The original KC: Beth Heather Rhea Kara
KC:
Beth, Heather, Kara, Alexis, Melissa----
The Story:
Before recording an album with Richard Swift and being heard on Nip/Tuck, Kissing Cousins front-tress Heather B. Heywood grew up in the ghetto-rural outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama in the home of her step-father, a charismatic Pentecostal preacher. Most of the congregation was black and Heywood was influenced by soulful and woeful music in addition to witnessing some most confusing situations like exorcisms, speaking in tongues, and parishioners being “slain in the spirit.” Heywood was tormented as she grew older and realized her normal life wasn’t so normal and that there were a myriad of ways of to understand life. This wounded spirituality was her muse as she fronted bands around Birmingham.
Heywood relocated to LA and played guitar in a couple of bands, Map and Summer Darling. Wanting to do more than play bass for the boys, Heather founded Kissing Cousins in the summer of 2005 and made it an all female venture. The name Kissing Cousins is a sarcastic nod to the preconceived notions of the Deep South. It was easy to find the right talent. How Heywood goes, so goes her social group. People are naturally attracted to her charismatic ability to maximize life and they draw upon her boundless energy to grip life by the crotch. She was quick to find 3 other femusicians to complete Kissing Cousins: Kara Haro – keyboardist, vocals and flautist, Rhea Hindemit – bassist, and Beth Zeigler – drummer and professional organizer.
Kissing Cousins recorded a demo right away and right away they had the interests of the label, Velvet Blue Music, a label that was first to sign Richard Swift and released work by Viva Voce. Heywood bonded with the owner of VBM, Jeff Cloud, when Map toured with Starflyer 59. VBM had the demo mastered and put it out as an EP. Over the next year or so, the band put out 2 more EPs, EP2 and EP3 plus a single. The lineup of the Cousins changed as well. Bassist Hindemit moved on and was replaced by Melissa Pleckham of the Los Angeles noise band Shiloe.
Kissing Cousins were determined to do bigger things and this was getting easier. Nip/Tuck producer Alexis Martin Woodall caught a few of the Cousins' shows at Spaceland and The Echo. Woodall thought the sound would be perfect for an episode. Woodall now plays percussion and keys regularly, and loves being a part of the band. Kissing Cousins’ momentum proved to Velvet Blue that they were primed to do a full-length and in late 2008 Richard Swift was chosen to record Pillar of Salt.
Now, with the combination of 3 solid EPs, a single, an epochal album, a song on a hit TV show and an evolving sexy and captivating live act, Kissing Cousins are well on their way to becoming an un-ignorable blip on the rock radar.
Look, ladies! I'm going to buy one for each of you.
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