Taking to the stage in Ottawa for the fifth time, The Kents gripped House of Targ on Jan. 11.
You did not have to venture far last Thursday to experience the grown-up indie sound that The Kents have recently become known for.
Touring for their latest EP Within Waves, the small-town band has got some new tricks.
Their sound has transitioned from their early beginning with indie pop to a mature alternative rock that captivates fans and brings Ottawa out, regardless of the winter weather.
The Kents’ first EP Waking was produced while the members were in three different cities across North America. But Within Waves is the result of a more personal collaboration.
“Ninety per cent of it was written in the same room. We were together for at least 20 hours a week,” bassist Luke Shauf told The Charlatan, “It was somewhat of the opposite of how the first EP was.”
He said that being together in one room during the creation improved the quality of their work. And the collectivity of that process definitely showed in their Thursday night performance, with Shauf’s bass and Tanner Paré’s drums playing off each other, bringing intimacy to the edgy venue.
Well-timed lighting and guitarist Freddy Kwon’s footwork absorbed the audience with major crowd-pleasers like “Low Light” and “Is There Anyone?,” taking the Thursday evening show to the next level.
Coming from small-town Lindsay, Ont., the band said they still receive a lot of support from their hometown and their high school. But, it lacks the infrastructure needed to support the art.
“It’s a lot of great encouragement and excitement for people, and they’ll buy the CD. But to get your chops and progress, you gotta keep going,” Frank said.
Although they played at House of Targ last year, this year held a little more anticipation, as they were prepped with almost an entirely new set list.
“Coming back now to cities where we’ve played once or twice . . . it’s really exciting coming back and seeing people that are repeat show attenders. That’s what’s exciting, it’s the prospect of, ‘Okay, it’s clicking, people are liking this,’ ” Frank said.
The Kent’s laidback energy made the audience feel more like friends of the band than mega-fans. The crowd, often being acknowledged by the members, sustained that garage band feel with big venue sound.
Frank’s vocals never ceased to mesmerize the venue with many shouting screams of approval after a particularly intense riff. Paré coupled with Kwon on guitar elevated the show to chest-vibrating height, sending off sensations that lasted well after their encore ended.
There’s an element of relatability to The Kents’ music. And if there is one thing that contrasts the band from other groups in the indie scene, it is their ability to create songs that listeners can actually feel a part of. The stereotype of the pompous alternative band has no room here. In fact, they cite their inspiration, not from high-sounding artists, but simply, their own lives.
“A lot of our lyrical content is just coming from our lives, observing and expressing what we’re going through. Whether that be telling a direct story or talking about an issue as a whole,” Frank said. “I think we really write about our experience and try not to be too specific, so that people can add their own twist to it.”
Ending the night with their hit song “Something About Her,” the crowd got that taste of early Kents style. Memorable, simple, but enthralling, nonetheless.
Frank and Shauf agree that the band has grown as both writers and musicians from experiencing the music together, as a band.
“There’s been a lot of learning over this last year, I think it’ll be a smoother set and maybe just a bit more mature,” Shauf added before taking stage.
Photo by Dan Robertson
