Over a year ago, on a warm summer afternoon, we met Kalin
White and Myles Parrish for the first time. In the crowded backseat of
a small, non-descript passenger van, we learned about the two talented,
young musicians from the Bay area. The conversation was sometimes
drowned out by the constant hum of the van’s engine, but it was better
than the alternative, which was inside the tiny dive bar in Philadelphia
where they were about to perform.
During that first
30-minute meeting, we learned about Kalin and Myles’ passion for music
and their love for the fans they fondly call the KAMFAM. By the end of
the interview though, you could also tell these two guys were on a
mission to share their music with as many people as they could reach.
As we stepped out of the van, we had no doubt that they would someday,
successfully reach that goal.
Fast forward sixteen months, and last month, on a crisp
fall evening, we approached the huge, shiny, black tour bus with Kalin
and Myles 11-20-15 spray painted down the side. We were reminded that
in the last year or so, these guys have exploded. Parked along side the
Electric Factory, which remains a premier concert venue in Philly, the
guys are ironically on tour with a band named Timeflies. As we entered
their tour bus, we knew time certainly has flown, and a whole lot has
changed for the duo since June of 2014.
We’ve checked in with
K&M multiple times since that first meeting in the summer of 2014. Of
the five or six interviews with White and Parrish, we have seen the
venues and crowds change and grow. From stepping on to the “small”
stage at Arthur Ashe Kids Day late summer 2014, to the following summer
where they blew away the crowd on the “big” stage at that same annual
event. Like so many others who have followed their career, we could see
the buzz for the duo building. However, it really struck us this time,
as we climbed aboard their fancy new tour bus, K&M have arrived.
And what better way to celebrate their exciting arrival?
How about releasing their debut full length album, hence the 11-20-15
down the side of the bus? So get ready KAMFAM. November 20th is right
around the corner and the guys are extremely excited about sharing their
new music with their fans.
“The fans are
everything, first and foremost,” says White, while discussing the
release of “Broken Hearted,” the first single released from the new
album, back on October 9th. “It’s cool that they’re liking it because
that’s who we do it for. At the same time, it’s cool that they’re
accepting ‘Broken Hearted’ because it’s kind of a new sound for us.”
In addition to the
expansion of their careers and fan base, the duo’s music, writing and
production styles have also veered from past singles like “Love
Robbery.”
“The new album has roots from our first two EP’s for sure,”
says Parrish. “The thing I’d say is it’s a little more grown. And some
new sounds. We have a couple of tunes on there that are more R&B than
we’ve done before. ‘Broken Hearted’ is a different thing in itself too.
It definitely sounds a little more grown up, but the vibes are still
there – function music, alternative songs, stuff like that.”
Learning life
lessons, growing as an artist and meeting awesome people are all things
Parrish says he’s experienced along this journey. White agrees, but
tells us one of his favorite artistic parts of their journey so far is
probably the progression in his voice.
“It’s cool to see I can hit some notes that I wasn’t able
to six months ago or a few years back. It’s cool to see that
progression and show that to the fans when I’m on stage,” White says.
While White and
Parrish are both extremely proud of the whole album and super excited
for the KAMFAM to finally hear it, they did share their personal
favorite tracks from the November 20th release.
“It’s a tie for me,” says White. “I really like ‘I See
You.’ We actually just got done shooting that music video, so that
should be out before the record drops. And ‘Shake It,’ too.”
Parrish, however, is
very matter of fact about his fave being “Do What You Do.”
While crossing the
country on tour, the guys always enjoy connecting with their fans
through social media, at their shows and for some really lucky fans,
hanging out on the bus at a tour stop.
“It’s just cool to be back here on the east coast. We’re
hitting all the cities around here and some midwest. It’s a great time
to play some new songs for the girls,” says Parrish. “We’ve also done a
little street team listening session on the bus, so we get to listen to
the new music and hangout. It’s an exciting time.”
Check out what else
the guys told us on the complete interview here and check out their new
album on iTunes November 20th.
