If you haven't yet heard of the band Kicking Daisies, we bet you will soon.
Don't call them a "kid band." Lead singer Duran Visek (15), drummer
Caitlin Kalafus (17), guitarist Ben Spremulli (13), and bass player
Carly Kalafus (14) work hard and love what they do, and are ready for a
rockin' bright future. There's something about the combo of upbeat yet smart pop-punk music created and performed by four teenagers that really grabs us, just like it's already grabbed a ton of fans who love their live shows and are eagerly awaiting the release of their first album later this year.
IML recently had a great time speaking to Duran and Caitlin about their experiences so far.
IML: Hi Caitlin! Hi Duran! Can you each tell us a little bit about how you started playing music and came to be in Kicking Daisies?
Duran: I originally started as a drummer because my dad's a drummer. We had jam nights every Wednesday. It started with "Hey Dad, can I get a drum set?" and that was four years ago. A year later, I was like "You know what, it's time for guitar." I started singing and songwriting too. After that I started playing piano. I got a call from music producer Mike Mangini who said, "I've got a kid up here who wants to start a band," and I was like, "Awesome!" I'd only been doing solo stuff up until then. I came up to meet Ben and he was just like, this shredder guitar kid with super long hair. You'd think he was just some metal head who didn't care but he was the nicest guy, actually kind of shy but really awesome, so we instantly clicked. I saw his band play...Then I went back down to Florida and they found Caitlin on YouTube so me and Ben went to meet Caitlin. Caitlin brought in her sister Carly and that's how Kicking Daisies was formed!
Caitlin: My dad is a music teacher at the middle school here in my town, and he also had a band. He plays guitar so he noticed that I was really, really into music, ever since I was really little. Ever since I could talk my dad would put on a song and ask me, "What instruments do you hear?" So I had my ear trained. When I was 7, I asked him if I could play guitar and he taught me a few chords, so that's how I started. But I didn't feel like practicing with guitar, I hated it. I was like, "Dad, I want to play the drums." I remember one night specifically he took me to his band practice and I was standing in the room and the kick drum really stuck out for me. Every time the drummer hit it, my heart would pound and pound! So I just got really into the drums and would always stand behind the drummer in my dad's band when they practiced, and then begged my dad for about a year if I could play drums. He had this method he likes to call "foot-tap-hand-tap." It's a basic simple drumbeat. I couldn't do it just playing it on my legs, and he was like, I'm not going to buy a drum set until you can do that. On the last day of school when I was 8 years old, I came home and heard drums coming out of my basement and I noticed it was my dad on the school drum set. He said, "I brought it home so I could teach myself for the summer. You want to learn?" So I retaught myself foot-tap hand-tap on the drums and within seconds I could play it.
IML: That's clearly the instrument you were born to play! Tell us a little about the album you're working on.
Duran: On one hand, I can't wait for it to get done! On the other hand, I don't want it to stop because I've learned so much from recording it, going in to the studio and doing all these crazy recording tricks. I think it's going to be an amazing album. I've come so far from my solo stuff down in Florida.
Caitlin: I think it's so cool. When I record the drums we do it in this mansion. I literally play in the living room so we get this nice big sound. And I just feel like John Bonham from Led Zeppelin!
IML: What kind of things do you hear from your fans?
Caitlin: I get a lot of anonymous messages from people saying things like, "You inspire me so much...on drums and off drums, in real life too!" And I'm like, I wish you'd tell me who you are!
Duran: It feels good; it makes me feel like we're inspiring other kids to get involved in music. We've helped our local music scene (in Fairfield, CT) just in the last few months. There have been four or five bands that have been popped up.
Caitlin: A lot of high school and middle school students forming bands, too.
Duran: Yeah, it seems the like musicians that we're friends with, they get together and start bands and contribute music. It's amazing.
IML: It seems like in general, there's an explosion of young people forming bands and getting their music out there with YouTube.
Duran: Definitely. I recently had a birthday party and the one thing I really wanted the most was a big jam session. And we had all these kids who had started bands come over and we all jammed. It was nuts! That's what makes me truly happy.
