INTERVIEW: KIVEN

We talked to KIVEN to discuss their new album, music videos, and more!

For anyone who hasn't listened to KIVEN yet, how would you describe your sound? What makes you unique?

That’s always a tough question to answer, but in the broadest sense we are modern, alternative rock. More specifically our songs range from large, hard-hitting sounds like Muse, Incubus and the Foo Fighters to more ethereal and introspective songs, appropriate for a Radiohead-like setting. We all come from different backgrounds, having grown up playing music in different parts of the country and have brought all of those influences to the table. I’d say that’s what makes us unique:  the culminating sound we’re able to create from our differing influences.

You guys released a video to "I Can Take It". First off, I just wanted to say that I love it! What made you guys think of filming it underwater? What is the story behind the video?

Tyler had always wanted to do a sort of underwater video – and “I Can Take It”, visually speaking, is definitely linked to the ocean for all of us. Also, music videos can sometimes distract from the music and ultimately overpower the effect of listening to song the way it was intended. We really wanted to do something that, while visually stimulating, really supported the song rather than took away from its impact. So we approached our buddies in Hunt House Pictures, who shot some of our other videos. They were free and into the idea so we just decided to jump in the ocean at dawn one morning and film it. Unfortunately that morning was right after one of our recent residency nights here in LA – so we didn’t get much sleep, ha. But we’re really stoked on the video too, so thanks!

You released your self titled record on February 25th. How has the response been so far?

We’ve been really blown away by the response so far. The record was a big step for us and its very personal to the band, so it’s always scary letting something like that out into the world. But it’s really an amazing feeling when people reciprocate – they tell you their favorite tracks, what the songs mean to them, etc. And it’s always super interesting hearing what comes across to each person who listens to it. We feel really lucky to have people support it and take to it the way that they have.

"I Can Take It" has currently been playing on the radio. What was your first reaction when you heard the song on the radio for the first time?

Man – the radio support for this release has been out of this world. I don’t think we’ll ever get over hearing our music on the radio. Aside from playing live, I’d say that’s the biggest rush for sure. It seems totally surreal. We are deeply thankful for all of the radio support we’ve been getting thus far and hope that it continues!

Other than "I Can Take It", what song do you think is going to be your next single and why?

Hm, that’s a great question! We’ve actually discussed this quite a bit and have a few different ideas. The nice thing with this album is that we wrote something that intentionally tells a story from start to finish, it covers an arc and has a fair amount of variety. Luckily (or maybe not, ha) that leaves the door wide open for choosing the next song to put out...If you had to choose, what would you want us to put out next? 

You guys are playing a couple dates in California near the end of June. Are you guys planning on going on a summer tour after?

We’ve got a fair amount of spot dates around California and the West Coast. We’re excited for the summer and have some exciting announcements for shows in the pipeline. We’re also working on setting up a pretty rad tour for the Fall.

What can fans expect from your show, when they come out to see you guys live?

Playing live is a huge source of enjoyment for us and we don’t hold much back. We pack in a lot of energy. Our live show differs from the album, and we are always messing with our arrangements and looking to give people a memorable experience, something that doesn’t necessarily stay the same way as it exists within the recording. Something that people may not be able to physically bring home with them.

What is your favorite part about performing live?

We been playing together for so long at this point (whether in this band or others) that we know just about everything about each other. But still, when we play live, there’s this incredible and delicate balance of supporting one another while pushing the limits of what we know we can do. There are times where you almost finish each other’s sentences, musically speaking, and other times where you’re still discovering something new about that person standing to your left (or right). There’s just this incredible connection we share with each other and it translates to the audience as well. The magic really happens when you can let them in to your inner circle on stage. That’s a truly powerful performance, and that’s what we strive for every night. There’s nothing like playing music with those closest to you and then sharing that with a room full of strangers – it’s pretty electric!

Anything else you would like to add? Thanks guys!

Don’t think so! Hope to see you out at a show soon!