Kinetix interview

If you haven’t heard rock and pop band Kinetix yet, fear not. We think you’ll be hearing a lot of them very soon. They’ve journeyed, figuratively and literally, far since their early days, which started as Lamont School of Music students playing for passersby on the University of Denver campus during passing periods. They went on to win a battle of the bands in 2006 at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, and since have been on a whirlwind tour of more than 40 cities in 20 states, including a recent stint opening 23 dates for the Flobots, which, in part, led to Flobots guitarist Andy Guerrero producing their third album, Let Me In. Get to know the band -- Adam Lufkin (rhythm guitar, vocals), Eric Blumenfeld (keyboards, vocals), Jack Gargan (drums), Jordan Linit (lead guitar), and Josh Fairman (bass) -- as they answer our questions about their early days at DU, the joys of touring, rock in a weak economy, the joys of touring, the joys of touring, and the new album from where else but on “a van ride to a gig.”

Jeanie Straub: You all got your start as a band playing outside on the University of Denver campus during passing periods. Tell me a little more about that. Do you miss those days? Were you all at the Lamont School of Music?

Eric Blumenfeld (keyboards, vocals) and Kinetix: Yeah, we were all students at the school but we actually met at a local bar called The Border. We miss those days because we had no experience so everything that we did was awesome! We would promote shows by running around the dorms putting fliers under every door, or jamming in the hallways during passing periods. We actually got started by begging for permission to perform on the campus quad during random benefits, but eventually we started to attract larger crowds than the actual benefits and we got unofficially banned from playing on campus. We took the party to the Denver theaters. … In reference to the Lamont influence, we can’t say enough about the program. The whole system is set up to stimulate creativity. The kids are there to learn, and the professors are incredibly talented. We all gained a deeper appreciation for so many styles of music, and in a very real way it helped us form our brand of rock and roll.

Straub: Does your music fit neatly into a genre?

Jordan Linit (lead guitar) and Kinetix: Yes. It is rock and pop, but it wasn’t always that way. On our previous albums it was hard to place all the songs under any one genre. … Over the years and tours since our last album we’ve matured from a group of five individuals into a band. It’s funny, but when you have something in your life that is etched in stone like a record, it’s probably somewhat a part of human nature to look back on it and wish that you knew then what you know now. That’s why [our third album] Let Me In is so close to all of our hearts; we really feel like this album is Kinetix in the present tense.

Straub: You all won a Battle of the Bands competition in 2006 at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, also known as 10KLF. You said the promoters loved you, and you’ve been invited back every year since. Sadly, just like Monolith, 10KLF ran into financial problems and is on indefinite hiatus – it sounded like a great gig. How else does a down economy affect an up-and-coming band like Kinetix? You all have been asked to perform at the 2010 festivals Summer Camp, Wakarusa, Forecastle, Bella Vida, Big Up, Great Lakes, and more, but the whole economic gloom and doom -- it must suck to have all that in the background, even when things are going so well.

Josh Fairman (bass) and Kinetix: Wait, rock and roll used to be easy? Get out of here. Where’s the free money? Really, it is what it is. Obviously, the economy is having a huge effect on the industry and when you factor in the ‘free music’ digital era it puts a tremendous strain on a band in the traditional sense. Certainly, it hurts us in the short term. … That said, we’re not scared. It comes down to an inner faith in the bigger picture.

Straub: The Minnesota festival led to your ability to tour, and you’ve since put together a touring route that includes 40 cities in 20 states. Tell me about what you love about touring and what you don’t love so much.

Jack Gargan (drums) and Kinetix: Three weeks ago we were pulling an all-night drive from Denver to Wisconsin for our first gig of the Spring tour in Wisconsin. At 1 a.m., the trailer wheel hub cap gets loose and the grease leaks out. At 60 mph the spindle melts immediately and a second later the trailer catches on fire. Literally lucky for our lives, we catch it in the rear view mirror and pull over. There was a nervous eight-hour wait for the service truck to come, and after slapping together a plan to rent a U-Haul for a week we arrive at the gig 20 minutes after doors. The crowd goes nuts when we walk in and we plug in, turn up and rock a wild, frenzied sold-out show for three hours. Tour is about enjoying the opportunity to chase something special.

Straub: In 2009, Kinetix toured with the Flobots, playing 23 dates nationwide. What are your best memories of that time? What was something really important that you learned from the Flobots? Do you keep in touch?

Fairman and Kinetix: We had arguably the best time of our professional lives on that tour. The Flobots are an unbelievable group. They became our friends, mentors and role models. Kinetix grew so much during those two months. The Flobots are uniquely talented. They control the stage so well and bring heat every single night, and they elevated our game accordingly. … They were so supportive, front and center on the dance floor for our sets almost every night, and that’s right before their own shows. That’s just absurd. We keep in close touch to this day and in fact, we got along so well with Flobots guitarist Andy Guerrero that he ended up producing Let Me In. We’re still shocked by how this has all played out.

Straub: Let Me In, your third album, is set for a May 11 release. Your manager, Daniel Kellner, said the concept behind the album was an existential, in-the-moment reflection on being a band. Can you elaborate on that?

Adam Lufkin (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Kinetix: Let Me In reflects where we are both musically and from a maturity standpoint. … We’re at a juncture where we feel like we’ve found our sound, and these are the stories about how we got here. Sure, we’re in this to be successful and make careers out of it, which seems to fall on the same plane as any attempt to create harmony in life or love, but I guess it just never hurts to look in a mirror and remember that it feels good to accept yourself for who you are.

Straub: I hate how some bands don’t seem to engage fans, and you mentioned something about your interaction with fans that I found very refreshing. Tell me about that.

Linit and Kinetix: We wouldn’t be doing this without our fans. … I could list off the email blast, Facebook, website, etc. as a strategy but it’s actually way more simple: When we see a fan out on the road that’s been coming to our shows for four years, that’s a run-and-hug situation.