According to Karl Snyder, the philosophy of Kidstreet ― the band for whom he plays the drums ― is "try new things." This is the method through which he and his sister, Kidstreet's lead singer Edna Snyder, discovered she possessed the ability to mile-a-minute rap (in a pop song), the reason their latest music video was shot from inside a pint glass at a party, and the explanation for how they became the de facto poster kids of Waterloo, ON's small-but-mighty indie music scene.
Anyone familiar with the Ontario university town's house-show circuit will tell you that on stage, Kidstreet disport a level of energy akin to a troop of five year olds full of fructose. "Penny Candy" may be a song title from their debut full-length, Fuh Yeah, but Kidstreet aren't kids anymore; they've been making their rounds for years.
"It's been a long time coming," says Edna, of the electro-pop sibling trio's (their brother, Cliff Snyder, is the third member) first proper LP. "It feels incredible." It sounds incredible, too. Layers of synth (and whistles!) make up overtly danceable party tracks like "X" and "Never Coming Back," but the softly vulnerable harmonies on "Nineteen Ninety Three" and the contemplative, instrumental "Song" make it clear that Kidstreet are more than a band to be remixed in nightclubs. "Most bands stick with one thing," says Karl. "But we like to be all over the place." Diverging tastes can be a source of tension for some, but Kidstreet's blood relations double as their safety blanket. "If you're in a family band, you can't really break up," says Karl. "Touring is easy. You've always lived together anyway. Sharing a hotel room isn't that big a deal and 12 hours in a car doesn't suck that bad."
Anyone familiar with the Ontario university town's house-show circuit will tell you that on stage, Kidstreet disport a level of energy akin to a troop of five year olds full of fructose. "Penny Candy" may be a song title from their debut full-length, Fuh Yeah, but Kidstreet aren't kids anymore; they've been making their rounds for years.
"It's been a long time coming," says Edna, of the electro-pop sibling trio's (their brother, Cliff Snyder, is the third member) first proper LP. "It feels incredible." It sounds incredible, too. Layers of synth (and whistles!) make up overtly danceable party tracks like "X" and "Never Coming Back," but the softly vulnerable harmonies on "Nineteen Ninety Three" and the contemplative, instrumental "Song" make it clear that Kidstreet are more than a band to be remixed in nightclubs. "Most bands stick with one thing," says Karl. "But we like to be all over the place." Diverging tastes can be a source of tension for some, but Kidstreet's blood relations double as their safety blanket. "If you're in a family band, you can't really break up," says Karl. "Touring is easy. You've always lived together anyway. Sharing a hotel room isn't that big a deal and 12 hours in a car doesn't suck that bad."
