Dingus: Adam, about a week ago I was sitting with you on a couch in a mutual friends apartment, meeting you for the first time over a blunt. You told me you had a hip-hop projects called Lil Kids and I was skeptical. But, I dug it, posted it to the blog and sure enough, you raked in 2.2 thousand hearts in three days, earning you the number one seat on Hype Machine. Let’s just start here: how does it feel to go from having 10 fans to having thousands in a matter of hours?
Kane: I think my partner Nick Adams aka Lopato aka Young Fantasia would agree that we feel like we won homecoming court or something like that. It feels amazing that people are digging our stuff, we are really proud of our first release and we are super psyched people are listening to us.
When I spoke to you, you told me not to post Slow Rainbow because you had another album in the works, want to tell us about it?
Yes, on May 30th we are releasing our new album Young Hercules. It is my baby! It makes me want to clap my hands at the dinner table. We shot a video for one of the singles with our friend Theo Schear from the Bay Area, it’s dropping the same day hopefully. Can’t say too much else yet other than that I can’t wait to finally drop it I’m really happy with what Nick and I have accomplished since the first tape. We started working on Young Hercules the day we released Slow Rainbow, so it took us about 3 months to finish.
How would you define your sound? and how would you say it’s progressing from album to album?
I try and always have a psychedelic vibe going on in every aspect of life so there’s psych roots for sure. Slow Rainbow definitely has a very classic hip hop sound to it. Young Hercules is kind of half old school hip hop half psychedelic 80′s synth music; if that even makes sense. I think both of these albums are a really good representation of my life in the past year. I’m sure Nick feels that in some sense as well. After this release we really want to get some better equipment to take our sound to another level. Nick is a really talented engineer as well as producer and I think we are going to stay DIY for a while and keep doing everything at home.
Slow Rainbow can get pretty heavy at times. How do some of the grimmer lyrics relate to your life?
Im just a grimy dude I guess (*laughs). All the self deprication in Slow Rainbow was definitely real when I wrote it. It is kind of a sad album in a way. Everything I write is either something that is kind of going on in my life or just stream of consciousness. I don’t really want to give too much information about my personal life though. It can mean whatever you want. Young Hercules is kind of on a different emotional spectrum I’m feeling happier these days.
If there was a moral message, or even just a message at all within the music, what is it?
I try not to get too preachy with anything. I dont necessarily have an agenda with the lyrics. I think my lyrics are very personal but at the same time are vague enough where other people could probably identify with them. If I could say one thing to the entire world right now though at this point in my life it would probably be try and be as happy as possible, dont have kids, and dont drink strawberry Yoohoo.
Shifting gears, how did you and Lopato come to work together?
We have known eachother since middle school. We never really hung out in high school but we had classes together and talked in class and what not. I heard his early shit he was making in college and I hit him up and said we should collaborate. Nick visited 2 summers ago and we recorded 3 songs and just vibed really well in the studio. After that summer he moved up here to go to school for engineering. Now we are roomates.
How have you effected each-others styles? How involved are you in the instrumental process?
Nick and I have a good balance life wise. He’s got his shit a little more together than me though, he’s really fucking smart. Not that I’m an idiot, he’s just really brilliant. Nick and I go digging for records together a lot. He definitely understands what kind of samples work for LIL KIDS. He engineers and produces everything I just throw in ideas and arrangement suggestions from time to time but he pretty much holds down the entire production element of our shit. Someone give him some cred! Homie can make any style of beat- he’s about to drop some solo shit on everyone, so watch out for that.
Believe me, I’m a big fan of Lopato and I do owe his solo work a blog post, especially that track he released with The Snake. Have you been contacted by anyone in the biz yet?
Yes, a label which I will not name expressed interest in putting us on a distributional sampler but then ended up flaking on it. Im hoping they enjoy Young Hercules though.
How do you feel about the DIY music scene?
Super good. I don’t even really want to be on a label. If we could keep doing everything by ourselves, I would love that. I just want to be able to print our albums on vinyl and play a lot of shows. The idea of a label is cool but if we could do LIL KIDS full time and not have to be on a contract that would be ideal! But if someone would hook us up with a good deal or something we’d probably say yes (*laughs). I just know that right now DIY spots have the best shows in NYC. You can usually bring your own alcohol which is a huge plus and they are cheap!
I find that’s a common answer. ”We’d love to stay DIY, but if someone wants to pay the bills, how can we refuse.”- it’s honest and frank. Unfortunately, I think we are entering a time where you’ll have musicians receiving international fame, getting posted on heavy traffic sites and still not making a cent. If you were told you’d never make a penny, would you still do it?
Yeah because there are a lot of other awesome things that come from being in a band. One is free drinks at shows the next is free drinks at shows. Also if you play a show you dont have to pay to go to it which is cool. Plus I just love the feeling of rocking the mic and being on stage- it makes me feel like I’m fucked up on some other shit. Whenever we play I feel like the set only lasted for like 10 minutes, it goes by super quick it’s crazy and weird. Also, traveling is fun and playing with your friends bands is really fun. Music is just a good time in general. Money fucking sucks in a lot of ways and makes life really cheesy and complicated. Music is always dope, even if it’s shitty.
Believe it or not, that was poetic. So what are your plans for the future, besides releasing the new album?
Man you’re talkin like my mom! Right now im lifeguarding at different apartment buildings in the financial district i get payed 10.50 an hour to sit and fuck around on the internet. No one every comes in usually so I’m by myself all day. It’s like “oh yeah my apartment has a pool but why would I go use, it I’m too busy sending my other fellow masons emails about the next blood orgy.” I really want to make another album after this one and also step up our visual grind and do more videos. I’m trying to save up money to invest in some good recording equipment. Basically, music is my life at this point and I’m putting all my money and time into that because fuck everything else. All my friends who went to college and are in college always bitch about it and are in debt hard as hell. I worked with kids for a year I- might do something humanitarian again if I feel too viced out and need karma points.