IML: What is it about playing music and being in a band that's so appealing? Not everyone can make an album and become famous and all that...it seems like a lot of kids want to do it just because it makes them happy and it gives them a good release. Is that how you feel?
Caitlin: Yeah...When I'm on stage, I look at the crowd and see kids singing the lyrics to songs we wrote, and it's the greatest feeling in the world. They see us on stage and think, "They make it look easy" or "They look like they're having so much fun." It's kind of cool to feel that.
Duran: My main hobby and passion is making music and recording, and I think one of the reasons why a lot of kids want to do it is, it looks like fun...and it IS fun. Every time we're on stage we'll have moments where we'll be like, "Whoa! We're in a band!"
IML: Tell us a little more about being a band. What makes you all work together successfully? A lot of bands don't and end up falling apart.
Caitlin: It's interesting because we do come from four different corners. Carly was a gymnast, Duran was a popular kid, Ben was this crazy savant guitar player, and I'm a little bit older than everyone. But in this one element, we all are the same. When we come together, you wouldn't know that we're all different and got put together by other people. We're so comfortable around each other. We share the same humor. We all like the same music; one of us will be like, "Check out this band!" and then we're all get obsessed with it.
IML: Do you ever get into fights or disagreements, and have to resolve them?
Caitlin: Sometimes we do argue a little bit, just if any of us has a really strong, different opinion and it's kind of hard because we want to make a song great. When two people have different ideas that are both really strong ideas, it's hard to make a compromise. Sometimes we disagree about stuff like that but we always find ways to make things come together.
IML: Tell us a little bit about the process of writing a song and eventually recording and performing it as a band.
Caitlin: Sometimes we all write a song together. We just wrote one yesterday like that, jamming in the basement and then we'll come up with lyrics. At other times, I'll come up with the guitar part late at night in my room and I'll start writing lyrics, and I'll get Carly to play it with me. The next day Duran and Ben will arrange it and make it more "Kicking Daisies" and add their elements to it. That's how some of them start. We'll play it and play it so it's really tight and then show it to our manager, and he'll put his spin on it or tell us he thinks it's amazing. Then we play it live and the fans go crazy!
IML: Duran, you're considered the band's "front man." What extra responsibilities does that bring?
Duran: I'm the one who gets dissed the most in the band! I get ripped on and shredded and all this inner responsibility. Caitlin and Carly do backup vocals, which are highly important, but since my voice is my instrument I have more restrictions. For example, Ben plays guitar and doesn't sing, so he can stay up until whatever time he wants as long as he gets dressed and goes on stage. Caitlin and Carly are the same. Since I sing, I have to get up early and do all the vocal workouts.
Caitlin: The adults who are involved in this band are like, if Duran has a cold, it's the end of the world! But if Ben has a cold, they're like, "Okay Ben, you've got 30 minutes onstage and you can work through it." But Duran has to get up early and stretch his voice out, and sometimes I don't even realize how much he works on it. I'm kind of glad I'm not the lead singer!
IML: Caitlin, you were named World's fastest female drummer. How'd that happen?
Caitlin: I got that when I was 14. It's a competition at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, which is a giant music convention. I went there with my dad and we went up to one of the booths because we noticed people cheering people on who were playing drums. I didn't know what it was and I went up there and hadn't practiced at all. The second you press the pedal down and it hits the drum, there's a sensor that counts down 60 seconds and all your single strokes. I did my back and forth as fast as I could with my feet and I ended up beating the world record! The record still holds because nobody's beaten me yet!
IML: It seems like girls play drums less often than other instruments, although that's changing pretty quickly. What do you love best about it?
Duran: She likes to beat the heck out of things!
IML: Is that what it is? Is it good stress relief/anger management to be hitting stuff?
Caitlin: I like that part of it! But I just always had an attraction to the drums. I remember when I was 8 years old, I started hearing Rush and Neil Pert became one of my favorite drummers. I just liked the complexity of all his beats and stuff. He and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, those are my top favorite drummers who got me started. I've always been a tomboy. I skateboarded, I did karate. I like the fact that with drums I use my feet and my hands.
IML: What's it like being in a band with your sister? Do you ever have any sibling rivalry?
