Kiss Bang Make Their Presence Known with Debut Single "Horrors of Your Hometown"
Photo by Norrel Blair
Alt-pop duo Kiss Bang creates music with timeless appeal that matches the pop sensibilities of the 80s as well as incorporating contemporary sounds. The pair embrace a dirtier production style and avoid following the typical formula of most pop music. Their style can fully be appreciated in their first single, “Horrors of Your Hometown.”
Kiss Bang consists of vocalist Kaya Stewart and guitarist/producer Max Mercier. The two met in Los Angeles. According to Stewart, there was an instant connection, and the pair quickly went to work collaborating.
“From the minute we met we knew that we were musically kindred spirits,” said Stewart. “ I think we both have qualities in our music that make us so individual and unique and working together created a sound that neither of us had ever heard before but felt so true to who we were.”
Photo by Norrel Blair
Mercier is equally as appreciative of his partner's talent and admires her diversity in musical tastes.
“Kiss Bang is the biggest blessing for me as it allows me to create outside of the strict mental confines, I set for myself when making music,” said Mercier. “Kaya’s music taste spans all genres and eras just like mine and she has an incredible ability to extract different sounds out of me. It’s super inspiring.”
The song “Horrors Of Your Hometown” was written by Mercier who started working on it months before meeting Stewart. It turned out that Stewart would be exactly what was needed to complete the song.
“It was inspired by a friend of mine who once told me about how awful her hometown was, yet out in LA she felt lonely without it. I wrote the chorus and the melody in my head while cooking chicken one night, but I never finished the song until I played the chorus for Kaya many months later, and she immediately filled in the missing pieces. I’ll never forget how it felt to hear this song come to life, and Kaya’s vocals took it to a whole new level.”
Kiss Bang self-directed the video for “Horrors of Your Hometown” with the assistance of Joel and Katherine Woods. The video is filmed inside the bathroom of a nightclub and Kiss Bang shows us that’s where the real party is.
With a natural chemistry between them and experience on stage, Kiss Bang are eager to present their show to the audiences. On March 1st, “Horrors of Your Hometown” was officially unveiled at a single-release party in Los Angeles at Hotel Café. From there they are set to make appearances at SXSW as well as a series of dates in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City.
UPCOMING KISS BANG SHOWS
March 14 - Austin, TX - SXSW - The Rainey Street Revival Showcase
March 15 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Space Agency Showcase
March 19 - Nashville, TN - The Basement - New Faces Night
April 18 - Venice, CA - Winston House
April 28 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
May 16 - Brooklyn, NY - Sultan Room
The new single is the title track of their debut EP Horrors of Your Hometown. The album was recorded in Nashville, TN, and features nine tracks. Kiss Bang are dropping Horrors Of Your Hometown on March 15, 2024, via Bay Street Records.
