Kiwi

Kiwi Band is about a magical vibe: an intangible, emotional response to music. Striving for pure expression, Kiwi Band's music evokes many styles, but is never stylized. Kiwi Band blends modern rock, alternative, and classic rock sounds to create what one critic appropriately called "funky alterna-pop." Elements of ska, punk, techno, and even country music are all clearly evident in the music of Kiwi Band. The Pennsylvania Musician Magazine called Kiwi Band "an overflowing cornucopia of sound." With the release of their third cd, "Too Hot For Pepe," Kiwi Band gained many new fans, and is exploring new avenues of exposure for what one reviewer calls their "sneakily indelible" melodies.

Singer/multi-instrumentalist Ed Artz and singer/bassist Lee Kendrick launched their musical partnership with Kiwi Band's first release, "Fuzzy and Tangy." "Fuzzy and Tangy's" first single, the infectious, ska-influenced "Emma Shake," struck a nerve with audiences, critics and local radio. Exposure from "Fuzzy and Tangy" enabled the band to secure several high profile bookings, and soon the band was back in the studio recording its second full length cd, "Tunnel Hill." Enlisting the services of Van Morrison producer/engineer Daoud Shaw, the band honed its signature sound, delighting previous fans and winning many new ones. "Tunnel Hill's" singles, the hard-driving "Heavy" and the funky "Now That You Have It" were favorites on local college radio, and Kiwi Band emerged as one of South Central PA's busiest live acts, playing acoustic and electric shows at club venues and festival events from Harrisburg to Philly and beyond.

With their third cd, "Too Hot For Pepe," Kiwi Band expanded their musical vocabulary once again. Reviews have elicited comparisons to the sounds of Steely Dan, Al Green, Sergio Mendes and Peter Gabriel. Once again enlisting producer/engineer Daoud Shaw, this time also as session drummer, the band tightened its rhythm groove while maintaining the creative vocal harmonies which have become one of the most popular elements of the Kiwi Band sound. The music also contains many interesting and surprising combinations of acoustic, electric, and electronic sounds, the kinds of sounds which have prompted past listeners to refer to Kiwi Band's music as "exotic."

Recently, Kiwi Band has made forays into the world of film and video, supplying music for short film and corporate video projects. The band also released an acoustic mini-concert DVD, while maintaining an active calendar of gigs. At the moment, Kiwi Band is in pre-production for its fourth full length cd, with plans to start cutting tracks in early February with multi platinum selling, Grammy nominated producer/engineer/drummer Andy Kravitz at the helm. The band has also added guitarist Dan Ehart for a fuller live sound and more options in the studio. Kiwi Band looks forward to building on its past successes, while gaining greater exposure and pursuing new horizons with its music.