Join us for an insightful interview with Adam and Chris of Kinsley, as they discuss their musical journey, influences, and the creative process behind their unique sound.
1. How
did each of you first get into music, and what inspired you to pursue it as a
career?
Adam - I really started paying attention to music around the third
grade when my older brother was bringing home Nirvana, Sound Garden, Smashing
Pumpkins, and even Cannibal Corpse tapes. From there it was just a
natural movement for me to go to west coast punk while in my skater years
(mainly Fat Wreck Chords stuff) and then to American (Fear Factory, Pantera,
etc.) and European metal (Opeth, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, etc.). When I
started playing drums in the 9th grade we were ripping off Blankface (who went
to my high school prior to us), No Use For a Name, Hot Water Music, Planes
Mistaken for Stars, etc. and eventually that shifted to more experimental
melodic metal/hardcore like Hopesfall, Codeseven, Thrice, Deftones, etc.
These are some of my true inspirations to create music among many others.
I also listen to a lot of stuff not in these genres that sometimes influence
our material!
I never thought I could make music a career, but I was able to play a lot of
shows and tour and that was what I set out to accomplish early on. If the
opportunity arose years ago to continue to tour I likely would have pursued
that, but it did not work out that way, and that's ok! My main driving
force is the urge to create and collaborate with my close friends in the
creation of music and enjoy the process together.
2. Could you share the story behind the formation of Kinsley? How did you
decide on the band's name?
Adam - Chris Adkins and I started playing music together in late
elementary school and we worked on stuff off and on until he went away to
college. He also listened to grunge and introduced me to stuff like Nine
Inch Nails, Anime, The Crow, etc. All that stuff was right up my alley
and we've been friends ever since! In 2015, he graduated college and
moved back to the area and Kinsley was formed shortly after as a Duo recording
project. I also went to elementary school through high school with Chris
Jones and while we didn't play music directly, we were friends and both
involved with projects that shared the local stages together. I would
eventually play with him in the band Eno Mountain Boys, which then led to him
joining Kinsley in 2021.
The band's name is very simple. Chris adKINS and Adam staLEY. We
smashed our last names together. We wanted something that wouldn't
necessarily pigeonhole us to a certain sound and it's kind of hard to find
something that isn't taken, but this wasn't at the time. That was it!
Chris - In Old English Kinsley translates to something like "King's
clearing" so there's something regal in the name as well haha!
3. Your influences range from Nirvana to Opeth. How do these diverse
influences shape your sound and songwriting process?
Adam - I feel that that various bands have influenced me differently over
the years, but whenever we are writing I am very conscious of when those
influences leak in (no matter how long ago I may have listened to them) and if
they work for what's going on then great! I never really say "hey
let's write an Opeth-style song," but if we are jamming something and all
of a sudden I hear a drum progression come to me or they hit a certain chord on
guitar and then I recognize "hey, that part sounds kind of like Opeth,"
then I love that! My main goal is to keep our music dark/heavy/uplifting
in some form or another as that's what speaks to me the most and regularly
calls for my style of drumming.
Chris - When you immerse yourself in the output of a band or songwriter that
really speaks to you, you inevitably absorb the essence of what is special or
compelling about their work, and I think this tends to(often subconsciously)
inform how you approach your own craft. Personally, I just as often seem to
find musical influence in non-musical sources as well, such as nature,
aromatics, color, paintings, and literary works for example. Music(and all of
its influence), for me, is inextricably linked to memories...even if they
aren't always necessarily own.
4. You mentioned that Kinsley is a recording artist only. What drives your
decision to focus solely on recording rather than performing live?
Adam - We all have full-time jobs and multiple kids, and while we might
be able to swing a local show here and there, it's not really a priority at
this time. I would love to play out again one day, but for now I feel
very fortunate to get to jam and record!
5. Can you talk about the dynamics within the band, especially after Chris
Jones joined in 2021? How has his addition influenced your music?
