Kites In Lightning

Electrified-Indie-Folk-Rock

Remember that MTV show Cribs? No? So Cribs was all about touring the amazing and elaborate homes of celebrities, giving viewers a chance to fawn over their infinity pools and shoe closets. Anyway, imagine that Cribs is back on the air and features Kites in Lightning. The house tours would be short and relatively unimpressive, but…they would find a lot of instruments, especially folk instruments. The members of Kites in Lightning have spent plenty of time playing mandolins, banjos, acoustic guitars, harmonicas, etc. in previous bluegrass, folk, Americana, and mountain rock bands. Instruments still played by Kites In Lightning — but, you might say they have “discovered electricity” in this new band. The group has added synthesizers and electric guitars, live looping, and new effects, using drums to amp up the energy and cool keys parts to fill out the sound. Still focused on making great music, writing original songs, and performing creative covers — going electric has opened new doors for Kites in Lightning, greatly expanding the types of sounds they can create, the types of songs they can cover, and the things they can do live. With influences like Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens, Death Cab for Cutie, Elliott Smith, The National, Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, and so many others, Kites in Lightning can fully lean into the indie folk/rock genre that they love.  

Kites in Lightning frontman Ben Haugestuen indulges in exploiting the range of this project. It can be built up from a singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar, to a duo or trio with varied instrument configurations, to a full-blown rock band with synced-up lights and video. The band can be scaled to fit any stage and delivers a variety of styles between original and cover songs. With band members’ contrasting backgrounds and ages spanning three decades, Kites in Lightning casts a wide appeal across generations and audiences.