New York, NY (Top40 Charts) If the artfully arresting songs dreamed up by the members of Kinder Than Wolves weren't enough to entice listeners, the coy temperament of the band's stage presence, interrupted by moments of unrestrained zeal, will charm audiences. Made up of three audio engineers, Kinder Than Wolves consists of Paige Coley (vocals, guitar), Ryan Snow (guitar), and Grant Freeman (drums). Although the trio hails from sunny Orlando, Florida, they are luring in listeners with a spectrum of sentiments that might be expected from a broader range of settings.
Coley and Snow, who flippantly refer to themselves as musical soul mates, met Freeman in college where the trio honed their audio engineering skills. Freeman joined Kinder Than Wolves as the drummer more than a year later after having played bass for the project for some time. With the lineup solidified, Kinder Than Wolves began to blend their musical sensibilities and shape their sound.
Coley's hazy, ethereal vocals weave through the music with a cool assurance as the instrumental surroundings shift with conviction. Ranging from airy and atmospheric to dark and distorted, their first release, Mean Something, available in the spring of 2016, is an introduction to the band, who made use of their recording skills to produce the EP in their Florida townhouse. Themes of nostalgia, regret, and instability line the EP in a distinctly impactful "sad but upbeat" sound that is resolute in its direction. Freeman's drumming switches fluidly from a reassuring pulse to a more aggressive framework for Coley and Snow's guitar work, which is given spotlight throughout the EP.
Although Coley and Snow were originally apprehensive towards the idea of performing live due to their shy disposition, the group made their way onto the stage after Freeman joined as drummer. The trio quickly found an affinity for live performance and turning audiences into friends. Though the group has been called some form of "charmingly shy" on several occasions, they have found a second home on stage, breaking from bashfulness only to give a cohesive, energetic performance that is unquestionably one the three members have developed from years of friendship. With the upcoming release ofMean Something, Kinder Than Wolves is sure to make many more friends out of listeners and live audiences alike.