Do I have it stuck in my head all the time? Yes. Does it give me instant chill vibes? Yes. Is it Chillwave? No. It’s Kisses. And instead of being buried under layers of distant cult retro muzak, Jesse Kivel’s vocals are right up front, winning you over with his relaxed crooning. ‘The Heart of the Nightlife’ is one of my top picks for this year’s best full length. Besides having several powerful singles, it feels from start to finish like a complete product album; not just a collection of catchy songs.
I’m usually drawn to easy going stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously which is my interpretation of ‘Heart of the Nightlife’. It’s something you put on when you want to lounge around and fantasize about riding on yachts, living in luxury and frequenting casual after after parties. Jesse was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding the band:
Kisses is a duo (based on the press photos), how’d you guys meet up?
I met Zinzi 7 years ago when I visited a friend of mine who was going to Occidental College in LA. I instantly befriended Zinzi and slowly won her heart over three years of school, relationships and partying.
How much is missus kisses involved in the song writing process besides offering gorgeous vocals?
First off, I must say I like the title ‘missus kisses’ im going to start using that.
On The Heart of The Nightlife she is not very involved in the songwriting process. I initially had written the music as a solo project and Zinzi seemed into it so I asked her to join. Going forward I am getting Zinzi more involved in the musical aspect of Kisses.
You have a very classic crooning style of singing. What singers did you envy growing up?
I definitely have been very influenced by crooners such as Scott Walker, Arthur Russell, Morrissey, Jens and Erlend. I know everyone compares my singing style to Jens and I think that has a lot to do with my formative years spent listening to his early music. Even though I really don’t listen to Jens much these days I think subconsciously his music will always be a part of what I do.
Top three eats in LA area?
Oinkster in eagle rock, amazing burgers and fries. Coffee Table in Silverlake or Eagle Rock but the only thing worth ordering is the chopped chicken salad without bacon. Pitfire in Noho, where Princeton is recording our next record, has amazing food and its pretty cheap.
What was the last really good movie you saw?
Last night me and my brother watched Men of Honor. A classically bad film starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr. Its worth mentioning because its ridiculously bad and entertaining
One of the things I enjoy most about the band is your ability to set a mood. What are a few inspirations (objects, places, people, images) that help you write something new?
That’s always changing. sometimes it can be a few new chords on guitar or keyboard i have stumbled on or something more obvious like a movie or book. I find my moods to be the largest motivating factor behind my songs. Whatever happened to me in a day that motivates me to write a song, which really could be anything, is what gets the job done for me.
Drink of choice (alcoholic or otherwise)?
Campari soda or moscow mule
I love the simple artwork used for your album cover, it visualizes your sound perfectly. Who put it together?
John Munoz an excellent graphic designer who works with Zinzi at Bon Appetit. John and I collaborated on the visual idea and he brought it to life.
LA vs New York (pros and cons):
There’s no comparison, LA is a more authentic and relaxed place to live. I know that may sound counterintuitive given that LA and Hollywood are notoriously fake, but it is surprisingly easy to avoid those types in LA given that it is so large. New York is an awesome city to visit although I often find it overwhelming and stressful to spend extended periods of time in it.
Who was your first kiss, and how was it?
Good question. My first true kiss was with my first girlfriend Sarah. I was in high school so I guess you could say I was a bit of a late bloomer. We used to make out in front of a bank near my house. Looking back it was probably pretty gross and disturbing for people to witness.
‘People Can Do the Most Amazing Things’ is currently available for pre-order on 7ich and 12inch vinyl through Rough Trade.
