A Dirty Dozen with TREVOR SMITH of KISS KISS BANG – May 2021

According to a recent press release: “Bowling Green, KY Rock Band KISS KISS BANG has released the official music video for the lead single off of their upcoming, sophomore EP, Hungry, High, & Seeing Things, available now on the band’s BandCamp and will be available on all platforms March 26. “High Price (for Peace of Mind)” was shot by 254 Productions in Bowling Green, KY, directed by Brandon Taylor, Lighting with additional photography by Lily Thompson.” We get frontman Trevor to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

We had a blast putting “Easter Eggs” all throughout the EP. We played multiple instruments on it and literally had the best time. From dropping drum sticks on concrete, mic’d with a condenser on the other side of the room, all the way down to Crowder’s plastic sea shell clicker part. That’s what we refer to it as.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My dad is a musician. So it was always in the house. I never wanted to play it, personally. Until I watched a commercial that just so happened to have Slash in it. There was something so insanely cool about him to me. I knew I wanted to do that.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Of course, Slash. But I didn’t think about sculpting my own sound until I became obsessed with Alice In Chains. They were the inspiration for me to want to actually be a part of a band and make music.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Gun N’ Roses, Alice In Chains, and Lenny Kravitz. Lately, Rival Sons and Blackberry Smoke have been at the top of my list. That’s such a hard question. I’m inspired by so many bands and musician. Those first three were just a big part of my earlier years and are always the first to come to mind. I’m really inspired by 90’s country and 80’s pop melodies. And FOO FIGHTERS.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Chris Stapleton because everything he touches turns to gold in my opinion.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I’d say if you threw Aerosmith and Alice In Chains into a blender, sprinkled some southern rock all over that, then dipped it into some 80s pop music… you might get close? That’s a tough question for us too. We have three singers and we are all inspired by so much. We all wrote the songs so it really varies from song to song.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I’m definitely the one to start mixing the ole drinks. Half a glass of Tito’s and a half glass of Ski. “Skitos”. (Try it.) Andrew is always the first to say “so what’s for dinner”? “What are we eatin’?” Crowder definitely will bust out the acoustic first and start playing some cool shit he just wrote the night before.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Hmmmmmm, I met Charles Robinson once backstage at Riotfest. He was hanging out at The Misfits camp and I was like “Dude! You are the referee for WWE, right?!” I couldn’t contain myself and he couldn’t have been cooler. I got to chill with him for the rest of the night and I couldn’t have been more jazzed.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Just getting to write cool music with my brothers is what it’s all about. Crafting a song together that eventually turns out to be something we are all jacked about. There’s no better feeling. And there isn’t another option as far as a dream job. Anything else would just be going through the motions. I’m happy to say that I speak for all of us on that.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’m not sure about that. I like working with interviewers because they usually bring the questions lol.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

No not really. Life has been about learning something from the mistakes. There’s beauty in every negative situation I do believe.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Any of the Nirvana albums. I would love to have been able to watch Kurt’s mind working in that element.

BONUS QUESTION – Due to the current world situation with COVID-19 / quarantine / shelter in place, what have you discovered you miss the most from your life before the pandemic struck?

Freedom. I think we all miss that. But, sometimes ya gotta lose things to realize what they truly meant.

KISS KISS BANG LINKS:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews