TRR:  Hi Ev.  Welcome to Tru Rock Revival Magazine.  Let's get this thing rolling.

Ev:  Sounds good.

 

TRR:  Let's get a little background on the band.  Who is Kind Villain?

EV:  I'm the lead singer, front man and bassist. We have two guitar players, John and Andrew, who both play lead and rhythm guitar and sing backup. Our drummers name is Kat and she is a punk rock and funk style drummer.

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TRR:  You guys have a video / song out now, a cover of Khalid's 8teen.  Who's idea was that?  You really pull it off in a very cool way. 

EV:  The idea for the Khalid cover came when my producer Paul and I were working on another song and during our off time we were listening to Khalid and 8teen started playing and we thought that the lyrics were perfect for a reimagined cover. I have always liked Khalid and that song was just perfect for what we were doing.

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TRR:  I can definitely hear the funk sound in Kat's drumming in some of the cymbal rolls in your version.  I like it.  Rock meets funk.  Got a little Funk Rock action.

EV:  We call ourselves Next Generation Pop Rock because its like a fusion of Pop, Rock and Pop Rock. Using one of those terms or any other genre title does not accurately describe the music that Kind Villain makes.

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KM:  How did all of you meet?  Any interesting stories here?

EV:  After I was signed to Panacea Records I met John after a friend of mine had told me about him. He had just moved from Delaware and he had toured and opened for national acts. He loved the style of the project and it was something that he wanted to do. I had heard of Kat playing around in the area and what is funny is both Kat and I contacted each other at almost the exact same time. She was looking for a high energy band and we were looking for a dynamic drummer and it was a perfect fit. Andrew was in an event band that traveled around performing gigs at places such as theme parks and weddings. Andrew was looking for a band to release his inner punk and he was a perfect fit.

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TRR:  Let me tell you, the lineup is solid.  Congrats!  What do you think makes your band stand out from others?

EV:  In our songs, the most obvious characteristic that separates us from the others is the vocals and our vocal approach. I use lots of range, vibrato and intensity on the lead vocals and the backup vocals create a choir sound that is very difficult to create.

 

TRR:  I hear that.  Also, no auto tune I'm assuming, from what I hear.

EV:  Nope.  We do not use auto tune or pitch correct or any effects, which is different from everyone else.

 

TRR:  You're right on with that.  A lot of bands live and die by auto tune. 

EV:  Yep.  Kind Villain has successfully created a sound that could be labeled as pop music but also as rock as well, that is why we call it Next Gen Pop Rock. Our sound is truly its own genre. We also stand out in our live performances.

 

TRR:  How so?

EV:  We put on an exciting high energy show that features megaphones, pink pajamas, etc, and we are proud to say that we sound pretty close to the recordings live and we thrive onstage.

 

TRR:  Pink pajamas.  Lol.  Let me get your opinion on this.  What's your thought on the direction of rock music these days?  For years, it was all rock.  These days, it's definitely taken the back seat from mainstream but I see a resurgence.  What's your take on that?

EV:  Definitely, as a young person I can say that my friends and most people that I know love rock music and they still listen to it all the time. In high school to this day kids still worship My Chemical Romance, Queen, Led Zeppelin as well as other iconic bands. We have seen it as a band that people from all different walks of life appreciate the rock side of our music. I also believe that most rock music is called alternative like Machine Gun Kelly’s punk rock album. Rock is very much alive its just not always called that and the music world itself is always making new styles and combinations.

 

TRR:  Who are some of your musical influences?

EV:  Green Day, Joan Jett, Panic! At The Disco, Prince, Elvis and the list goes on and on. My influences range from Taylor Swift to Mike and Chester from Linkin Park.

 

TRR:  Taylor Swift?  I didn't see that coming.  But, she's a good songwriter.  How do you write your songs?  Is it a collaborative effort?

EV:  Sometimes we collaborate and sometimes we will bring an idea to the band fully written, we are all open minded. The band, the team and I all have a competitive nature in a friendly way, so we are always trying to raise the bar and make each song better and better. Sometimes the songs will start from a band jam and sometimes its something that is created in a studio its always unpredictable.

 

TRR:  Speaking of collaborative, if you could get together with any band or musician to record a song together, who would that be?  Don't hold back. 

EV:  I definitely at some point want to collaborate with Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day and Khalid, as well as Hayley Williams and Dave Grohl.  But, to be honest, there are so many artists I would love to collab with that I cannot list them all. I would like to collab with artists that also do styles the opposite from Kind Villain like someone in the Hip Hop world or electronic music. I’m open minded and as long as there is mutual respect, I am open to working with all different types of artists.

 

TRR:  How about touring?  What are some bands you'd like to tour with?

EV:  Paramore, All Time Low, Weezer, Panic!, Taylor Swift, the list goes on and on.

 

TRR:  There's Taylor Swift again.  What draws you to her?

EV:  Taylor Swift is an amazing songwriter and I enjoy her music, she has a cute vibe. :)

 

TRR:  What is your most memorable show, good or bad?

EV:  My most memorable show was a good one and that was when I performed to a large crowd and they sang the words back to me for the song that I had written for the first time. Words cannot explain how cool that is.

 

TRR:  What would be your dream show?

EV:  My dream show would be to headline Glastonbury and Coachella.

 

TRR:  I've heard some crazy fan stories, especially from Rick Allen about 2 girls climbing up the side of the hotel to get into Rick Savage's room.  What's yours?

EV:  A fan wanted the sole of my shoe at a performance once and I gave it to him and signed it. I was not expecting that, but it was cool, and it was so worth leaving the venue with one shoe.

 

TRR:  What is on the table for the rest of the year?

EV:  We plan to release lots of new music this year and Kind Villain will be performing shows in support of those releases.

 

TRR:  Is there anyone you’d like to give a shout out to or thank you to?

EV:  Shout out to William and Paul of Panacea Records for the effort they put into helping us. I would also like to thank Serg for being a true bro and for helping behind the scenes. I would like to thank our fans and supporters that have been so positive and good to us, your support truly inspires us, and we are grateful.

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TRR:  Thanks Ev.  This has been cool.  Good luck with the band and we're looking forward to hearing more from you guys.

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For further information about Kind Villain, follow them on Facebook.  

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