Caitlin: We're best friends so we don't ever really fight. It's funny because she wasn't the musical one in our family. Carly was always the very shy gymnast who's won 39 medals. I never expected her to get on the bass and play. It's just so cool that we're in this band together. Just to look over at her on stage and smile at her...I can't pinch myself because I'd have to drop a drumstick but sometimes I want to! Because she's my sister and I'm so proud of her.
IML: There are a lot of tweens who love music and want to be in a band. But a lot of them don't feel they have what it takes to perform or take it further than just playing for themselves. What's your advice for people like that?
Duran: I think what it takes is motivation, commitment, and responsibility. Plus having someone who's going to drive you to rehearsal...that's always a big thing. Just practice. A lot of practice. You have to have the motivation to do it. Songwriting is also a big thing and I'm so grateful we have a Caitlin Kalafus in our band. I know I couldn't bang out songs like those Kalafus girls can. You get better at it over time. It's all experience, and you're going to get better at songwriting and performing the more you do it.
Caitlin: Duran, don't you have a saying about the 5 P's?
Duran: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. That keeps me in line!
Caitlin: I would say, definitely have fun with it, and don't ever be stressed about it. And to learn everything. That's one of the things my dad told me from the start: Don't limit yourself. Learn every style of music that you can, and don't hate on something because it's different. Everything will help you. I don't do it because I'm told to or it's helping other people make money or something. I'm doing it because this is what I love...if I never got paid for it but I had fans who loved my music, I'd be so proud of myself. That's what keeps me going.
IML: That's important to remember. It's easy to think, "If nothing's going to come out of this, why should I keep doing it?"
Caitlin: There are times I sit down to write a song and nothing comes out. Or I'm practicing drums and I'm stinking so badly. I'm not going to quit because of that. I'm going to keep going because something will come out of it. You just can't ever feel like you're not able to do something. Everything's possible...except for maybe going into a black hole and coming out the other side!
IML: Thank you guys so much! It was fun talking to you, and we wish you lots of luck!
Duran and Caitlin: Thank you!
You can check out more about Kicking Daisies at www.kickingdaisies.com and watch their latest music video here:
Don't call them a "kid band." Lead singer Duran Visek (15), drummer
Caitlin Kalafus (17), guitarist Ben Spremulli (13), and bass player
Carly Kalafus (14) work hard and love what they do, and are ready for a
rockin' bright future. There's something about the combo of upbeat yet smart pop-punk music created and performed by four teenagers that really grabs us, just like it's already grabbed a ton of fans who love their live shows and are eagerly awaiting the release of their first album later this year.IML recently had a great time speaking to Duran and Caitlin about their experiences so far.
IML: Hi Caitlin! Hi Duran! Can you each tell us a little bit about how you started playing music and came to be in Kicking Daisies?
Duran: I originally started as a drummer because my dad's a drummer. We had jam nights every Wednesday. It started with "Hey Dad, can I get a drum set?" and that was four years ago. A year later, I was like "You know what, it's time for guitar." I started singing and songwriting too. After that I started playing piano. I got a call from music producer Mike Mangini who said, "I've got a kid up here who wants to start a band," and I was like, "Awesome!" I'd only been doing solo stuff up until then. I came up to meet Ben and he was just like, this shredder guitar kid with super long hair. You'd think he was just some metal head who didn't care but he was the nicest guy, actually kind of shy but really awesome, so we instantly clicked. I saw his band play...Then I went back down to Florida and they found Caitlin on YouTube so me and Ben went to meet Caitlin. Caitlin brought in her sister Carly and that's how Kicking Daisies was formed!
