A lot of bands talk about the strong relationships between friends within the group structure, but few have had the opportunity to put that connection to the test quite like And The Kids.
The Northampton, Mass. band began with a seventh grade band class friendship between guitarist/vocalist Hannah Mohan and drummer Rebecca Lasaponaro, who eventually dropped out of school to pursue music. The duo’s earliest inspirations were primarily Rilo Kiley, Modest Mouse, The Doors and The Police, and its current sound reflects a lot of the elements of that powerful quartet of influences — epic Rock classicism, pulsing New Wave cool, jittery Indie Rock energy and a freewheeling sense of Art Rock experimentalism.
Four years ago, the duo met fellow Institute for the Musical Arts intern and impressive synthesist Megan Miller and invited her to make the band a trio. Since then, And The Kids has released four recordings, a pair of EPs and two albums — the anthemic 2015 debut Turn to Each Other and a recent sophomore effort, the intricately conceived and executed Friends Share Lovers.
The band’s new album was recorded in Montreal by necessity. Miller, a Canadian citizen, has been wrangling with the United States government for years over visa issues and was deported last year. Rather than simply audition a new synthesizer whiz to take Miller’s place, Mohan and Lasaponaro took their new songs — a set that explores the concept of what friendship means and how turmoil can strengthen or fracture it — to their exiled friend and created the finished product on her turf.
That dedication continues to find new modes of expression within And The Kids as they take to the road to promote Friends Share Lovers. In an effort to present the songs as faithfully as possible, Mohan and Lasaponaro have added bassist Taliana Katz to the fold, and Mohan and Katz obtained a sample pad which is loaded with Miller’s synthesizer and controlled by looping pedals onstage, assuring that the band’s missing keyboardist is still a vital part of their live identity going forward.
And The Kids isn’t merely spouting lip service about the importance of friendship; they’re presenting a blueprint for honoring the musical and emotional bonds that inextricably link people together.
Click here for more info on this free show.
This article appears in Oct 12-19, 2016.