Under The Radar: Color, Kid

Under The Radar with Color, Kid

First off I would like to thank the guys from Color, Kid for their patience as this interview was planned to be published a month or two ago but life just ended up overtaking me (as it does). But it might actually be all for the better. As the whipping winds, snow and sleet pelt my windshield on my way to work the band’s debut single, “Sunflower Face” immediately wafts in through my speakers warming as only California natives know how.”Sunflower Face” may be the group’s first release but it’s a promising one. Check it out below, as well as a great interview.

Who are you and where are you from?

Color, Kid is our four piece band based out of Santa Cruz, California comprised of Isaiah on vocals, keys and rhythm guitar, Clay on lead guitar, Jacob on bass and Andrew on drums.

When did you form?

We formed during the summer 2021. We’ve all been friends since meeting each other at Cabrillo College and always had interests in similar aspects of music. When we came together as a band we started off by jamming in our garage near downtown Santa Cruz and occasionally go downtown to play on Pacific Avenue.

Are you signed to a label?

We are fully independent at the moment.

Have you toured?

We haven’t toured yet, but we are planning our first shows with other local bands that we are friends with and that we believe mutually compliment each other’s sound. We haven’t had very much live experience as Color, Kid due to being formed in the middle of Covid. Since Covid restrictions lifting, things are really coming together and in the next month or so we are hoping to be playing shows frequently, with a tour definitely being on our bucket list down the road.

Have you been in or worked with any other bands?

Three of the four of us have past experience in a band called Forest Lakes. It was relatively short-lived but we did get the chance to play a live set on KBCZ 98.3 Radio and played a UCSC house show opening for The Wax Drops, so it was a formative first band for us that taught us a lot. Clay started playing guitar with us in late 2020 and was quickly adopted into the band.

What inspired your band’s name?

Color, Kid was a name conceived by Jacob. The first few songs we created were related to colors so after a few colorful ideas for names we settled on Color, Kid. It was inspired by creativity and staying motivated with your hobbies. Go color, kids!

Have you released any music? Where did you record it? Who did you record with and where can you find it?

We recently released our first single Sunflower Face and it’s out on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and a few other platforms. We are working with a good friend Miguel Munoz up in Fremont, California who has been producing our music and giving some helpful insights into our recordings. Miguel has been so awesome to work with and is just overall a great person and musician. His input on this project has been invaluable.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

Isaiah: Some of my biggest direct influences for the music I’m writing and playing now are Silversun Pickups, MeWithoutYou, Flipturn, Turnover and Blink-182. Those are more direct influences but I feel all types of music inspire me differently. So I should include bands like August Burns Red, Touche Amour, Crown The Empire, Silverstein, A Day To Remember, and Still Corners as some of my biggest past musical influences. Those artists really helped get me into music in all aspects and brought me to where I currently am in my musical journey.

Clay: Before learning guitar I listened almost exclusively to Hip-Hop music. Some of my earlier influences include MF DOOM, Odd Future, Eminem, and Mac Miller. Since then I have been introduced to a whole new world of music in bands that many of my friends listen to. Some of my favorites influences include Modern Baseball, Turnover, Flipturn, Mom Jeans, Peach Pit, and some older bands like The Strokes, The Smiths, and Oasis.

Jacob: It all started from a little Spongebob Squarepants boombox speaker and the first few albums I had in middle school; Encore by Eminem, Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits, and Kidz Bop 17. In High School I was into Logic, CZAR, Odd Future, and Atmosphere. When I started playing bass I was influenced by the likes of Joe Dart, Thundercat, Blu DeTiger, and of course legends such as Wooten, Flea, and Les Claypool. In my downtime, I really vibe with Modest Mouse, System Of A Down, Harvey Danger, The Growlers, Movements, Joyce Manor and Peach Pit.

Andrew: Ryan Clapp from Giveaway!

What are your top five favorite albums?

Isaiah: Pale Horses by MeWithoutYou, Constellations by August Burns Red, Deja Entendu by Brand New, Peripheral Vision by Turnover, and Atlas by Parkway Drive. I’m going to include Citrona by Flipturn. I know that’s six, but I think Citrona being an EP justifies it.

Clay: Peripheral Vision by Turnover, Is This It by The Strokes, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis, Circles by Mac Miller, and Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball, among many others I would love to choose.

Jacob: (My top five for this month of November) The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem, Overcast! by Atmosphere, The Frights by The Frights, Best Buds by Mom Jeans, and I Don’t Know How To Explain It by Michael Cera Palin.

Andrew: Siren Song of the Counter Culture by Rise Against, Instant Gratification by Dance Gavin Dance, Horizons by Parkway Drive, Homesick by A Day To Remember, and Count Me In by Rebelution.

What are some challenges you’ve faced, and the most rewarding aspects of your music?

Isaiah: Biggest challenge has gotta be finding time between everyone’s busy work and life schedules. Early on it was figuring out our sound and working with the recording process together and just making our way in this new environment. That actually leads to the most rewarding aspect for me which is the progress we’ve made as musicians and seeing our ideas take form and actually become something it’s a pretty beautiful thing to be a part of.

Clay: Starting playing guitar in late 2020 has been a very challenging journey to get as far as I have in such a short amount of time with no formal teachings. Taking it one practice session at a time and listening to the input from my peers has been a real help. The biggest reward from it all is the improvement that I and they have seen in me after each jam we have. It’s a long road ahead of all of us and it’s only up from here.

Jacob: I think the most rewarding aspect of our music is the comradery through the tribulations of playing, creating, and critiquing music as a whole, and not just as an individual. I have learned many different aspects of music from a listener’s and a musician’s perspective, such as drummers’ and/or rhythm guitarists’ opinions of a musical piece. I love it when some of our practice days are like “eh, F**K IT, let’s just play these 3 chords” while others we go in depth and formulate our music into a science. Anytime we can play loud, have fun, and be mostly on point deserves to be rewarded with a nice cold, juicy IPA!

Andrew: Finding time for music and getting a good take when recording is the most challenging. I think the most rewarding aspect of the experience is getting the song perfectly for the first time with the guys.