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| Album and t-shirt designs Kasper Ray |
It's been a really long time since we got to announce a new release from a local band that we loved. It's also been a really long time since we got to do a giveaway. Thankfully, one of our favorite pre-pandemic bands to see live has decided that it's time to release an EP that's catchy as hell.
Today, The Idiot Kids (Jon-Mikal Bartee - Vocals/Guitar, Andrew Maslowsky- Drums/Backing Vocals, Nicholas Zambeck - Bass) are dropping a new four-song EP called Nothing. To celebrate the album and to reconnect with the band, we had a quick chat with lead singer and writer Jon-Mikal Bartee. Please read what he has to say and then head to the bottom of this post for details on how you can win a prize pack that includes the new EP, a shirt, and more!
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| Live photos Erick Bucholz |
Jon-Mikal Bartee- I’m doing well! Very excited to be releasing new music.
Hip- Do you miss live music? Performing? If so, what do you miss the most?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- I miss performing more than anything! We recorded these songs in February of last year and we were very excited to share them and start planning a tour, but then everything shut down. It was devastating because performing live is very cathartic for me. The thing I miss most is the shared experience of performing live with friends.
Hip- How has COVID influenced your creativity?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- The uncertainty of the pandemic at first was overwhelming but it forced me to focus more on writing since there was no option to play shows. There was a need to create just to stay grounded. It gave me a lot of time to experiment. I recorded a bunch of demos that I might not have had it not been for isolating at home.
Hip- When did you write this new EP? What was the inspiration?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- These are all songs that I needed to write at different times in my life as sort of diary entries. Written very quickly on the spot and then fleshed out over time. Some dating back to 2011 when we started the band. Stylistically all these songs have more of a pop feel to them. That’s why I felt they all worked well together as an EP.
Hip- Why this music? Why right now?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- These are some of my favorite songs that we’ve done. I’m releasing them now cause I honestly just don’t want to wait any longer. I’m really proud of these recordings.
Hip- What does "Nothing" mean to you? Why is it a central theme of the album?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- “Nothing” was one of the first songs I ever wrote. It’s a sort of nonsense song that’s about screaming out frustrations with things you can’t control. The whole EP deals with coming to terms with and accepting yourself for who you are.
Hip- What is the quiet game?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- The title comes from a children’s game where everyone has to be silent and the first one who makes noise loses. I wanted to write a song where I fully and unapologetically embrace my queerness. Growing up in the church as the pastor’s kid, I had to keep quiet about who I was. So “The Quiet Game” is me making noise.
Hip- What's next for The Idiot Kids?
Jon-Mikal Bartee- Hopefully we will be able to play shows again soon. I want to get out and start playing again by the end of summer/early fall. We have a lot of new material and I’m excited to get back in the studio and get another album out.
If you would like to win a prize pack from The Idiot Kids please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com. We will draw 1 lucky winner 1 week from today and we will connect them with the band to set up a convenient way to get their goods.
We loved the new EP's upbeat vibes and we think you will too, make sure that you give it a listen!
~S
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