in the sand dunes of New Mexico, while the Redmans are leaving a day early to go see Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails at Red Rocks Stadium.

"Death Grips was supposed to play that show," Ben Redman points out, bemoaning the group's recent demise. "I wish we could be like Death Grips. Just cancel a tour. So punk." - Noisey - Vice Magazine

"It's all about the song." "Trends are over before you can spot them." "There are only two labels that define music: good or bad."
Seymour Stein imparts wisdom to me freely from the corner table in a coffee shop on Thursday afternoon. The 72-year-old record executive with tired eyes and million dollar ears isn't revealing tricks-of-the-trade. He's talking music and, thus, he's talking life. The father of Sire Records and vice president at Warner Bros. Records famous for signing the Ramones, Talking Heads, Madonna, Ice-T, and Depeche Mode considers Austin always worth the trip.
"Austin's a great spawning ground – there's a lot of great players here," he assesses. "People in the industry regard it as an important music center."
The New Yorker flies in at least once a year and rarely misses South by Southwest, a week he describes as "tumultuous" and even "hellish," but still a valuable outlet for discovering bands. Last year, on a tip from BMG publisher Kate Hyman, he witnessed local skateboard-obsessed teenage noise punks Residual Kid play a wild day party at Frank. They signed to Sire in the fall.
"I've never signed an underage band before," he admits. "I've never seen one I'm interested in. But they're not a boy band. They're experienced beyond their years. As good as they are, and they're very good, they're just going to get better."
Sire represented a dynasty of Austin Ds in the late Nineties: Don Walser, Dale Watson, the Derailers, and the Damnations, the latter managed by a pre-C3 Charles Attal.
"He's the king," Attal testified about Stein last week. "Never in my life have I encountered someone in the music business with more passion than Seymour Stein. He wants to talk about music with everybody. When I was new and no one would take my phone calls, Seymour was there, staying in touch, asking me what I liked."
Later, Thursday night, Stein's at the Parish on the sound riser, his cane resting on the board.
"I wish I didn't have to watch from here," he sighs. "But these days it's the case."
After Residual Kid shreds the stage with grungy sonic blasts in which frontman Deven Ivy rakes his guitar strings across an amp head and Ben Redman beats his drums so hard they fall over, Stein – 56 years the elder of any member – walks up to the stage, totally re-energized, with a contagious grin.
"Wasn't that great?!" - Austin Chronicle

Sonicbids band Residual Kid got the opportunity to rock out at UTOPiAfest last year, an annual campout festival in Utopia, TX. The three-piece punk/grunge band features teenage brothers Ben Redman (drums), Max Redman (bass), and Devan Ivy (guitar/vocals). The band received travel stipends to play at the fest and had a video created for them to capture their experience. UTOPiAfest 2014 submissions are open now through August 1, with the same accommodations awarded to the selected band.

Residual Kid debuted with their EP Faces in 2012 and are announcing the release of a new single – their first new music since the EP – with an accompanying video. We chatted briefly with the three of them, finding out a bit about their career and their experience at UTOPiAfest last year.

What are some milestones in your brief, yet very fruitful career?
Max: Probably recording at Oscilloscope Laboratories. This year’s Pegasus Fest in Dallas was awesome, too.

Deven: Getting on stage with Dead Confederate in 2010 was our first time in front of a lot of people. Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest 2012 was our first big festival.

Ben: Recording with J Mascis was one of many sick recording experiences.

How was playing UTOPiAfest last year?
Deven: The UTOPiAfest dudes were very professional yet friendly. It was beautiful out there.

How has Sonicbids helped in pushing forward your career?
Deven: We’ve been able to apply for and play gigs and festivals that would have been hard to land otherwise.

What advice would you give to other young bands?
Max: Don’t stop believing. - SonicBids

Wanna feel bad about what you've achieved in life? Listen to Residual Kid. This trio of Austin-based pre-teens churn out some real classy post-grunge along the lines of Dinosaur Jr. and Weezer. Kids aren't supposed to be this good at music. What are adults supposed to do now?!

Kid just finished up recording sessions with Dinosaur Jr. frontman J. Mascis, so these cherubic young lads are about to have much less time to skateboard. Usually, acts comprised of middle schoolers are prone to gimmickry and aimed at the SpongeBob demographic, but Residual Kid's music is actually pretty good. The Mickey Mouse Club, this ain't. The only problem is that girls their age are mostly listening to Selena Gomez and could only know J. Mascis as "that creepy old guy with the long hair." - Stereotude

Tomorrow Austin garage act Residual Kid drops new single, "Friday on My Mind," an Easybeats cover from 1966. The locals have been enjoying national buzz since SXSW 2013, recording with J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) and performing all over the country. All proceeds from the sale of the new record will be dontated to Hospice Austin and Livestrong. The under 18 band was inspired by fan, Miriam "Miri" Hyman who requested they record the song before she passed away due to complications from her battle with breast cancer.

