BY EMILY HARRIS
PHOTO COURTESY OF MY KID BROTHER
Reigning from Leesburg, Virginia, My Kid Brother has exploded as a promising addition to Fearless Records. The band, including Christian Neonakis [vocals, guitar], Piano Whitman [keyboard, vocals], Sam Athanas [drums], Dylan Savopolous [guitar], and Richard Smith [bass], have blended their punk background into addictive melodies and catchy choruses. Their past three singles, “Native Tongue,” “Pastels,” and “Daydream” each have their own sound but entirely encapsulate the newest era of alternative music.
Christian Neonakis was able to talk to us here at Unclear Magazine about the quintet and what’s to come next.
Hey guys! Why don’t you tell us a little bit about the beginnings of the band?
Christian: “The band started back in 2016 when Sam and Christian (who had both recently left other bands) started playing music together at the bar they worked at after hours. For some-time we didn’t know if it was the type of thing that would ever get out to the world or just something fun for us to do for our friends… but eventually we decided to put together a full band and play some shows. We had become friends with Dylan at the bar and learned that he was a great guitar player AND had a very sweet place for us to play music. We eventually met Richard by playing shows and getting to know other musicians in the area. He immediately became close friends with all of us and it was only a matter of time before we asked him to start playing full time with MKB. After around two years of playing our last keyboardist was unable to continue playing for personal reasons, so we began searching for someone to take that spot. Richard knew of a lot of local musicians and after meeting Piano and jamming with her, we were all extremely impressed and asked her the next day if she wanted to become a permanent member in the band.”
How has being a quintet help define the sound you make? How have you been able to lace the male-female vocals into your work?
C: “I don't really think we could do the music justice without five people. In the recording process we all get so instrument happy and want to keep layering more sounds and instruments that eventually we have to pull back and realize that there are only five of us playing live. Vocally it's very smooth. Most times we all come together on a lead vocal part, then Piano harmonizes beautifully with the part. It always feels easy and natural. That balance is super important to us. We feel like it is one of the most important elements of our sound.”
What was the process like of being signed to Fearless Records in 2019?
C: “It was an amazing experience. Getting to do something that you could only ever dream of doing with a label that you absolutely love. Fearless has been so encouraging and kind to us, it truly feels like a family. They made the process as smooth as possible.”
How has being signed to a major label, like Fearless, changed the way you approach writing and recording?
C: “I don't know that it has. Even now we all still do our bedroom recordings. Once we have something we like, we present it to the band, practice the hell out of it, then show it to the production team. That’s one of the great things about working with Fearless is that they really do trust us to handle all of that on our own.”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your debut single, “Native Tongue”? What was the writing process like?
C: “Native Tongue was inspired by the feeling of being away from home in a city that feels foreign. It's really about learning how to understand new experiences, while being honest with yourself.
The writing process for the song was amazing. It was written with the producers of the album, Noah and Jamie, while we were out in L.A. for the first time. It was an amazing experience being able to sit and write with producers as talented as they are.”
What was the inspiration behind the music video for your recent single, “Daydream”?
C: “We wanted the video to reflect the lyrics of the song, while having its own unique narrative. A dystopian future theme seemed fitting. The song is really about encouraging the counter culture and not being afraid to break social norms.”
What are your plans for the future once music venues begin reopening? Can we look forward to you touring soon?
C: “Once venues open again, definitely expect us to be touring and playing shows a lot. I think every musician in the world right now is just counting down the seconds until everyone can play live again. We miss performing live so much.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MY KID BROTHER
Speaking of touring, on May 9th you’ll be performing at Fearless at Home, a live stream concert event. What can we aspect from your acoustic set?
C: “We can’t say too much about the Fearless live stream event… but we hope you’re hungry...”
Thanks for talking with us! Anything you want to say to your fans, both old and new?
C: “We love you. Take care of each other.”