With the rapidly growing music scene in Utah churning out headlining acts like The Moth & the Flame and Neon Trees, three homegrown Utahns and one Minnesota transplant came together to create another up-and-comping local indie band, RKDN.
“We’re just a bunch of guys doing what we love,” said Matt Orr, lead singer and guitarist. “At some point, we just decided this is what we want to do. What we’re really going to pursue.”
The four students, three of whom attend UVU and one who attends BYU (although drummer Cam Faerber wanted to be clear that he is actually an avid Ute fan), will open for Bastille tonight. The band’s alternative pop sound and appreciation for electronic production showcase their appeal to all ages and especially those who like to dance.
“What we really want,” said Kyle Hooker, bassist, “is for people to just come and enjoy dancing to our set for half an hour and leave excited. Which is how we feel after playing our own shows.”
Putting a spin on their own musical inspirations (bands like Imagine Dragons and Coldplay) their sound has grown and changed quite a bit since high school, which is when some of the band first got together.
All of them have been playing music since they were little, some as young as six years old, and each knew it was going to be a huge part of their lives. Because of their involvement at all ages, they’ve really grown to appreciate the changes in the local scene.
Orr said, “Oh yeah, we’ve seen [Utah’s music scene] really grow and develop, especially with acts like Neon Trees and Imagine Dragons, who really helped pave that road. It’s interesting because we were growing up around these bands, watching them, and as we saw them do this we were just teenagers. But we loved it and we thought it was awesome, this music scene, and we wanted to be a part of it.’
These local inspirations have challenged RKDN to work hard for what they want. They also aren’t ashamed of where they come from — they’re proud to be locals hailing from Provo.
“It’s a blast to be from where we are. Velour has this little subculture that’s fun to be a part of,” Orr said.
Building their fan base through performances close to home and the convenience of social media, the guys have been able to really focus on their upcoming record.
“Thanks to social media, we can connect with people who go home for the holidays or people as far as Michigan and then suddenly we have a little pocket of fans in Michigan,” Orr said. “It’s been nice to keep touring on the low scale while we “load the guns” so to speak.”
Their full-length record will be out in early spring of 2016 and the guys have curated a collection of their 13 best singles. Everything from moody electro-pop to string-based love songs and even an anthem are in store for fans. As Hooker said so himself, “It’s gonna blow your mind.”
As a band that runs purely on RedBull and enthusiasm, balancing their busy schedules has been tough, but manageable, and they try to meet at least once a week.
“This is our favorite thing to do in the world,” said Orr of performing, and they couldn’t be more excited about the show tonight at The Complex with Bastille.
You can keep up with RKDN via twitter and instagram @rkdnmusic and be sure to check out their single “Silver” on SoundCloud.
Tickets for tonight’s concert at The Complex are still available here. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
@katherinekellis