King Kind is a versatile funk rock group that has been making themselves a regular name on event posters around Stellenbosch and Cape Town. This month marks two years since the band’s inaugural performance at the first And I market in May of 2021. Since then, they’ve been steadily crossing stages off their to-do list, performing at events like Foul Play and the Baked Shakespeare market.
The highlight of their performances must be their Some Sundays concert back in March. Being able to play the well-known Stellenbosch event would be a satisfying medal for most bands, but landing an opening slot for Fokofpolisiekar and Die Heuwels Fantasties on short notice is surely a special milestone for King Kind.
Also on that lineup was the up-and-coming Keanan Eksteen, with whom King Kind shares their bassist Steven Jarvis. Steven was the final addition to the group, joining Ziev Kazansky (vocals) and high school friends Nicholas Ferris (drums) and William Harris (guitar).
The band will be taking a break from the spotlight this winter season to focus on songwriting and reaching new fans online. They’re kicking off this campaign with the release of their first single – ‘Tangled’.
In a recent interview with Moyé Magazine, King Kind discussed how important it is to have some high-energy tracks to secure gigs, and ‘Tangled’ certainly fits that bill. King Kind delivers a straightforward good-time tune that casts plenty of knowing glances towards a romantic subplot.
‘Tangled’ seems well-designed to make the most of a live setting. The spoken breakdown halfway through is an excellent moment for Ziev to engage with the crowd, and to give the audience time to catch their breath before the second act. This leads into a big guitar riff and a section of clapping-backed chorus vocals that are perfect for an eager audience to join in on.
The single is a good illustration of a style that King Kind describes as “groove-based” – a well-swung beat and never a moment that’s hard to move your body to. But their live sets demonstrate that King Kind often step outside of this more funk-based sound to dabble in flavours of rock, country, and metal (when drummer Nick can convince the others).
King Kind has teased that they will be showing off one of these alternative takes on their sound for their next release, titled ‘When You Say’. They plan to drop the track mid-year and follow it up with a few more later on in 2023.
While the band will be waiting out the winter before making a full return to the stage, you can stream ‘Tangled’ on your favourite platform to dance away the chill and start building anticipation.
