The term ‘supergroup’ is pretty naff, and strangely, pretty overused. More often than not, bands form out of the ashes of other projects, where musicians take the broken bits of their past groups, grab some glue and try to piece them back together with new musicians and a new vision. Other times musicians just want to branch out from the safety of their own projects to explore new sonic territory. The result is usually something pretty inspired, spurred on by the vitriolic lash of their past demise or the freedom of a new project where boundaries don’t really exist. Melbourne’s Kinder harness this kind of energy.
Made up of members from bands scattered around Melbourne, Kinder have harnessed the energy of their other projects to create some lazy, sunburned jangle pop, and it almost feels like summer has come early.
Formed out of members from Dirt Farmer, Frowning Clouds and The Messengers, Melbourne surf pop quartet Kinder first came together in 2014 with guitarists Ben Maton and Kieran Daly, soon joined by Tom Barlow (drums) and Joe Daly (bass). Shortly after forming, Kinder wasted no time in releasing their debut single, Fall Back Down, which dropped in October last year. Slacker pop meets surf rock, the track blends some Courtney Barnett-esqe guitar sounds with a relaxed beachy vibe. It’s a catchy piece, hook-laden and easy on the ears – the perfect Sunday morning track.
Fast forward to 2015, Kinder have just released their second single Black and White Burning, the first track off their forthcoming debut LP. Black and White Burning was written based on the idea that “everything will be okay,” as well as drawing on themes of persistence and what results from it. It’s punchier than their earlier release, opening with strong guitars before mellowing out towards the chorus.
Kinder have just released the video for Black and White Burning. A vintage inspired, Super-8 film debut mixture of live footage and a roadtrip to the beach, the band couldn’t have created a more perfect clip for the song. Watch this if you’re currently missing the warmer days and then add the song to a roadtrip playlist because this will fast become a part of your summer soundtrack.
Kinder’s debut album came to be from unusual circumstances, recorded at drummer Tom’s Aunt’s farmhouse in the Victoria town of Hurstbridge, almost immediately after it was written by the group. The band have paid tribute to the afore mentioned farmhouse in their EP, aptly titling it Dorigo Rise, the name of the place.
Mixed and mastered by Mikey Young and engineered by Chris Wright, Dorigo Rise is set to be a well-considered and balanced collection of lazy surf, slacker rock, jangly pop if Black and White Burning and Fall Back Down are anything to go off.