Residual Kid presented both the new recording and an accompanying video to Miri in June of this year. The track is the first new material the band has produced since their debut EP "Faces" was released in 2012. The group has chosen a "pay what you want" model to support sales. The track will go on sale tomorrow (July 15) on the Residual Kid website. Preview the song by watching the video the band made for the song in the left sidebar.

To celebrate the release of the single, as well as singer/guitarist Deven Ivy’s 16th Birthday, Residual Kid will play a headline tour kick-off party at The Patio at Empire Control Room and Garage on Saturday, July 19th. The show is free ($5 under 21) and includes some good local acts on the bill with the band; CUNTO, Obscured by Echoes and Carl Sagan's Skate Shoes.

Residual Kid will head out on a national headlining tour July 25th with stops in Denver (Underground Music Showcase with Real Estate, People Under the Stairs and Blonde Redhead), a Daytrotter session and a Vans Warped Tour date in Kansas. The band's final summer tour date will be in Fort Worth at The Toadies' 7th annual Dia de los Toadies Festival with Ume (Austin) and the Old 97s among other acts.

Residual Kid is a three-piece punk/grunge band featuring teenage brothers Ben Redman (drums) Max Redman (bass) and Ivy on (guitar and vocals). Breakout performances at SXSW 2013 garnered the band international recognition and they have since recorded with Steve McDonald (OFF! / Redd Kross), Andre Kelman (Beastie Boys / Cat Power) and the aforementioned J Mascis while compiling material for a series of EP’s which will be released throughout 2015. - The Examiner

Reverb and Denver Post staffers have compiled their lists of favorite shows at UMS 2014. A few that you’ll see on here more than once are Real Estate, StaG, Residual Kid, Whiskey Shivers and the Blue Rider.

Of course, even between the staff it’s impossible to see every show. So, if you have a different list, please feel free to share it with us in the comments below.

Matt Miller

1. StaG, Hi-Dive, July 25
2. Roadkill Ghost Choir, 3 Kings Tavern, July 24
3. Real Estate, Main Stage, July 26
4. Sunboy, Main Stage, July 27
5. The Blue Rider, The Centennial Day Party, July 26

John Wenzel

1. Purple, 3 Kings Tavern, July 26
2. LSD Bags, 3 Kings Tavern, July 27
3. Accordion Crimes, Eslinger Gallery, July 25
4. Real Estate, Main Stage, July 26
5. DJ Cavem Moetivation, Blue Ice, July 25

Eric Lubbers

1. The Blue Rider, Centennial Day Party, July 26
2. Bleak Plaza, Gary Lee’s, July 26
3. Wire Faces, 3 Kings, July 27
4. SPELLS singing almost the entire Full House theme song a capella, The Skylark, July 27
5. Seeing Joey Fatone’s Bosley hair replacement commercial, Moe’s playing above The Kissing Party, July 26

Joe Murphy

1. TV Girl, Blue Ice, July 26
2. Blonde Redhead, Main Stage, July 27
3. Black Acid Devil, Brendan’s 404, July 25
4. New Madrid, Irish Rover, July 24
5. Cayucas, Main Stage, July 26

Ashley Dean

1. Whiskey Shivers, Skylark, July 26
2. StaG, Hi-Dive, July 25
3. The Knew, 3 Kings, July 25
4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Main Stage, July 27
5. Kitty Crimes, Hi-Dive, July 27

Laura Keeney

1. StaG, HiDive, July 25
2. Accordian Crimes, Eslinger Gallery, July 25
3. Anthony Ruptak, Hornet, July 25
4. SPELLS, Mile High Parley, Mutiny, July 27
5. Dudebabes (despite getting clocked by one of the giant turkey legs they threw into the crowd. I have a shiner, but I have an awesome story, too, right?) Skylark, July 27

Jordan Gonzalez

1. People Under The Stairs, Main Stage, July 25
2. Colfax Speed Queen, 3 Kings Tavern, July 25
3. Whiskey Shivers, Skylark Lounge, July 26
4. Speedwolf, 3 Kings Tavern, July 27
5. Residual Kid, Main Stage, July 27

Seth McConnell

1. Residual Kid, 3 Kings Tavern, July 25
2. Dudebabes, Skylark Lounge, July 27
3. Ark Life, Centennial Party, July 26
4. Accordion Crimes, Eslinger Gallery, July 25
5. Native Daughters, Eslinger Gallery, July 24

