Kilcid Band

You might not have heard of the Seattle five-piece, Kilcid Band, but you’re likely going to start hearing more and more from the talented group. And today, we’re happy to premiere their new music video the group made for their single, “The Good Get Gone,” an earworm of a track featuring sticky synths and falsetto vocals. To celebrate the release of the video – and upcoming EP – we thought we’d talk with front man, Tristan Marcum, about the group’s origin, how they shot the great hula-hoop-focused video and what’s coming up next for the band.

What is the four-sentence origin story of Kilcid Band?

Port Townsend is the place. Other bands were the genesis. A party was the catalyst. And time has been the midwife of this group.

The band has an upcoming three-song power-pop EP that you plan to release this summer. How did you write and record it?

The writing was done when we all lived together in a big rock ‘n’ roll house together in Sand Point. I got inspired by living with the guys and the brotherhood we had. The songs were recorded, though, over the past two years. [guitarist] Connor [Sisk] produced it and we recorded it in three different studios around Seattle.

Before hearing it, I thought it would be a typical garage rock record, but it’s more electronic-sounding and synth-based. How did the sounds come together?

It all came from a pretty organic place. The main thing for us as songwriters was to make really poppy and catchy melodies. But the arrangements – we let the songs dictate that. It wasn’t like we had something we were shooting for, per se. And some of the changes in sounds came from access to more equipment. But the keyboard is an important part of the Kilcid sound. We’re more than two guitars, bass and drums. Going forward, I see the keyboard being an important part of our group.

The lead single from the EP is a super catchy track about loss and leaving. What made you want to explore these themes within a dynamic pop tune?

Well, to me it’s, yeah, the good get gone – but it’s also a double entendre. In some ways, it also means that people get faded – like, truly faded. That’s one little layer of it. But it’s also a theme I’ve seen in my life. The people that are really amazing and powerful, they’re only around for a brief period of time. And you have to recognize those who are important to you when they’re important to you because they might not be around forever.

Tell me about the day of the video shoot for “Good Get Gone.” How did you come up with the concept and put it all together?

So the sport itself that we do with the hula-hoops, I’ve been doing since I was 20. So that’s ten years. My cousin and I developed hula-hoop jousting, which helps your core strength. I realized at the time that this is a sport where you don’t need weight classes, don’t need gender. It’s so universal! And the more I did it, the more carved-up my six-pack got and my balance got super good. It made me a better dancer. I hope to get it in the Olympics one day – so we’re starting the revolution now.

[Lead guitarist] Joel [Mars] and his girlfriend Ashley [Campbell} were the co-directors. The shoot was a lot of fun. A lot of people were willing to tough it out. The first day it rained all day but on the second day, the shoot went so much better. So many people sacrificed stuff – time, money, gear – just to make it happen.

The band will release your EP July 6th with a show at the Sunset in Ballard on July 7th. Will there be hula-hooping?

There will be hula-hooping! There has to be. And I will take on all challengers and all comers.

Once the EP is out, how do you hope to continue growing the band?

We’re recording a brand new single, “The Working Man,” and we have three other new tracks in the works. So, we want to continue to record. Our plan is to start releasing lots of EPs and singles with videos that go along with them as often as possible. We want to get more prolific – obviously, more prolific than three songs in ten years would be a great place to start. But we have a big back catalogue of stuff. Also, we want to build that important community piece. People that like the music – but it’s more than just the music. There’s a communal vibe to the band. We like to bring people together around the music. That’s important to me. - Jake Uitti via Artist Home

It's exceedingly hard in 2018 to hit the indie-rock sweet spot, in which bands avoid excessive cuteness and rhythmic feebleness and create memorable melodies that don't cloy. Thankfully, Seattle-via-Port-Townsend quintet Kilcid Band brilliantly thread that needle, as their new EP, The Good Get Gone, proves. Its three songs display seductive dynamics, elegant hooks, and tantalizing guitar, bass, and keyboard tones. Add some luscious, layered vocal harmonies that show deep immersion in the Queen catalog and you have a radio-friendly unit to whom you can listen while still respecting yourself the next morning. Mark my words: Kilcid Band are going to be big—or at least slightly more popular than medium-sized. - The Stranger