#Risingartist: Look in your eyes that Kids That Fly are on fire
Alternative pop/rock band Kids That Fly has released the drum-heavy single, “Look in Your Eyes,” today. This high-energy party anthem comes ahead of their third six-track EP — Melodramas for the Space Age — out Friday, August 5.
Heavily inspired by The Killers, “Look in Your Eyes” was born out of a slow tempo ballad that lead singer, Nick Smeriglio, wrote while teaching himself to play the piano. “The lyrics have mostly been the same since its inception,” the group details, “but after sitting on it for over a year and a half, we swapped the piano line for a driving synth riff, upped the tempo, and matched the energy with big rock drums and guitars,” seamlessly tying it into the rest of Melodramas for the Space Age.
Composed of college comrades, Nick Smeriglio (vocals/guitar), Blake Henry (guitar/synth), Braden Frandino (bass/vocals), and Ryan Hendry (drums/vocals), Kids That Fly formed in the fall of 2018, while attending the University of Connecticut. It wasn’t long before they fell into a rhythm playing shows in and around CT, while simultaneously commuting in and out of New York City for recording and performing in both Manhattan and Brooklyn; and they have been on a trajectory ever since. From the band's inception, they shared a passion for creating alt-pop/rock music, and it couldn’t be more evident on the forthcoming EP.
The band has already given us a sneak peek of what to expect from Melodramas for the Space Age. Their lead single which originated as an instrumental demo on drummer Ryan's laptop — “Trouble” — (released May 14, 2021) shows off a more serious side lyrically, compared to the lighthearted-natured love songs more common in their repertoire. The second single from the EP — “For the Night” — (released September 23, 2021) was built off another synth-driven demo, this time from guitarist Blake Henry. The song's lyrics highlight the two perspectives of a romantic encounter when both involved are infatuated with one another. The band eventually re-tracked and revamped the song in the studio with lots of synthesizers and pop production techniques.
Across the EP’s landscape, various themes are encompassed, but most notably, it’s about navigating life and relationships in your 20s — and an already pivotal part of one’s life — all amidst the trying times of a global pandemic. It’s a reflection of “lots of different romantic experiences that the four of us have had,” admits Nick. “On a deeper level though, it deals with the different struggles that came from the pandemic, how the isolation took a toll on people, and the recovery of it all.”
Having grown up in Connecticut, the crew has had a lot of influence from other Connecticut musicians such as Rivers Cuomo from Weezer (who grew up just down the road from UConn’s campus), and MGMT, whose track “Little Dark Age,” inspired a lot of the production elements on “Trouble.” “Most of our friends who are in bands or produce music are from Connecticut, so we’re still heavily tied to the CT music community, as well as that of New York City because of the close proximity,” the band explains. Each of the boys has played music in the indie/alt-rock spheres and even dabbled in jazz, but their broad collective music tastes that including The Black Keys, The 1975, The Killers, and Catfish and the Bottlemen, have kept them tied to a more alternative rock sound.
As they’ve matured, ultimately so has their songwriting and musicality. “Our own experiences are indicative of what we write about, and have shaped how the music and lyrics have grown over time,” they disclose. “Having the chance to record in a number of studios with a few different producers has been a really great experience for us.”
From the beginning, the band has always put a focus on their fans, prioritizing the importance of live music. The four-piece act never fails to draw in a crowd whether playing a hometown show, or a distinguished Manhattan venue with their catchy alt/pop melodies and electrifying up close and personal performances. Kids That Fly have proved their vast potential and are truly an act to follow.