K_Kid is the recording project of Daniel R. Fierst, an American expat living in Germany, blending alternative rock with heavy shoegaze and post-punk influences.
Fierst’s latest E.P. “Swans” features four songs full of rich and infectious melodies and raw emotion.
I caught up with Daniel to talk about his early musical influences, how he started playing music and the making of “Swans”.
CMM-What was the first music that really made an impact on you as a kid and what artist or band did you enjoy the most?
Daniel-Firstly, thanks so much for the questions, review and to everyone for giving a listen.
I’d have to split this one into two parts. I grew up in a house where the hits of the ’50s and ’60s were always playing, The Beatles, The Supremes, Chuck Berry. That was mixed with what was current at the time: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears. It was all The Long and Winding Road at home, then Take On Me in the car.
The second part came in the early-mid ’90s, when I started finding my music. The whole Seattle grunge explosion was part of it, but what really pulled me in was the blend of new wave/post-punk sounds with strong ’60s songwriting roots. To this day, the Smashing Pumpkins remain one of my biggest influences, and a huge part of why I picked up a guitar in the first place.
CMM-When did you start playing music and writing songs?
Daniel-I was always surrounded by music growing up and started messing around with drums as a kid. But I got serious about guitar when I was 11, and from that point on I was always jamming with friends and forming (very loosely defined) bands throughout high school.
Songwriting became more central during my university years, when I lived in San Diego. I was in a band then, and the bass player and I were the main songwriters. Since then, I’ve always taken on that role in every band I’ve been in. But K_Kid is the first project where I’m doing everything myself. I started it around 2019, partly because being a dad with a young kid didn’t leave much room for being in bands and it was a way I could still make music.
CMM-You recently released a new E.P. called “Swans”. What was the writing and recording process like? What gear and instruments did you use during the sessions?
Daniel-I record everything in my home studio, though “basement corner” might be a more accurate description. Still, it has everything I need: a space to record drums and vocals, and the rest is done direct.
I tend to write in small batches of songs, starting with riffs or melodies on acoustic guitar or piano. These songs followed that pattern but sat on the shelf for a while. When I came back to them, I wanted to shift direction, so I rebuilt them from the rhythm section up. Drums and bass came first, then vocal melodies. Guitars and synths were added later, more so as textural elements than as the core of the tracks.
That approach makes Swans stand out from my earlier EPs, it’s more rhythm-driven.
The recording process is slow but methodical. I build fairly complete demos, then record layer by layer: drums, bass, rhythm guitar, leads, synths, vocals, overdubs.
I also mixed and mastered the tracks myself. It’s still a learning curve, but that’s part of what K_Kid is about for me. Each release is a chance to evaluate and improve every part of the songwriting and production process.
CMM-If you could do a score for any film director, who would it be and what would the film be about?
Daniel-That question sent my brain spinning. So many possibilities. But in the end, I’d go with something completely imaginary: A mythical biopic/tragedy about the rise and fall of the (fictionalized) Smashing Pumpkins, written and directed by Mike Myers.
CMM-What do you have coming up next? Any new recordings or shows?
Daniel-Besides K_Kid, I also play guitar in a band called The Second Try, and we’ve got our debut single Run Counter coming out on May 22. We just finished the video and are kicking off live shows in June.
Outside of music, I’m also a writer. My debut novel, All I Want Is To Not Be Alone (YA zombie dystopian/horror), is being published next year by Wicked Ink Publishing.
In between all that, I’ve started tinkering with new songs for K_Kid, though the direction isn’t clear yet. One idea I’m playing with is creating a sort of “soundtrack” to accompany my novel, which I’d release under the K_Kid name.
For now, K_Kid will likely stay a studio-only project, since I’ve got the full band for the live side of things, but who knows? There might be a way to combine the two.
Until then, I’ll just keep noodling around with instruments until that little magic happens that somehow always leads to new songs.