Francie Swidler

1. Residual Kid, 3 kings, July 25
2. FaceMan, Skylark, July 25
3. The Noise FM, 3 Kings, July 26
4. South of France, Main Stage, July 26 “This is a very nice band”
5. StaG, Hi-Dive, July 26

Rex Santus

1. Whiskey Shivers, Skylark, July 26
2. Colfax Speed Queen, 3 Kings, July 25
1. StaG, Hi-Dive, July 25
4. Dudebabes, Skylark, July 27
5. Speedwolf, 3 Kings, July 27

Juli Williams

1. The Kinky Fingers, 3 Kings Tavern July 26
2. déCollage, Skylark Lounge, July 27
3. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Main stage, July 27
4. Ancient Elk, Skylark Lounge, July 27
5. Bloodhound, Brendan’s, July 24

Dylan Langille

1.Yawpers, Skylark Lounge, July 25
2.The Knew, 3 Kings Tavern, July 25
3.Residual Kid, Main Stage, July 27
4.Speedwolf, 3 Kings, July 27
5.In the Whale, Hi-Dive, July 27 - Denver Post Reverb

Earlier this month, after local noise-punk trio Residual Kid played a club gig in Los Angeles, a new fan approached them for a photo. Low and behold, it was Steve McDonald of L.A. legends Redd Kross and hardcore supergroup Off! While on tour in South America, McDonald told the Chronicle, "Residual Kid is my new favorite band. They fuck shit up just right." Residual Kid management confirmed that the bassist plans to produce a recording session with the kids in 2014. McDonald, who began his punk rock career at age 11, no doubt feels a kinship with Residual Kid, all of whom are too young to drive. - Austin Chronicle

They may be young, but they are talented and apparently J. Mascis agrees because the Austin band, who we also caught at Fun Fun Fun Fest in 2012, recently spent some time in Massachusets recording with none other than the Dinosaur Jr. frontman. Residual Kid's recent Facebook posts include quotes like: "Having a blast recording in Mascis-chusetts! J. Mascis rules!", "Man, you're gonna LOVE these new recordings with J.Mascis!", and "Mascis-chusetts has been awesome! Recording with J.Mascis was an amazing experience - can't wait to share the new songs with you!"

Meanwhile, Ben Redman (drums), Deven Ivy (guitar) and Max Redman (bass) are back in Austin and celebrating the annual week of free shows known as 'Free Week' which continues through 1/11. Residual Kid played a free show at Mohawk on 1/3 and pictures from that show, which was with What Made Milwaukee Famous, are on this post. If you missed it, RK play again Thursday (1/9) at Holy Mountain and Friday (1/10) at Cheer Up Charlies, both also free.

Their upcoming Cheer Up Charlies show will also sadly be one of the last happening at the eastside space which is closing down after this weekend and moving to Red River in the former home of Club DeVille. This is big music venue news for locals and SXSW-tourists alike. Both DeVille and Cheer Up Charlies have been very active venues during SXSW, with Cheer Up Charlies especially notorious for being the location of many unofficial Todd P shows.

Club DeVille, where we hosted a bunch of BrooklynVegan SXSW shows, is (was) also right next door to Mohawk where we recently caught Big Freedia and Public Enemy and.... Residual Kid. More pictures of the latter below.... - Brooklyn Vegan

I’ve been an attendee and performer at the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase for the past four summers and, every year, there always seems to be a small handful of bands that leave an impression on the entire festival. This year, the rumor mill was abuzz over a group of young kids from Austin called Residual Kid. They played at 3 Kings Tavern on the first of four nights and, for the next couple of days, I kept hearing over and over that I absolutely had to see them at the Hi-Dive the following Sunday afternoon. The general consensus seemed to be that “it’s like watching Nirvana or Sonic Youth played by 13 year olds!” Granted, I was a tad skeptical, given that “kid” bands are often nothing more than a gimmick, but I received enough intel from reliable sources that I made sure I pencilled them into my schedule.

That was the best decision I made during the entire UMS. By the time they were through their first chorus, I knew I was witnessing something special. Here were a group of young musicians who seemed to be tapping into what propelled me into music when I was their age. A stellar mix of grunge, punk and pop, Residual Kid played some amazing songs. I don’t mean they were good for their age, I’m saying that their songs are solid by anyone’s standards. I had to abandon my safe, old guy position in the back of the venue to rush forward to the stage and move around because I just couldn’t keep still while such excellent music was being performed. In front of an enthralled crowd filled with musicians and enrapt festival-goers, these kids just DESTROYED the Hi-Dive! We watched in awe as they switched instruments with ease and, toward the end, Deven Ivy literally ended up shoving his headstock through the ceiling above the stage after he was hoisted up over the crowd during their set . I watched these lilliputian titans put many bands twice their age to shame with the heart and talent they displayed that afternoon.