Caitlin: My dad is a music teacher at the middle school here in my town, and he also had a band. He plays guitar so he noticed that I was really, really into music, ever since I was really little. Ever since I could talk my dad would put on a song and ask me, "What instruments do you hear?" So I had my ear trained. When I was 7, I asked him if I could play guitar and he taught me a few chords, so that's how I started. But I didn't feel like practicing with guitar, I hated it. I was like, "Dad, I want to play the drums." I remember one night specifically he took me to his band practice and I was standing in the room and the kick drum really stuck out for me. Every time the drummer hit it, my heart would pound and pound! So I just got really into the drums and would always stand behind the drummer in my dad's band when they practiced, and then begged my dad for about a year if I could play drums. He had this method he likes to call "foot-tap-hand-tap." It's a basic simple drumbeat. I couldn't do it just playing it on my legs, and he was like, I'm not going to buy a drum set until you can do that. On the last day of school when I was 8 years old, I came home and heard drums coming out of my basement and I noticed it was my dad on the school drum set. He said, "I brought it home so I could teach myself for the summer. You want to learn?" So I retaught myself foot-tap hand-tap on the drums and within seconds I could play it.
IML: That's clearly the instrument you were born to play! Tell us a little about the album you're working on.
Duran: On one hand, I can't wait for it to get done! On the other hand, I don't want it to stop because I've learned so much from recording it, going in to the studio and doing all these crazy recording tricks. I think it's going to be an amazing album. I've come so far from my solo stuff down in Florida.
Caitlin: I think it's so cool. When I record the drums we do it in this mansion. I literally play in the living room so we get this nice big sound. And I just feel like John Bonham from Led Zeppelin!
IML: What kind of things do you hear from your fans?Caitlin: I get a lot of anonymous messages from people saying things like, "You inspire me so much...on drums and off drums, in real life too!" And I'm like, I wish you'd tell me who you are!
Duran: It feels good; it makes me feel like we're inspiring other kids to get involved in music. We've helped our local music scene (in Fairfield, CT) just in the last few months. There have been four or five bands that have been popped up.
Caitlin: A lot of high school and middle school students forming bands, too.
Duran: Yeah, it seems the like musicians that we're friends with, they get together and start bands and contribute music. It's amazing.
IML: It seems like in general, there's an explosion of young people forming bands and getting their music out there with YouTube.
Duran: Definitely. I recently had a birthday party and the one thing I really wanted the most was a big jam session. And we had all these kids who had started bands come over and we all jammed. It was nuts! That's what makes me truly happy.
IML: What is it about playing music and being in a band that's so appealing? Not everyone can make an album and become famous and all that...it seems like a lot of kids want to do it just because it makes them happy and it gives them a good release. Is that how you feel?
Caitlin: Yeah...When I'm on stage, I look at the crowd and see kids singing the lyrics to songs we wrote, and it's the greatest feeling in the world. They see us on stage and think, "They make it look easy" or "They look like they're having so much fun." It's kind of cool to feel that.
Duran: My main hobby and passion is making music and recording, and I think one of the reasons why a lot of kids want to do it is, it looks like fun...and it IS fun. Every time we're on stage we'll have moments where we'll be like, "Whoa! We're in a band!"
IML: Tell us a little more about being a band. What makes you all work together successfully? A lot of bands don't and end up falling apart.
Caitlin: It's interesting because we do come from four different corners. Carly was a gymnast, Duran was a popular kid, Ben was this crazy savant guitar player, and I'm a little bit older than everyone. But in this one element, we all are the same. When we come together, you wouldn't know that we're all different and got put together by other people. We're so comfortable around each other. We share the same humor. We all like the same music; one of us will be like, "Check out this band!" and then we're all get obsessed with it.
IML: Do you ever get into fights or disagreements, and have to resolve them?
Caitlin: Sometimes we do argue a little bit, just if any of us has a really strong, different opinion and it's kind of hard because we want to make a song great. When two people have different ideas that are both really strong ideas, it's hard to make a compromise. Sometimes we disagree about stuff like that but we always find ways to make things come together.
IML: Tell us a little bit about the process of writing a song and eventually recording and performing it as a band.
Caitlin: Sometimes we all write a song together. We just wrote one yesterday like that, jamming in the basement and then we'll come up with lyrics. At other times, I'll come up with the guitar part late at night in my room and I'll start writing lyrics, and I'll get Carly to play it with me. The next day Duran and Ben will arrange it and make it more "Kicking Daisies" and add their elements to it. That's how some of them start. We'll play it and play it so it's really tight and then show it to our manager, and he'll put his spin on it or tell us he thinks it's amazing. Then we play it live and the fans go crazy!