Adam - The dynamics of the band for the first 5 years were basically the
same- Chris Adkins and I would get together as much as we could, write songs,
and eventually record them. At first we didn't know if we wanted to be an
instrumental band or have vocals sometimes, but after a couple of releases we
decided to do vocals on all songs. We asked Chris Jones to join our band
in 2021 mainly because we wanted another friend (and amazing guitarist haha!)
to bounce ideas off of. Little did we know that Chris Jones was going to
add as much as he has! He immediately became integral in our writing
process and has taken over a vast majority of the vocal duties as well.
Since we all came from the same background his addition helped to reinforce the
sound that we already had and made it much better!
6. Your upcoming release is part of a 4-part series themed around Angels,
Demons, Ghosts, and Humans. What inspired these themes, and how do they connect
to your personal experiences or beliefs?
Adam - I wanted to do something a little different and thought it would
be cool to try what Thrice did with their themed "Alchemy Index"
EPs. Having the four themes we chose gives us some guidelines to work
within and also have some artistic and experimental fun! The human
condition spans beyond this plane in some way or another and these songs will
touch on that in various ways. With Angels, we have had personal
experiences make their way into the material, so the theme guides the songs and
personal lyrical content. Not only has this been something fun for us to
think about and expand on, but it's also been a great vehicle for
self-expression so far.
7. The track 'Beacon' is described as finding light in the darkness. Can you
delve deeper into the message of this song and how it resonates with your
audience?
Adam - Chris Jones wrote the lyrics for all of Angels, and did an amazing
job! I consider myself a part of the audience, and for me, his lyrics in
this particular track touch on the absolute inability to control some of the
very difficult things surrounding us that we may find overwhelming, but also
not impossible to persevere through. The lyrics express hope over
despair, triumph over defeat, and knowing that you have more.
Chris - I'd agree that 'Beacon' is a song of hope...but with a caveat.
Prolonged confinement in a detestable environment, with very little prospect of
improvement, makes ANY other possibility appealing. One would be inclined to
pursue that glimmer without regard for the outcome because, whether it results
in their salvation or destruction, it's preferable to continuing to exist in
the same way.
8. Given that Adam Staley handled the recording, mixing, and mastering of
your latest release, what are the advantages and challenges of managing all
aspects of production in-house?
Adam - It is very rewarding to be able to build on our sound with the
tools that are available to me. My recording abilities are growing with
the music and I love that it's all a part of the same goal. Being able to
do everything myself is great because I can change things as much as I want
without bothering anyone haha! It's a little stressful too, if you have
no one to bounce the songs off of. Luckily, I have some great friends to
help!
9. Your music has received positive reviews from various platforms. How do these reviews impact your creative process and motivation?
Adam - That is very humbling! I don't think that anything will necessarily change what we will do, but any kind words from anyone is wonderful! I will say that it is very encouraging that some of these songs have already resonated with others. We are encouraged to bring more interesting music forward soon!
Chris - More than anything, we're driven to create songs we're proud of and share them in the hope it'll bring joy to others. That joy is reciprocated whenever we receive positive feedback and I'd say it likely gives us the confidence to further trust our instincts and take more chances.
10. With the shift in your lineup during the production of the EP, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Adam - All of us jammed the tracks that would eventually become "Angels" before Chris Adkins moved in early 2024. Chris Jones and I recorded Angels together and worked hard to create something meaningful, with Chris Adkins' input along the way.
11. How do you balance the different roles each member plays in the band, from performing to technical aspects like engineering and programming?
Adam - We all work together with different ideas to write the songs. I record them at our practice space and my "home studio." As I mix things, I share and get input from everyone, and adjust as needed. The final product is an approval stamp of the three of us!
12. Finally, what do you hope listeners take away from 'ANGELS,' and how do you see Kinsley's music evolving in the future releases of this thematic series?
Adam - I hope that anyone that listens to this recording recognizes the humanity that falls within "Angels" as it is really more about the human experience as related to Angels. There is a light that lies within all of us and even in our darkest days it is within reach.
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