I immediately knew then that I wanted to find out more about the band so I reached out with some questions. Guitarist/singer/drummer Deven Ivy was kind enough to write me back so I could share more about Residual Kid with our lovable FtLP readers.

(Ross Hostage): Just to get some background, how did you guys start playing music together? At what point were you able to decide on the direction you wanted to move in, musically?

(Deven Ivy): I met Ben (drums) at a rock camp and we eventually started jamming with his brother Max (bass). We were able to decide our direction when we were personally given signs from the good lord our savior. He told us “Jesus”.

It’s obvious that you guys are into Nirvana. I lost my mind a bit when I saw you cover “Territorial Pissings”. When so many people your age are turning to whatever is on Top 40 radio, where did that influence come from? What other bands do you listen to that inspires your songs?

From our parents, I think. They turned us onto a lot of cool music. We have just been exploring from there. We like Wavves, A Place to Bury Strangers, Fidlar, Jay Reatard, The Pixies, MBV, Whitesnake, The Blind Pets.

Since you’re all multi-instrumentalists, how do you choose who plays what on which song? Do you have a single songwriter or is it a more collaborative process?

Generally, whoever writes the chords and lyrics sings and plays guitar. We collaborate to finish the songs.

It’s not often that guys your age are able to write such interesting, non-childish lyrics. What are some of your favorite subjects to write about? Do music or lyrics come first?

We like to write stuff about childish, yet mature and ironic topics. Sophisticated, yet naïve. Original, yet not. Lyrics almost always come last.

Being able to play packed shows and have festival appearances this early in your lives must be exciting. What have been some of the highlights so far and what are some of your dreams/goals for the band? If you could choose a band to go on tour with, who would it be?

We really enjoyed playing the UMS festival in Denver. We like the feeling of packing smaller venues, so it’s an energetic, yet intimate crowd. Someday, we would love to tour with Jay Reatard and Wavves.

Do you have any plans in the works to follow up your Faces album?

Nothing is planned at the moment. We have been writing many songs and are planning a future European tour with the release of our next full length album, self titled, Residual Kidz. Just kidding. But no. We’re open to suggestions. - For the Love of Punk

The whole show opened with a short set from Residual Kid from Austin, Texas. Sounding a bit Weezer, a bit Mudhoney, a bit more of the blustery end of garage rock, Residual Kid actually had a presence belying their collective age (the members are still teenagers) and their songs had real bite and wiry energy. Hopefully no one peddles their youth as a gimmick because these guys can play and have that rare ferocity of spirit we need more of right about now. - Westword Denver Magazine

When music fans see Residual Kid get on stage for the first time, they usually have a laugh or two because of their age. Devon Ivy (guitar, vocals) is 14, and brothers Max (bass,vocals) and Ben (drums) Redman are 12 and 13, respectively. But the laughter quiets down once the band lurches into full rock mode and wow audiences with songs and stage presence that usually befit much older, seasoned musicians.

The band cites acts like Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and My Bloody Valentine as inspiration. The influence is apparent in their raw, unadulterated version of grunge rock. Ivy belts out his vocals with little care for tonal control as he prowls the stage between verses, battering his guitars with reckless abandon. Ben, surely destined to be heir to Dave Grohl’s drumming style, hits his drum heads like he’s trying to kill them and is easily on par with most of Austin’s regularly gigging percussionists. Max is reserved while holding the low end down until he joins Ivy in demolishing the stage. Residual Kid’s sound leans heavily on the 90’s Grunge scene to brilliant effect.

The lyrics are smart and introspective while avoiding the dour clichés of their forebears and their instrumentation calls Mudhoney and Husker Du to mind, with a bit of Fugazi’s noisier aspects sprinkled in. This is a band that isn’t a gimmick. They’re serious and mean to prove it with every show. If you want to have one of those “I remember seeing them when” stories, then jump on the wagon now. - Austin Fusion Magazine

