We Speak Music
Konrad Kinard’s ‘War Is Family’ Is A Cold War Odyssey in Sound
War Is Family situates Konrad Kinard at the intersection of memory, myth, and sonic experimentation. The Texas-born composer blends spoken word, field recordings, and layered instrumentation into a sprawling, twenty-track album that reads as both memoir and performance art. It is an audacious work, a “radio drama without the drama or the radio,” that navigates the anxieties of a generation raised under the Cold War while never losing sight of its deeply personal core.
Kinard’s collaborative approach adds rich texture to the album. BJ Cole’s pedal steel glides alongside the mournful resonance of cellists Eleonora Rosca, Emily Burridge, and Matthias Hejlik, while harmonium, contrabass, and rhythmic tap interjections create a dynamic, otherworldly soundscape. Each track feels like a miniature vignette, from the tense paranoia of “The Bomb Shelter” to the surreal whimsy of “Siddhartha Goes To Alabama”, revealing Kinard’s knack for constructing both narrative and atmosphere through sound.
What makes War Is Family compelling is its refusal to adhere to genre conventions. Kinard seamlessly blends Americana, experimental, and avant-garde textures into a cohesive whole, giving the listener a sense of immersion and introspection. The album’s emotional weight is matched by its sonic inventiveness, producing a listening experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally affecting. Kinard’s exploration of cultural and familial anxieties is profound, resulting in one of the year’s most ambitious and haunting releases.
With images captured during one of their recent live performances, director Pablo Delpedro sought to highlight the intensity that is so characteristic of Dead Chic. The release of the band’s new single “The Bells and The Fists” was the perfect opportunity to illustrate this: a strange, shadowy track where flesh and steel collide, the soundtrack to a pagan ceremony unfolding somewhere deep in the bowels of the earth.
The video immerses us in the world of the four band members. Through their looks, their movements, their chaos and fury, we find ourselves at the heart of the storm, in the thick, sweaty atmosphere that turns each of their concerts into a dark and intense ritual.
Dead Chic originally formed from the partnership between Andy Balcon and Damien Félix. They met a few years ago while touring with their respective bands (Heymooshaker and Catfish), frequently crossing paths on the road and catching up backstage to discuss music, idols, and the possibility of collaborating. After a few years without crossing paths, they reconnected in the fall of 2020. Before discussing musical influences, Andy and Damien shared visual references, illustrations, and landscapes that would form the foundation and direction of their work. The idea of working together then took a serious turn, and after some exchanges, “Too Far Gone,” their first track, was released in 2022.
They were then joined by Rémi Ferbus on drums (known for his work with Kimberose, Mélissa Laveaux, among others), who had previously collaborated with Andy; and Mathis Akenginon keyboards, a long-time collaborator of Damien in Catfish. Over the years, through tours and travels, the musicians have honed their skills, enriched their cultural knowledge, and defined their individual styles. The combination of the four immediately sparked.
Dead Chic’s debut album ‘Serenades and Damnation’ is out now via Upton Park. “The Bells and The Fists” is something new that is a taster of where Dead Chic are headed for 2026.
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