Hailing from Old Bridge, New Jersey, The Stolen is an alternative rock band consisting of Dom Cuce, ...
A coalition of talents forged from various locations in Sweden, the fresh-faced, four-piece KEV has used its inaugural year to push a unique blend of instrumental finesse, using their debut EP Chapter X to throw their dreamy pop and alternative expressionism into the limelight. Solidified by a shared vision and a sound already turning heads on a global scale, 2017 offers ample room for KEV to reclaim the concept of genuine musical collaboration and the importance of genuine expression within it.
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SunCity Paradise: Coming from Sweden, describe your home country. What’s one aspect that really stands out to you and makes it special? Also, where would you direct first-time visitors to really get a feel for the land? Why?
KEV: Sweden is a very beautiful country, with amazing landscapes. I live on the west coast and here we have the ocean, large forests and fields within just a couple of miles. I would say that going to Stockholm would be smart. It’s the capital city and also has a bit of everything. They have lakes, archipelago and the city. Stockholm also has a lot of history.
SCP: To constantly create music while you’re traveling must be such a feeling. What’s the most impactful and meaningful part you cherish about it? Does traveling help inspiration?
K: I think that traveling absolutely helps inspiration, because you never know what you’re about to see or feel. When the feelings just come to you, you get the most honest and describing lyrics or melodies out, so to be surprised and be open minded is a great thing while traveling.
SCP: How does music and travel complement and go hand-in-hand with each other?
K: As musicians, it’s hard to just drop your work. You’re always thinking about melodies and lyrics, so to be able to see and experience new things and meet new people, helps me a lot with music. For me, it complements very well.
SCP: When searching for a personal getaway, are you looking for a serene beach or after a more active, adventurous getaway? Why?
K: It depends. Sometimes, I love being in big cities just standing in big crowds, looking at huge buildings. Other times, I could just enjoy reading a book on a little private beach with no other people. It depends on the mood. Often when I travel, I wanna go to warm places with a lot of nice culture and history, and also be able to get a nice sun tan.
SCP: One of our core objectives at SCP is to bring people together while traveling, not only to influence people to see and appreciate our beautiful world, but to also minimize cross-cultural divides. What effect does traveling, specifically surrounding music, have on humans in this regard? How has it broadened your perspective of the world?
K: When you listen to music you’re making your own trip in your head and one of the greatest powers that music has is that it can make people come together. They sing together, smile together and cry together. Traveling can be the same thing if you’re just open minded and curious. I’ve been working a lot with newcomers from Syria, and with an open mind and a happy attitude you realize that people have so much to give to each other. Realizing that you need other people in your life to fulfill it was important for me to understand.
© Lamoix
SCP: Everyone has a list of places that they still have to hit. What are three destinations, either for work or pleasure, that you need to see? Why?
K: Hmm … three places? It’s hard, because in some way I would like to see every country in the whole world. But, I’d say: Hawaii (Maui), Beijing and Tanzania, because I’ve always wanted to see a really nice beautiful Island with a dreamlike nature. Bejing and China feel so far away, so it would be cool to see those in real life. Tanzania, because of the safaris. It would be so cool to see lions and crazy animals.
SCP: Most destinations have a festival that they’re known for, whether it’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Oktoberfest in Munich. Which one would you choose to attend? Why?
K: Burning Man would’ve been cool. I’ve heard a lot of crazy stuff from there. We have some really nice music festivals in Sweden, but my hopes are to be able to perform at a lot of music festivals in the future. That would be my way of attending these new ones for us as a group.
SCP: What is the most beautiful outdoor location that you’ve played at? How did the beauty add to the music?
K: We haven’t played at too many places with KEV yet, but with another project we played at a place in Halmstad, our hometown. It’s a club near the ocean with a stage outside, so you can see the ocean from the stage. There’s always a lot of people sitting outside the fences and dunes, listening to the music that’s playing in the club. That was amazing.
SCP: When you’re relaxing on a beach or just have some downtime are you listening to dance music? Or do you like to switch up the tunes? If so, to what?
K: It really depends on what mood I’m in. I love to get a feeling while listening to music, so songs that are very cinematic are nice, like “Midnight City” by M83 and “Every tear drop is a waterfall” by Coldplay for example. But, it can be everything from Zayn to The Beach Boys. The Beach Boys made really good beach music, believe it or not. Right now I listen a lot of Bon Iver and The Weeknd. So, if I would go on a trip now I would listen to their two new albums — ’22, A Million’ and ‘Starboy’.
© Marcela
SCP: Lastly, when’s the next vacation/trip and where to?
K: Right now, it’s to New York, but I’ll probably go somewhere else before that trip. New York will be really fun!
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Hailing from Old Bridge, New Jersey, The Stolen is an alternative rock band consisting of Dom Cuce, ...
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