The Grunge Revivalists

On a Monday night near Dripping Springs, Residual Kid is rehearsing for their upcoming show at Holy Mountain. The room fills with a hazy, grunge-infused sound, as frontman Deven Ivy samples a new verse, layered atop bassist Max Redman’s electrifying rhythms and drummer Ben Redman’s pummeling beat. It’s standard band practice fare, apart from the fact that the combined age of all three members is 40. “Musicians tend to think that all the younger kids are listening to is Justin Bieber,” says 14-year-old Ivy. “We’re trying to prove them wrong.” With their latest EP, Faces, which takes cues from the likes of Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, Residual Kid is doing just that—challenging audiences young and old with their brand of uninhibited, nineties-era grunge, coupled with honest lyrics about their experience of adolescence, from the tongue-in-cheek wardrobe musings of “Purple Shoes” to the angsty meandering of “Lost Cause.” Over the past three years, Residual Kid has taken the stage at just about every major music venue in town, with performances at Fun Fun Fun Fest and the Blondie and Devo aftershow under their belts. But the one show they will never forget was at The Mohawk in 2010, when Dead Confederate invited the members onstage to play. “We knew then that this is what we wanted to do,” Ivy says. For more information about Residual Kid, visit residualkid.com. - Tribeza Magazine

It can be easy to underestimate Residual Kid. With a median age of thirteen, the Austin trio could be overlooked as an after-school diversion for teenagers, but that’s not the case. They’re serious about their songwriting and craft, and over the past few years they’ve burned through the local scene like wildfire.

Residual Kid formed after a chance meeting between brothers Max and Ben Redman and Deven Ivy at a rock camp in 2009. After a few years on their own, the trio met Grace London, and everything changed. London’s songwriting and Debbie Harry-like vocals balanced out the boys’ penchant for classic rock covers, and in 2011 the band released Box, their debut EP. One of the EP’s songs, the powerful London-penned “Can’t Take Me Away,” made its way onto a 20/20 episode that tackled teen bullying, giving the local band a national audience.

But soon after the episode, London decided to part ways with the group and pursue her own career. The boys eventually regrouped to soldier on as a trio again, with Ivy handling most of the vocal duties. After a year of hard gigging, the band released the EP Faces late last year, and it finds Residual Kid confidently moving into their own sound. They’re heavier than ever, drawing inspiration from hard rock and grunge while delivering some high-flying melodies. “Friend” is an especially potent cut off the EP, but it’s good in spite of the band’s young age–not because of it.

You can catch Residual Kid this Saturday at Cheer Up Charlies as a part of MapJam 2013, a daylong festival celebrating Austin music. Presented by the Austin Music Map, KUTX, and the City of Austin Music Division, MapJam 2013 features some of our favorite local bands at some of our favorite local venues, playing everything from bluegrass to hip-hop and conjunto to rockabilly. You can find more information here. - KUTX Austin

Youth isn’t always wasted on the young. Take the trio that forms Residual Kid — Deven Ivy, 15, Ben Redman, 14, and Max Redman, 13 — for example. The boys spend it with their ears bathed in stuttering guitar riffs and thunderous drums. Later this month, the teenage Austin rock band expands its growing buzz outside of the southwest with two shows at the 2013 Underground Music Showcase.

Formed in 2009 after Ben Redman met “this weird dude named Deven” at an Austin rock camp, Residual Kid has some very teenage-like plans for its future.

“I think just party and have fun,” said Ivy, who plays guitar and sings most of the time. “Go places and do things and talk to people and make noise…”

Before Ivy could finish his thought one of the Redman brothers interrupted him with “break the law.”

And that’s what’s in store for Denver at the end of the month when Residual Kid is staying up past respectable hours in bars on south Broadway.

Residual Kid will play twice at UMS — both times at bars they wouldn’t normally be allowed to enter legally. First, the band will play at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 18 at 3 Kings Tavern. Then Residual Kid will follow that with a 6 p.m. Sunday, July 21 show at the Hi-Dive.

So, what type of music interests guys who are just entering their teens, and why are people paying attention?

Residual Kid’s most recent EP, “Faces,” is a grungy throwback to ‘90s-era alternative rock. Sure, the band is young. But it’d be incorrect to label the tunes as kid stuff. These guys are serious musicians with important ideas about the work. The band played Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest in 2012 and shoulders a steady schedule of gigs.

Ben Redman, who plays drums, said right now Nirvana and My Bloody Valentine figure into the band’s listening habits. Those influences are reflected in “Faces.” The record is loud, raw and carries a steady groove thanks to Max Redman’s work on bass.

Residual Kid is in an interesting time-space. The members aren’t just sculpting their image and sound together — they’re developing musical affinities and artistic philosophies together too.

“I feel like our music tastes have really evolved together,” said Ivy, who also mentioned the New York No Wave Movement as an influence.

“We do listen to like a ton of music together,” he said. “I don’t know if we really talk about it more than we just, I don’t know, we skate to music and do everything we do to music really.”

