So how has your latest album/EP gone so far with fans then?
Our latest release has been a group of four singles with the last coming out this upcoming January. So far they have been received very well. With the partnership of The Animal Farm these are our first tracks to have been mixed and mastered and the sound quality is dope. So far Same Old Heart has been the favorite single to our fans, but I think It Aint Easy ( came out November 26) has been the most fun to play live. We do have a batch we have played live that will be on an album next spring that have been fan favorites already.
Tell us something about the release no one knows?
The first release Sing For My Supper was actually a late add. We had worked the arrangement and weren’t even going to consider it for the batch of singles. We had finished recording for the day when my brother (Noah McKinley) picked up an acoustic and started messing with a different rhythm. Within seconds we had totally revamped a dead song and turned all of our equipment back on. We knocked it out in two takes and pushed it to the front of the line.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
I think for me it would have to be Mt. Joy. They have a very cool sound that I think we could mesh with and make a killer track. Plus I have ben listening to their Live At Red Rocks album on repeat the past couple days so they are kind of on the brain. They have some very interesting lyrics and I really enjoy hearing unique stories and my brother and I love their guitar tones and vocals.
How has your latest release been received?
Well stupidly I forgot to check the date of our latest song It Aint Easy against holidays. It turns out that Thanksgiving was the day before and was a total oversight on my part. It hasn’t gotten a whole lot of attention yet but it is one of my favorites. It is one where my brother Noah sings the first verse and I sing the second. We hadn’t attempted switching verses back and forth yet and we had a really fun time making it.
Can you tell us about the meaning behind the track?
My brother wrote It Aint Easy in the back of a pick up truck. He was riding in a downpour of rain in the mountains where he worked as a camp councilor over the summer. It is about the transition to adulthood, leaving behind the comforts of family and friends. It can be very isolating to strike out on your own, especially in unfamiliar territory, when there are no footprints to follow. You just take things one step at a time and hope you are taking them in the right direction. This song is an expression of that feeling.
What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?
We don’t have anything set in stone at the moment but we are hoping to book up 2022 as soon as we can. We like everyone else haven’t had a ton of opportunities to play live over the past couple years, so we are very excited to hit the road. In the meantime we have been playing around the neighborhood and in some local bars in North Carolina to tune up and get ready.
What venue are you most looking forward to playing the most, and why?
That would have to be The Ritz in Raleigh. Our band really took form after we went to see Declan McKenna and The Head and The Heart there. We were already playing music, but after watching them both have a kick ass performance we got home and really started taking our music more seriously. It kind of lit a fire under us and we have been chugging along ever since. It would be really fun to come full circle and get the chance to play there.
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