There’s considerably more to a Kry Kids gig than you would expect from a Rock-centric Electronic band. When the local group began as a duo conceived by ex-Chalk multi-instrumentalist Dave Rohs and Culture Queer’s Jeremy Lesniak in 2009, it was probably exactly what you’d expect.
“There were a lot of wires,” Rohs says while chatting at their rehearsal space at the famed “Sprout House” in South Fairmount. “So many wires.”
Rohs and Lesniak realized they’d have to increase their numbers to grow beyond their limited resources. Lesniak knew bassist Brendan Bogosian from their stint in Ether Bunny (“We were trying to be Noise Rock but it turned into a bad Jam band,” says Lesniak) and Bogosian knew drummer Brent Donaldson.
“I told Brent that Jeremy and Dave were looking for a drummer and his caveat was, ‘I’ll join but you have to join with me,’ ” Bogosian remembers. “I thought, ‘Oh, shit, what have I gotten myself into?’ ”
Rohs and Lesniak auditioned others but settled on Bogosian and Donaldson (the fact they’d been in six bands together previously may have been the convincer). Kry Kids has been a quartet for two and a half years now. The wisdom of the decision to bring in more musicians is evident on Kry Kids’ debut EP, the digitally-released Happy Tomato, officially available as a download through The All Night Party the night of their release party at the Northside Tavern.
Kry Kids host a free release party for their new EP Saturday at Northside Tavern with special guests Abiyah and SS-20. Go here to read Brian Baker’s full interview.
This article appears in Apr 20-26, 2011.