Ivy’s teenage howl on “Lost Cause” — the last track off “Faces” — also appears to betray an angsty indictment of adulthood.

“I’ve been fighting for a lost cause,” he sings over a prolonged, screaming chord that morphs into a Green Day-ish riff.

The line could easily be written off as teenage heartthrob poetry, but that’s not what it is. It feels more like a lament for all those who have moved on, pushed unwillingly by time’s passage, into the obligatory redundancy that is adulthood.

Every teenager wants to scream bloody murder at the world, but Residual Kid is actually doing it.

Plans for a new album are tentative at best. Residual Kid — in customary teenage fashion — prefers to let whatever happens… happen.

Ben: “Yeah, we’re writing songs and talking about it and it’s probably going to happen soon.”

Deven: “But probably not.”

Residual Kid, though, will unleash some new songs on Denver at UMS and the band warned the audience to “bring safety goggles.”

“I really want to hit Denver in the face,” Ivy said. “In a good way.”

“With a guitar… or a cymbal,” Ben Redman added. - The Denver Post - Reverb

First on the bill is the very young but very exciting Residual Kid. Make no bones about it, these kids rock. They are playing punk music that could sound at home in the post-hardcore scene of the nineties – and they are playing it at 14 years old (and younger). Don’t let their ages fool you. Once they take the stage they clearly show that their skill surpasses that of many of their peers in the Austin scene – and their “peers” are musicians two or three times older than they are. Watch for Deven Ivy (guitar), Max Redman (bass), and Ben Redman (drums) to suddenly up and switch instruments, and still continue rocking out and owning the crowd. Check out their track “Lost Cause” off of their EP Faces released this past October. - OVRLD Magazine

We have to admit that when we first heard about Residual Kid, the idea of a trio of preteens making 80s-influenced punk/hard rock was about as appealing as chaperoning a middle school dance. But the music speaks for itself. On “Lost Cause” the kids sound way older than their years in musical skill, vocal delivery, and lyrical maturity. The song switches tempos between a driving hard rock rhythm and a slower chorus (crazy props to drummer Ben Redman for being able to execute that), and never once lets you down. - OVRLD Magazine

Dan and I got a chance to talk to this prepubescent trio after their performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest this year. This was after seeing them bring down the house in person at our unofficial SXSW party. There’s an irresistible energy that Residual Kid bring to the stage as they sound better than your middle school band could have ever dreamed for. On record, though, you don’t see their cherubic faces producing this music, and you can’t even tell their youth. This EP is incredibly self-assured and powerful with a set of solid songs that reveal a lifetime of promise ahead. For fans of: Nirvana, Mission of Burma, Refused – Carter - OVRLD Magazine

#16 Residual Kid: These guys are rad. Vintage 90's grunge couldn't be held in higher esteem than at the hands of this skate punk trio. They're also a helluva lot of fun to watch, as seen at FunFunFun Black Stage and regularly all over Austin. - Sonic Vault

Free Week ended its first half in an acid haze at Mohawk, but first up sidled Residual Kid, a local power trio whose collective age hits 40. One wonders if the youngsters' penchant for noisy grunge pop reflects their parents' record collections rather than their own, but there's no denying their skill at mangling their instruments unself-consciously. Residual Kid means it, so crowd comments on the order of, "Oh, they're so adorable," seemed unfair. - Austin Chronicle

On 8/18, Ringo Deathstarr played a pre-tour show The Frontier Bar in East Austin with Spiritual Wives, Residual Kid, The Boxing Lesson, and The Well. Missed The Well's early set, but arrived just as The Boxing Lesson took the stage (coverage of Ringo Deathstarr's and Spiritual Wives' sets over in another post).

Residual Kid. who will be playing FunFunFun 7, are indeed kids, but there's no question about their skill, commitment, and talent. They even covered the drum kit for The Boxing Lesson's set.

They're not new to the game either. Their current incarnation is at least their second line-up. From their Facebook page:

Residual Kid is comprised of musicians Ben Redman (drums), Deven Ivy (guitar) and Max Redman (bass), who have a penchant for face-melting alternative rock!

Biography:

The Austin music scene is rife with musicians some of whom have been playing music for most of their lives as well as eager amateurs, all trying to rise above the fray and obtain some recognition for their art, scratch out a living, while trying to avoid the dreaded velvet coffin. The members of Residual Kid have been playing music for most of their lives and thrust themselves into this scene a few years ago, aspiring to play music that reflects their diverse influences, while bringing something new and fresh to music fans in Austin and beyond.

