The first time I discovered Owl Kill’s music online, I found it hard to believe that they were still an independent band. It won’t be long before they get signed to a record label, and if you listen to them now, you’ll be able to brag that you heard of them first before their imminent ascent in the music industry.
In the summer of 2014, vocalist Pat Byrnes and guitarist Greg Amato found a common love for writing and creating music together. After their first few song releases, they decided that adding two more friends into the mix to establish a full band was the right way to go. Thus, bassist Fabricio Barreto and drummer Emre Ozyemisci joined the duo and began playing shows together shortly after.
The Montville-based foursome’s first EP, Self Management, was a compilation of five songs that set the bar high for the local scene. With pop rock guitar riffs and clean and pure vocals, Owl Kill have shown profound potential in their first year and a half of being together, and shows promise for what they have planned for their forthcoming releases.
Upon the announcement of Start At The End in New York’s new event, A New Sound Series, that Owl Kill will be part of, I had the chance to ask Pat Byrnes some questions about the band’s journey thus far, and where they will be headed in 2016.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before?
Our music is some form of rock, influenced by the early 2000s rock music scene. We want to connect with people on a personal and emotional level through our music. We want to get up close and personal and hopefully invoke a new energy in people that they haven’t felt before.
You started out with just Pat and Greg making music, and then added Fabricio and Emre to create a band right after releasing your first couple songs. Are there any new challenges writing music with four people as opposed to only two?
There are definitely some new challenges, but they are positive challenges. Adding more people to the writing process brings about different creative ideas that Greg and I wouldn’t have had with just the two of us. Fabricio and Emre have been invaluable to this band and we look forward to creating new material between the four of us.
Will your upcoming album have different aspects to it in comparison to your first EP, and when can we expect it?
We were going to release an album, but we made a creative decision to release a second EP instead. We felt that the lyrics and emotions of this most recent EP stood alone as one cohesive vision. Our second EP will be titled Home., and we will be releasing it in the coming weeks.
What are your favorite lyrics that you have written and why?
My favorite lyrics are, “The dealer’s got ace high and he’s calling your bluff,” from a song on our first EP titled What Hurts The Most. These lyrics mean a lot to us because this song was written about a friend of ours who passed away. I think they speak to how precious life is and how important it is to let the people you care about know how much you love them.
You have put out a couple cover songs on SoundCloud and YouTube. Do you have a favorite song to cover live?
Our favorite song to cover live is “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance. We are heavily influenced by this band and the energy of this song makes for some exciting shows. We are encouraged by the connection showgoers have with this song when we play it live and hope to build that same connection through our own music.
What advice do you wish you had received earlier in the process of creating a band?
I wish someone could have laid out a step-by-step process on how to create a successful band, but we know it is not that easy. We invite any new challenges that lay ahead of us because we know it will make us a better band in the end. We just want to keep playing and writing music for people and learn as much as possible along the way.
You are part of the first lineup of Start At The End’s A New Sound Series. What do you think of the event?
We are very excited and thankful to be a part of the first lineup of Start At The End’s A New Sound Series. We think this will be a great opportunity for everyone involved to spread their music and meet new people. We hope to be a part of the reason why this event will continue for years to come.
Are you friends with any of the other bands playing? Have you played with any of them before?
We have not played with any of the bands before, but we are looking forward to sharing the stage with them. All of the bands involved have their own unique sound and it will be exciting to watch their live performances. We hope to create many new, long-lasting relationships.
Are you planning on touring once the new album is out?
We have no plans of releasing an album right now, but we do plan to continue creating as much new material as possible and playing as many shows as possible. We want to reach as many people as we can with our music and would love to go on tour one day.
What else we can expect in 2016?
In 2016 we will be releasing a new EP titled Home. and we will continue to create new material for our fans. We’re also going to shoot a music video soon for a song off of our first EP. We hope to play as many shows as possible and connect with more and more people every day.
Owl Kill will be part of Start At The End’s A New Sound Series first lineup on March 30. Their first EP, Self Management, and their latest single, “Find A Way,” are available now at soundcloud.com/owlkill. For more information, visit their official website owlkill.com.
