With heavy, shredding riffs, killer breakdowns and a fine-tuned raw sound served straight up, Kirra is a band that any rock music enthusiast will thoroughly enjoy. The success of their debut EP ‘Sounds from an Empty Room’ is proof of that. Yet there’s something special about Kirra that sets them apart from other contemporary rock acts. In a musical generation characterized by overproduced, shrink-wrapped pop acts, Kirra's musicianship and hard-hitting rock style do more than stand out. They reveal qualities that cannot be engineered in the studio. There’s also an unpretentious realness to this band out of Oklahoma City and judging by their growing fan base, they may be precisely what the new generation didn't know it was missing. With their second album ‘Run Away’ completed, Kira’s unstated message is clear: ‘Rock is not dead’ in case you were wondering. Their debut radio single ‘Fly’ is more of a personal decree that hits both home and heart with a one-two punch of ‘you are not alone’ and ‘never give up’. Their track ‘Tappy Gilmore’ shows their lighter side. Independent reporter Alexis Adams recently caught up with Kirra to get an inside look at this exciting new group and to learn what they have in store for fans this year.

ALEXIS: When When did you first discover your love of music?
KIRRA: We’ve all been music lovers from birth, submerged in music for a very long time. Jesse started playing guitar at a very young age and Dax was the same way, both are self-taught. Ryne was a talented drum major throughout college, and Zach played drums with his dad at a young age.

ALEXIS: Your song 'Fly' is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
KIRRA: ‘Downfall’ and ‘Forgive Me’ have been doing really well on the radio. ‘Downfall’ was #1 on the Best Century Internet Radio's most requested/played songs in late 2014. ‘Forgive Me’ was #14 on Dark Compass Podcast's Top 25 songs of 2014. We’re super proud of all of the success the tracks off the EP are receiving. It's always super cool to hear yourself on the radio, it reminds us what we’re working for and gets us motivated to keep going!

ALEXIS: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
KIRRA: With our new album ‘Run Away’ coming out January 24th, 2015, we were looking for the best in-your-face kind of track to be the first single which is ‘Fly’. We’ve each been kicked around in our lives and this song is about rising up and overcoming, which is a big theme on the album.

ALEXIS: Would you say that the mood of your other songs is in the same vein as your debut radio single?
KIRRA: We try and make the album as diverse between songs as possible. We wanted the album to be like a roller coaster of hard rock music so there are some songs with the same energy, but each song is unique to us.

ALEXIS: How would you characterize yourselves as artists?
KIRRA: We take our music and how it's created very seriously, but the first track off the album is a fan favorite called ‘Tappy Gilmore’. We like to be down-to-earth and fun.

ALEXIS: Did you come from musical backgrounds? Are there other artists in your families?
KIRRA: Jesse has some musicians in his family and Zach's father is a drummer. However, we were all rock music fans before we picked up any instruments.

ALEXIS: What do you find most rewarding about being an artist? What do you find most challenging?
KIRRA: When fans come up to us and tell us that they really dig our music. We spend a lot of time writing our songs and over-time making them the best they can be, without over complicating them. So it's a real honor to hear that someone other than us likes our music (laughter).

ALEXIS: Who are your role models in music?
KIRRA: Alter Bridge, Chevelle, Seether, Tool, Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin and Rise Against.

ALEXIS: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
KIRRA: We had a show out in Santa Fe, NM and the response from the crowd was electric. We’d never played in that state before, it was at SOL stage.

ALEXIS: Do you have a music video for your hit single? If so, what can you tell us about it?
KIRRA: We have a music video for our first single ‘Fly’ that you can see on YouTube. The video, much like the song, is about a person dealing with a bad situation, a situation so bad that taking their own life is considered, but they rise above and escape their situation. The kid in the video is dealing with an abusive family and he just loses it, you can even see him start to put a noose around his neck. However, it’s revealed that the action had been in his head and that he hasn’t done it, he was thinking about it. In the end, instead of going through with it, he escapes the house.

ALEXIS: Excellent! Thanks for taking time out to share your story with me. I wish you good luck and continued success!

http://www.kirramusic.com


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