Every band experiences the highs and lows of the music business, and Residual Kid haven't been immune to either. Years of gigging around town in any club they could get a show while fine tuning their original material, the band began to reap the rewards of their hard work in 2011. A fresh set of songs on their debut EP, television appearances, bigger shows with cool Austin bands, and media attention began to feel the rewards of hard work and dedication. Then...everything changed. The departure of the band's primary singer and contributing songwriter at the peak, caused a pause in the Winter of 2011.

After some serious consideration, the three original members Ben, Deven, and Max decided to regroup, refocus, and redefine the sound of Residual Kid. Just a few months out of the scene, the band returned to the stage with new material and a new sound, much to the approval of their old fans and gaining new fans rapidly. The band's sound reflects that music that has proven inspirational in their lives, raw, punk-inspired, sonic, and at times complex in structure. Heading into Summer of 2012, the band has experienced a few months of great shows, with a full plate of activity awaiting them. A recording session with The Bubble's Frenchie Smith is on the books for July along with some exciting shows...

Ben Redman, Max Redman and Deven Ivy are destined to play music for the rest of their lives..and if that doesn't work out, there's always skateboarding. - Brooklyn Vegan

I will be the first to admit, dear Austin Music Minute listener, that I was slow on the draw when it came to checking out Residual Kid. I’d seen them before, but it truly hit me when I saw the trio open for The Blind Pets one night, at a Blind Pets video release show at The ND. And I was completely blown away. They’re sounding louder, tighter and better than ever.

And then there’s this: No one in the band is older than 14.

Residual Kid rocks just as hard as any of their musical peers in town, no matter what the age difference is. Guitarist Deven Ivy (14) met brothers Ben Redman (13) and Max Redman (12) during rock camp in 2009, and that’s how the band started. They’ve since recorded some new songs last July for the forthcoming EP Faces, and recently released a new video for the track “Friend,” directed by Tony Stout and produced by Blind Pets bandmates Michael Gibson and Joshua Logan.

You do need to see these guys play. You really do. And they have quite a show coming up. Residual Kid is doing the Blondie/Devo afterparty gig tonight on the Stubb’s indoor stage, following the big Waller Creek Amphitheater show, at 10 p.m. So don’t leave after Blondie and Devo. You will not be disappointed. Recommended. - KUT Radio Austin

Alt-rock punk trio Residual Kid is a loud and rambunctious force to be reckoned with in Austin’s jam-packed music scene. The trio of Deven Ivy and brothers Ben and Max Redman are multi-talented, each taking turns singing, drumming and playing guitar. They also have a mean stage presence, Ben is ferocious on drums, while Max and Deven thrash around on stage, truly enjoying what they are doing. And we, the audience, are right along for the ride, enjoying every minute of it.

Residual Kid teamed up with Austin psychedelic prog rock band The Boxing Lesson for a mini-tour of Texas last weekend, which began with a free show at Hotel Vegas on East Sixth Street. Both bands work with legendary producer Frenchie Smith at The Bubble in Austin. Smith doesn’t just take on any act, so that’s saying something big.

Residual Kid started the show off with a set that was, in the simplest terms, pure, fun, energetic rock and roll. Their music has more than a tinge of grunge with a huge heaping of pure adrenaline. Sonic Youth, early Nirvana and even Hole came to mind as they rocked out on their seemingly huge guitars. It took me back to the early-to-mid ’90s, wearing flannel and jamming out to the grunge greats on my Sony Discman. And I’m quite sure I’m not the only one.

Their performance also garnered some stares and amazement from onlookers passing by Hotel Vegas, and many of them came in to enjoy the show.

You see, the guys who make up Residual Kid aren’t even old enough to drive. Deven, Ben and Max are 14, 13 and 12, respectively. To hear them rock is downright amazing. At an age when I still playing with barbies, these guys are spending their youth playing live shows, laying down tracks with Frenchie, making a music video for their upcoming single “Friend” and going on a mini-tour of Texas with The Boxing Lesson.

And that’s not even the biggest news for Residual Kid. The trio will be playing Fun Fun Fun Fest in early November and following that up with a free show after Blondie and Devo play Stubbs in September. And yes, they do know who Blondie and Devo are!

I met up with them before their set at Hotel Vegas and it was immediately apparent how much these guys love to rock. ”We are playing with Refused at Fun Fun Fun Fest!” the guys exclaimed in unison after revealing the hardcore band, along with Nirvana, as their main influences.

As far as the future goes, the boys are living in the now, but do hope for one thing in particular, “We want punk to come back!“ The influence and passion for lightning speed guitar riffs and fast-paced vocals is evident in their sound.