IML: Duran, you're considered the band's "front man." What extra responsibilities does that bring?Duran: I'm the one who gets dissed the most in the band! I get ripped on and shredded and all this inner responsibility. Caitlin and Carly do backup vocals, which are highly important, but since my voice is my instrument I have more restrictions. For example, Ben plays guitar and doesn't sing, so he can stay up until whatever time he wants as long as he gets dressed and goes on stage. Caitlin and Carly are the same. Since I sing, I have to get up early and do all the vocal workouts.
Caitlin: The adults who are involved in this band are like, if Duran has a cold, it's the end of the world! But if Ben has a cold, they're like, "Okay Ben, you've got 30 minutes onstage and you can work through it." But Duran has to get up early and stretch his voice out, and sometimes I don't even realize how much he works on it. I'm kind of glad I'm not the lead singer!
IML: Caitlin, you were named World's fastest female drummer. How'd that happen?
Caitlin: I got that when I was 14. It's a competition at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, which is a giant music convention. I went there with my dad and we went up to one of the booths because we noticed people cheering people on who were playing drums. I didn't know what it was and I went up there and hadn't practiced at all. The second you press the pedal down and it hits the drum, there's a sensor that counts down 60 seconds and all your single strokes. I did my back and forth as fast as I could with my feet and I ended up beating the world record! The record still holds because nobody's beaten me yet!
IML: It seems like girls play drums less often than other instruments, although that's changing pretty quickly. What do you love best about it?
Duran: She likes to beat the heck out of things!
IML: Is that what it is? Is it good stress relief/anger management to be hitting stuff?Caitlin: I like that part of it! But I just always had an attraction to the drums. I remember when I was 8 years old, I started hearing Rush and Neil Pert became one of my favorite drummers. I just liked the complexity of all his beats and stuff. He and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, those are my top favorite drummers who got me started. I've always been a tomboy. I skateboarded, I did karate. I like the fact that with drums I use my feet and my hands.
IML: What's it like being in a band with your sister? Do you ever have any sibling rivalry?
Caitlin: We're best friends so we don't ever really fight. It's funny because she wasn't the musical one in our family. Carly was always the very shy gymnast who's won 39 medals. I never expected her to get on the bass and play. It's just so cool that we're in this band together. Just to look over at her on stage and smile at her...I can't pinch myself because I'd have to drop a drumstick but sometimes I want to! Because she's my sister and I'm so proud of her.
IML: There are a lot of tweens who love music and want to be in a band. But a lot of them don't feel they have what it takes to perform or take it further than just playing for themselves. What's your advice for people like that?
Duran: I think what it takes is motivation, commitment, and responsibility. Plus having someone who's going to drive you to rehearsal...that's always a big thing. Just practice. A lot of practice. You have to have the motivation to do it. Songwriting is also a big thing and I'm so grateful we have a Caitlin Kalafus in our band. I know I couldn't bang out songs like those Kalafus girls can. You get better at it over time. It's all experience, and you're going to get better at songwriting and performing the more you do it.
Caitlin: Duran, don't you have a saying about the 5 P's?
Duran: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. That keeps me in line!
Caitlin: I would say, definitely have fun with it, and don't ever be stressed about it. And to learn everything. That's one of the things my dad told me from the start: Don't limit yourself. Learn every style of music that you can, and don't hate on something because it's different. Everything will help you. I don't do it because I'm told to or it's helping other people make money or something. I'm doing it because this is what I love...if I never got paid for it but I had fans who loved my music, I'd be so proud of myself. That's what keeps me going.
IML: That's important to remember. It's easy to think, "If nothing's going to come out of this, why should I keep doing it?"
Caitlin: There are times I sit down to write a song and nothing comes out. Or I'm practicing drums and I'm stinking so badly. I'm not going to quit because of that. I'm going to keep going because something will come out of it. You just can't ever feel like you're not able to do something. Everything's possible...except for maybe going into a black hole and coming out the other side!
IML: Thank you guys so much! It was fun talking to you, and we wish you lots of luck!
Duran and Caitlin: Thank you!
You can check out more about Kicking Daisies at www.kickingdaisies.com and watch their latest music video here:
