Kalen & the Sky Thieves
Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE
Music
Press
"There was something revolutionary and charged about Kalen & the Sky Thieves’ recent show at the Mercury Lounge. Something scene-changing was in our midst. You heard it here first: Kalen & The Sky Thieves are going to storm the New York City music scene and captivate a legion of followers." - What Weekly
"The band have a dark, melodic blend of indie rock similar to that of their homies in Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but the sophistication is all their own with a sleek, sexy edge to them that evokes confidence and charisma in their craft, and oh yeah the songs are amazing as hell with polished guitar riffs and Kalen's drop dead gorgeous voice adding a great deal of character to the band and everything they stand for. A tremendous act that had me hooked line, reel, and sinker." - Music Box Pete
On the chorus of “Island”, Kalen spells out the mystery with, “you are an island, and baby I’m the sea.” Bodies of land, bodies of water are described as the bodies of incompatible lovers, by the described difference in qualities, texture, traits, demeanor, and the ultimate missed connections. The Sky Thieves create the musical equivalent to a synthesizer toned sea, with understated percussion and guitars to emulate the gravel, stones, and coarse dirt of land. Kalen describes the unmet and unrequited instances of opportunities missed and ignored, backed by the band that implores a reconciliation while creating a somber air of sentiment that should become a staple on all future mixtapes for messy breakups." - Impose
"Lister has pushed her brand of moody, soulful rock to the limits, and that is no more apparent than with the brand new track, ‘Somedays.’ ‘Somedays’ is a sneak peek at what fans can expect from the band’s pyschedelic-fueled, soul-inspired, folk-tinged debut LP, ‘Bluebird,’ set for release this fall." - Diffuser FM
"Melding elements of electronic, funk and dance, Kalen draws inspiration from the likes of Radioheard, Massive Attack and Pink Floyd. produced and recorded by the band and John Davis at The Bunker Studio, Bluebird runs the gamut from modern alternative, to old time rock n roll, even hinting at elements of a funk influence." - Revolution 360
Kalen Lister, the frontwoman of Kalen & the Sky Thieves, has the makings of an art pop/rock diva in the vein of Karen O or Cat Power. Her vocal range and power complement her jazz and funk-influenced songwriting nicely, soaring soulfully over the oft-intricate meanderings of the Sky Thieves, holding it all together. - Music Without Labels
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Kalen Lister has been writing music since her hands were big enough to work a piano. She's taken her songbook with her as she's traversed the majority of the American Northeast, and both have found some form of permanent home in Brooklyn, NY since 2004. The songs and their singer have operated in a variety of forms and functions until the dissolution of a band and the decision to put her own name on a marquee led Kalen to assemble the Sky Thieves in 2012.
Jay Giacomazzo, Will Hanza, and Wayan Zoey met as musical competitors. Despite being bested by Will and Jay, Wayan sought to turn the opposition in to a coalition and the three began jamming together purely for the enjoyment of playing with like-minded people. Concurrently, Kalen had reached out to Wayan in regards to providing the rhythmic drive behind her performances. A fortunate side-effect of Wayan's tendency to overbook himself was the chance encounter between Kalen and the as-yet unnamed trio of instrumentalists. Following an abbreviated courtship, all four members of the band found themselves saying "It's not you, it's me" to their other long-term commitments so that the Sky Thieves could be born.
Mixing disparate influences of jazz, folk, psychedelica and funk with the common denominator of old fashioned rock and roll, Kalen & the Sky Thieves have been bringing their magic to increasingly large audiences across the Northeast, at venues like The Mercury Lounge (NYC), DC9 (Washington, DC) and the Empire Ballroom (Portland, ME). They've just finished up work on their debut full-length, Bluebird, which will be released on Ropeadope Records in the Fall of 2014. KST are looking forward to expanding their sphere of influence through touring in support of the album.
Band Members
Links