Kinch releases new EP at Phoenix's First Friday
Written by Amy Villarreal
After two years of collaboration, the band that has Phoenix buzzing is pop-rockers Kinch. The foursome's catchy sounds and lyrics were what had people moving with the music by the end of their first song last night at Downtown Phoenix's First Friday. At the end of the street on Roosevelt and 3rd, the band set up its own stage and got ready to perform, celebrating their debut of their new EP, Collars and Sleeves. The unique sounds of What Laura Says took the stage first, drawing in a crowd of interested Phoenicians. Some time around 9 o'clock, the crowd began to grow and everyone was getting anxious as Kinch began to tune up.
Lead singer and songwriter Andrew Junker expressed his love for playing large crowds, which usually number around 200. The band, consisting of Junker, Brian Coughlin, Jake Malone, and Wayne Jones, was interested in playing First Friday to invite all ages to listen to their music. As Junker explained, usually the band plays 21 and over shows, much like tonight at the Yucca Taproom, but this would be different; They could play their music in the middle of their city, for everyone to enjoy. February marked a month long tour with Dear in the Headlights, and once again in less than a week the band will be departing with DITH for a tour across the U.S.
Of course, my first point of interest when talking to Junker about the tight knit group of guys was the name. "Where in the world did you come up with Kinch?" I asked. It certainly wasn't surprising when the intellectual told me the character Kinch in one of James Joyce's novels, Ulysses, was his favorite and the band quickly adopted it. As far as bands go, they aren't your everyday skinny jean-wearing, scruffy guys, but Coughlin's round glasses and laid back style didn't exactly match his lyrical sounds, which either way captured the audience. In comparison to the preceding band, What Laura Says, their style proved much less Indie, yet hit the right note as far as his passion went. The crowd swayed with approval as the band went crazy during their debut of Carolina Cannonball.
Before the guys head out on their fall tour, they will be playing around Phoenix, with their kick off of the DITH Tour on September 10th. Kinch is expected to return in October after hitting some major cities, like Dallas, St. Louis, Tulsa, Chicago, and New York.