Keep your eyes on The Kents

Lindsay is a small town in Ontario located along the Scugog River.

Founded in 1825, it’s claim to fame since then has been that it was the home of a long dead military official. Trip Advisor suggests checking out the Lounge Haven Cottage and Boating Club, if you’re so inclined.

In more recent years, however, the town has received attention for being the home of country group, James Barker Band. I have a sneaking suspicion that soon enough it’ll also be recognized as the hometown of the up-and-coming band The Kents.

Who are The Kents? They’ve yet to grace the top of the billboard, so don’t kick yourself for not knowing them right away. But they are a band to watch, that’s for certain.

In 2016, they were named one of Apple Music’s rising stars, scoring a viral hit on Spotify as well.

But still, who are they?

When you listen to a song by The Kents, it’s not hard to see why they’ve been likened to the other popular Canadian band Arkells.

The band is made up of four members: lead singer Warren Frank, guitarist Freddy Kwon, base player Luke Shauf and drummer Tanner Paré.

“[Freddy, Luke and I] met in a guitar class in high school, that’s where we started as a band,” Frank recalled how the origins of their group.

“Tanner joined officially about a year-and-a-half ago. So, we’ve been a real band for like two years.”

In that short time, The Kents independently released their debut EP Waking, which featured five songs, all written and preformed by the band.

On October 13, their second EP, Within Waves, is expected to be released. As of yet, there are two songs released from the EP: “Distant,” and “Is There Anyone?”

When you listen to a song by The Kents, it’s not hard to see why they’ve been likened to the other popular Canadian band Arkells.

However, while the Arkells seem to be tapping into whatever world The Lumineers have drawn inspiration from, The Kents lyrics seem to be genuine to the human experience.

“We always want to write a melody that’s catchy, but we do feel like we want to say something in every song, and I think that’s maybe a difference,” Frank said.

“The lyrics have to mean something to us. We’re not just writing a song so people like it.”

However, The Kents also attribute their unique sound to the varied genres each band-member tends to gravitate toward.

“We all listen to such different music, it’s a combination of all those genres. I listen to a lot of things: Half Moon Run, Twin Peaks, or Pure Rock and Roll, Hey Rosetta,” Kwon said.

“This last year has been a lot of history lessons for me, with U2 and The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Oasis. I’ve been diving into good, classic music from recent decades,” Shauf said.

Paré confessed to being into the darker genres, but each member agreed that it was the amalgamation of their combined musical interests that results in an authentic sound.

“I think Freddy writes with a lot of tone that borders on the psychedelic scene, which isn’t the melodies that I’d be listening to. So, I bring something else,” Frank said.

“When you get that connection of different styles then you can start working toward something that does stand alone.”

Currently The Kents are finishing up their Frosh Week tour, which is how they found themselves in Waterloo. Soon, they’ll be returning to their hometown to preform alongside James Barker Band.

The Kents still have a way to go before becoming a household name, but with a Canadian music scene that is on the rise, this is a band that has a chance to make it.