KickBend
Willow Springs, Illinois, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Gee, my foot is tired from tapping." -Tom Nicholls - Gone
July 20, 2009
My next guest is a band out of Chicago named, KickBend. KickBend has been in the business of making music for 20 years. They must be on to something because KickBend songs and videos are finding their way to American and European radio, Internet charts, CD compilations and television. KickBend has been out promoting their new album, ‘faith.hope.love’ which is on sale at CDBaby.com now.
Stoli: How did you decide to call the band KickBend, and what is the meaning behind it?
KickBend: A kickbend is old-school electricians’ terminology for bending conduit. The term also has musical, dance, sports, and martial arts connotations. Plus, KickBend.com was available.
Stoli: How crucial do you think a band’s name is, and what are some bands that you really love their names, past or present?
KickBend: A band’s name is important these days because of URLs and search engines. People may check out the band name “dot-com” or search the internet for the name. Some great band names are Aerosmith, Def Leppard, SteelHeart, and Van Halen.
Stoli: How has coming up in the Chicago music scene helped to develop the sound & work ethic for KickBend?
KickBend: We are all working class people–electricians, janitors, city workers. We place our families’ needs first and foremost. The music business is an outlet, a passion, and a hobby for each of us.
Stoli: What are some of your favorite venues to play in Chicago?
KickBend: Six Flags Great America, St. Jerome’s annual “Velika Gospa” festival, Bonnie’s of Willow Springs, and The Chicago Theatre.
Stoli: Please fill us in on how KickBend and Jealous Bone work closely and how that alliance has benefited both bands?
KickBend: A few years ago, Jealous Bone was looking for a pianist and accordionist to record their follow-up to Scratch. Dom, an old friend of Damir’s and Luca’s, laid down tracks for the album. Dom wanted to capture the live Jealous Bone vibe for his songs. The original intention was to produce songs for film and television placements. The collection of songs eventually became the faith.hope.love album.
Stoli: Your new album, faith.hope.love, is on sale now at CDbaby.com. Are you pleased with the album, and what are you hoping listeners take away from it?
KickBend: We are pleased with the album considering the time and budget constraints we had. We hope our listeners relate to the messages in the songs and can enjoy the album from beginning to end.
Stoli: What do the words faith, hope, and love mean to you on a personal level?
KickBend: Faith in one God. Hope for the future. Love for one another.
Stoli: I get inspired when I see and hear of bands that are transcending the independent flavor of the music scene. Could you have had such an impact twenty years ago without technology or a major label?
KickBend: No way.
Stoli: What track on the album is the most personal and special to you and why?
KickBend: “The beat goes on” because it is about the human condition–past, present, and future.
Stoli: When you sit down to write lyrics, where do you come up with inspiration and material for the song?
KickBend: Life experiences and a vivid imagination.
Stoli: The reviews that I have read on the album have been positive. How does that feel for you when you read those?
KickBend: Validation and a desire to do it again…better.
Stoli: Will KickBend be hitting the road to give the fans a live impression of the album?
KickBend: We are scheduled to perform at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois on Sunday, August 2.
Stoli: Where can readers get more KickBend, and what is coming up for the band?
KickBend: KickBend.com has links to most of our online content. Thanks to RegionalCD.net, our CD will be available on BestBuy.com and select Best Buy stores in Chicagoland.
www.KickBend.com - SKOPE
"Then, there is KickBend, a blues rock band from Willow Springs, Illinois. It is a kick butt Southern rock band, offering up tasty blues and Springsteenesque rock. Their “A song for you” is a song to rival G.B. Leighton’s “Wings Working Overtime,” a sweet song about the power of the love of a good woman. I was most impressed with “Let’s make this right,” a most unusual don’t-leave-me song with Eastern European rhythms, and the big rocking “The beat goes on.” -Janie Franz - Artist 2 Watch
"Then, there is KickBend, a blues rock band from Willow Springs, Illinois. It is a kick butt Southern rock band, offering up tasty blues and Springsteenesque rock. Their “A song for you” is a song to rival G.B. Leighton’s “Wings Working Overtime,” a sweet song about the power of the love of a good woman. I was most impressed with “Let’s make this right,” a most unusual don’t-leave-me song with Eastern European rhythms, and the big rocking “The beat goes on.” -Janie Franz - Artist 2 Watch
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
KickBend produced "Crumbs" and "Taken f/Jessica Robinson" during the summer of 2012. The songs were tracked by Bob O'Connor at CFS Hammond, edited by Danny Karabaic at DK AudioMedia, mixed by Eric Nelson Yoder at Horse-Drawn, and mastered by Larry Millas at World Stage Studio. Mitzi & Storm sang background vocals, and horns were arranged by Andrea Lanctot (trumpet) and Tony Laudadio (trombone).
KickBend (f/Glen Kosche and Lou) recorded "Goin' home" with engineers Erik Widman and Danny Karabaic. The song was developed into a Rock Band video game by Rhythm Authors.
With their album faith.hope.love, KickBend created an eclectic journey through the blues, soul, pop, rock, country, and folk. From the vintage record intro of "Gone" to the futuristic ending of "The beat goes on", the album is a timeline of modern music.
Growing up in Chicagoland, the members of KickBend were exposed to a wide range of musical influences--from Buddy Guy to Stevie Ray Vaughan, from Styx to Enuff ZNuff, and from Bruce Springsteen to Bon Jovi. The band draws from their musical memory to craft songs that pay homage to the legends. The sound is contemporary, yet lyrics and melodies are classic.
KickBend songs and videos are finding their way to American and international radio, internet charts, compilations, and music video programs. Ironically, the whole project began as an afterthought. Jealous Bone, an established Chicagoland blues band, was looking for a keyboardist to lay down some organ, piano, and accordion tracks for their follow up to Scratch. Well, that keyboardist had some plans of his own. Dom Stasi amassed a collection of songs he had written over the years. After some failed attempts to form a recording band of his own, Dom saw something very special in Jealous Bone.
An agreement was made, and the members of Jealous Bone (Jim Barney, Luca DiNicola, Fred DiSanto, and Damir Shegich) contributed to the arrangements of Dom's songs. Dom wanted to capture the live Jealous Bone vibe for his songs. After considering many studios, Dom decided to record at Creature Feature Recording Studios in Hammond, Indiana. "Bob's studio is great for recording a live band," says Dom. "The live room sounds natural, and the line of sight allows the band to stay tight."
The weekend was booked, and the band recorded two takes of each song on Friday night. Tamburitzans Joe Kirin and Steve Ovanin dropped by on Saturday to add their talents to "Let's make this right". Guitarist Bob Persa recorded an acoustic guitar solo for "Too good". And, last but not least, Deidre Lynn sang her heart out on "You'll miss out". Dom was satisfied with the overall vibe of the recordings and continued to tweak the mixes over the next year. "I wanted to get in there sooner, but O'Connor was busy with other acts. And then he decided to upgrade the board! Fortunately, the extra time with the mixes resulted in a better final product."
But before the project was mastered by Dan Stout at Colossal Mastering in Chicago, Dom visited Chicago Recording Company and Pumpkin Studios to make the final touches. Danny Karabaic, Ryan Sullivan, Bruce Breckenfeld, and Michael Mason lended their ears at CRC. These CRC gurus pointed out some aural deficiencies which needed to be addressed. Meanwhile, Gary Loizzo at Pumpkin brought a quality to "A song for you" that echoes a more soulful era.
"It's close enough for rock 'n roll," concludes Dom.
Band Members
Links
