INTERVIEW: Kipani releases debut album

Hailing from upstate New York, three-piece ‘diary-pop’ outfit Kipani brings us their brand new debut album, Spoiled Ingrates. Led by Tiffany, whose name translates to Kipani in Hawaiian, the band captivates listeners with their high-energy shows and original music that delves into the depths of human emotions. With backgrounds in musical theatre, the members of Kipani infuse their songs with rich storytelling lyrics, creating a unique and engaging musical experience.

Spoiled Ingrates, born from the pages of Tiffany’s diary, tackles a range of trials and tribulations that we all face. Divided into two acts, the album takes listeners on a journey through turmoil, anxiety and depression in the first act, while the second act focuses on healing and moving forward. The album’s themes of betrayal, loss, childhood crushes and love resonate with listeners, who find solace in Kipani’s honest and relatable lyricism.

The production quality of Spoiled Ingrates is superb, with mastering by Oscar Zambrano’s Grammy-winning engineers and mixing by Daniel Alba, who’s worked with renowned artists such as Jack White and Miley Cyrus. The album comprises 14 tracks that seamlessly blend rock and pop elements, creating a truly unique listening experience.

Tiffany’s songwriting and vocal prowess are on full display throughout the album. With passion and a compelling delivery, she takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster, showcasing her masterful command of melodies and lyrics. The band’s instrumentation, driven by emphatic guitars and powerful percussion, complements Tiffany’s vocals, creating a dynamic and engaging sound.

As Kipani celebrates the release of Spoiled Ingrates, they’re embarking on a summer tour to bring their dynamic live show to fans across the region. Their performances are known for their electrifying energy and atmosphere, allowing fans to fully immerse themselves in the sonic world of the band.

With their dazzling indie rock sound, Kipani delivers a debut record that bends from the moving and reflective to the triumphant and energising. Spoiled Ingrates showcases the band’s immense talent and their ability to craft infectious pop-focused songs with a rock edge. Tiffany’s songwriting and vocal panache shine brightly, solidifying her as a compelling frontwoman. As Kipani continues to carve their path in the music industry, it’s clear that they are poised for continued success.

We caught up with band members Tiffany, Mike and Sean to find out more about their musical journey so far, their debut album Spoiled Ingrates and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Kipani below.

Hey guys, how’s things?

Hey Plastic Mag! We are freakin’ fantastic. A big week and we’re so pumped!

How did you get together as a band?

Interestingly enough, our paths crossed many times through local theatre channels, but the three of us were never really introduced until the band started.

KIPANI started out with Tiffany, our main singer and songwriter. Tiffany had a collection of songs ready to go and recruited Mike (drums) to lay down the beat and help expand on her ideas. Mike and Sean had known each other since they were youngsters, and Sean was brought into the mould during the Lotus EP sessions… and we’ve been tolerating each other ever since.

Which artist first made a lasting impression on you?

We are all products of the “emo” generation so I would say a band that influenced us at an early age and continues to do so is, Taking Back Sunday. We draw a lot of inspiration from our formative years and the music that raised us during that time.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from today?

We all have such an eclectic taste in music so that is a tough one to answer! But, speaking for each band member individually…

Mike: Blink182

Sean: Vulfpeck

Tiffany: Miya Folick

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Writing is a very cathartic process for us. Most of our songs are inspired by real events happening in our lives at that given moment and the feelings that are circulating in the current situation.

How do you feel your musical theatre backgrounds translate into you sound?

We tend to lean towards storytelling in both our recordings and our live shows. I think the listener will pick up on that right away in our Spoiled Ingrates album. We curated the songs into “2 Acts” to take you on this introspective journey. We put a lot of thought into the overall experience which I think ties back into our musical theatre background and the natural inclination to produce something both sonically and visually interesting for our fans.

What do you love about the New York music scene?

The New York music scene is extremely diverse! The genres and styles vary greatly across the region and we have felt so welcomed by it.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

Without sounding too egoistic, we think a lot of our songs are great sing-alongs, and people can belt them out in their homes and cars!

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

Going back to the musical theatre influence, we definitely lean toward storytelling and dynamics in our music. When the tension builds, it gets louder. If we want to talk about weakness, anxiety – the dynamics shift.

Because Tiffany writes most of the music on piano, you’ll hear piano as a driving instrument on previous recordings. Spoiled Ingrates gave us the opportunity to explore different instrumentation and effects. We also touch into the realm of rock music on this album, which was an odd, yet satisfying transition from where these songs started.

How did you find making your new record ‘Spoiled Ingrates’?

Being Do-It-Yourelf-ers, we really loved the opportunity to explore arrangements and sounds by recording Spoiled Ingrates on our own. We own and operate our own recording studio, so there was no time pressure.

Even during the sessions for our first release together (the Lotus EP), we’ve had a lot of fun in writing, demoing, and recording our own music. We goof off in the studio, and often our best takes are happy accidents when we’re just messing around. A good example of this is the intro to ‘Dish It Out’ which starts with this droning-revving synth, followed by finger snaps, which I recorded directly into my phone microphone. A total accidental idea that made its way into the record.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

We have a lot of fun in Kipani, and if you follow our socials you see how silly we are on a daily basis. So when you listen to these songs you might be surprised to hear that there’s a lot of hurt, feelings of betrayal, depression, and anxiety layered into this record. We love performing these songs because we truly FEEL those words. Singing them-yelling them- gets us through. We hope it helps you through your stuff too.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Tiffany has been listening to Miya Folick a lot recently (and for the past 3 years)

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

We want our listeners to feel heard. A lot of our music touches on feelings of anxiety, depression, and the struggles dealing with everything life throws at you. If our music can help someone else going through it then that would mean the world to us.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

We’ve been pretty lucky so far in our opportunities to play really great shows and venues. I think the ones that stand out the most are the smaller, intimate venues, ones where there is only a small audience.

The one that stands out to me is the historic Khyber Pass Pub in Philadelphia. You could basically lay down and touch each side of the walls. But man, was it pretty sweet when we got up on stage and rocked the &*%$ out! The pressure was low, the crowd was great and it felt really intimate.

What are you most looking forward to on your upcoming tour?

We always love playing new cities, meeting other bands, and meeting new folks and coaxing them into being our fans! We’re hitting cities we never have been to before (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington DC) and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share the stage with other local and regional acts!

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Venue: Red Rocks Amphitheater with headliners Blink 182, Limp Bizkit, and Foster the People. Hell yea.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

I think we feel too new to answer this question… but… the biggest piece of advice: Don’t let the business-side of making music take you over. Keep creating.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2023?

2023 is freakin’ awesome! After releasing this record, we’re hitting the road on our summer tour. We’re also putting out a music video FOR EACH SONG on the album! So keep an eye on our socials @kipanimusic for updates and fun content!

Listen to Spoiled Ingrates below