The guys have a few “dream” acts they would love to play with, including, of course Refused. However, they threw out a few surprising names, in jest. “We want to play with Michael Bolton and White Snake.” These guys have a sense of humor. Residual Kid know they wouldn’t be on the fast track without their fans. “Happy birthday to all our fans out there!” joked the trio. “Keep coming out and we love you guys!“

Following their set, the boys hobnobbed with the likes of Frenchie and other members of his rock stable. Ben then took the drums for evening’s headliner, The Boxing Lesson. The story goes something like this: The Boxing Lesson’s call for a drummer ended up with the 13-year-old in Paul Waclawsky and Jaylinn Davidson’s kitchen playing alongside them like he’d always been there. As a fan, he already knew all of their songs. He killed his first gig as with the band and will did double duty with both bands during the remaining two shows of their mini-tour.

Residual Kid are truly a force to be reckoned with in the rock scene and I can’t wait to catch them again. You should too.

Look out for their upcoming EP and check out the pics of Residual Kid and The Boxing Lesson on vivogig.com. - Vivogig

It's been a huge month for the little dudes in Residual Kid. On July 12, the young noise-punk trio was announced as part of the Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup. Two days later, the locals got yanked up onstage at Red 7 to take over Peelander-Z's instruments during the Japanese band's madcap finale. This week, they're playing three Texas dates with Austin psych act the Boxing Lesson, for which Residual Kid drummer Ben Redman will be filling in on drums.

"Ben Redman plays the drums with power and intelligence beyond his 13 years," says Boxing frontman Paul Waclawsky. "Our friendship transcends age."

Residual Kid also have a new album in the works, laying tracks down earlier this month at the Bubble with Frenchie Smith at the controls.
Taking a break from shooting a video for upcoming single "Friend" (directed by production team Tony Stout), the band explained how they used to be a quartet, backing singer-songwriter Grace London, until she left the band last year to pursue a solo career. In her wake, they were reborn rawer, heavier, and faster.

"We had to go back to where we we're before she was in the band and evolve from there," says singer/guitarist Deven Ivy, 14. The results are reminiscent of early Nirvana: feral punk energy spiked with noise-rock abandon. Just a year ago, Residual Kid was playing at Six Flags for free Flash Passes. Now, they're looking forward to shows like Stubb's inside stage after Devo and Blondie on September 18.

One day, the novelty of seeing 12-year-old bassist Max Redman thrash like a seasoned rocker will wear off, but that won't be the end of Residual Kid, because, while their youth creates the hype, their taste and talent will overcome it. - Austin Chronicle

The Austin band Residual Kid consisting of members Max Redman (12), Ben Redman (13), and Deven Ivy (14) have quickly made a name for themselves in the few years that they have been penetrating the local Austin music scene with their unbridled style of rock that pushes the envelope of inspiring and awe. A band of a combined age that equals the single age of most seasoned professionals in the scene, Residual Kid are setting the new standard for rock. It’s heavy, it’s grungy, it’s punk, it’s honest, and a whole lot of fun.
Less than a year since the band went through a lineup change after the departure of singer Grace London in late 2011, the three founding members of Residual Kid have secured their own sound with six original tracks recorded and set for release October 9th as the Faces EP. Recorded with Grammy nominated producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith at The Bubble Studio, Faces reflects the musical influences that inspire the members of Residual Kid with each member of the band contributing their own songs to the recording exploring new musical territories with their individual styles.

The band is releasing the first single from Faces titled “Friend” along with a video. Filmed by the local Directed by Tony Stout, the video features the band doing the two things that they love to do, skate and play music. As the video progresses and the song intensifies, the band slowly destroys every piece of furniture on the video set, leaving only a pile of twisted rubble in the end. - Above the Radar Productions

Austin's Residual Kid (who we covered a few weeks back at Frontier Bar) just released an MP3 (download above) and video (watch below) for their song 'Friend'. Their EP Faces is set for release on October 9 which is three days after they play North Door to celebrate its arrival.
You don't need to wait that long to see them though. Their next Austin appearance is on September 18 at Stubb's. They'll be on the inside stage after Devo and Blondie's show outside. You can also catch them at Fun Fun Fun Fest in November. - Brooklyn Vegan

Deven Ivy and brothers Ben and Max Redman are still kids but, together, they are Residual Kid, an Austin, Texas-based rock band.

The band, whose members range in age from 11 to 13, will be releasing a six-song EP recording Oct. 11.

Their song "Can't Take Me Away," will be featured Friday at 10 p.m. on "20/20." The episode will tell the story of the murder of California eighth-grader Lawrence King, who acted differently from his peers and wasn't afraid to be himself. - ABC News