The Kin

The Kin blends the atmospheric musical wave of old school U2 and groove pop sensibilities of Duran Duran with the vocal soul of Jeff Buckley. The Kin juxtapose dark melodies with catchy hooks and solid musicianship, garnering comparisons to everything from the Cure to Coldplay. – BMI

Considered one of New York City's most promising independent acts, The Kin’s sound is a dynamic exchange between Australian brothers Isaac and Thorry Koren. These multi-talented musicians not only write their own material, they also play multiple instruments, creating a rare and audibly stunning experience. The duo is currently promoting their fourth album, “Rise & Fall,” scheduled to release this summer on their very own label, Aletheia Records.

The Kin’s music is a layered experience combining raw passion and the poetic. The New York Times describes them as "bombastic," TimeOut NY calls their music "soulful," and Billboard Magazine raves, "The Australian siblings have a radiant gift for songwriting and performing...hearing their partnership is a humbling experience."

The Koren brothers came to settle in NYC in 2001 and immediately hit the bar and lounge circuit as an acoustic duo. In 2003, they added on a drummer, keyboardist and bassist with whom they produced their debut album Tracing (May 2004) and three short albums: Red and Black (both in 2005), and Live at the Pussy Cat (2006). After paring down to just the two brothers and acquiring a drummer named “Shakerleg,” collaborating with producer Nic Hard, and hooking up with Wilspro Management, the duo released their fourth album, Rise and Fall, on October 9, 2007 on their own indie label, Aletheia Records, which has already hit #69 on the Alternative Full Length chart on iTunes and has received wide critical acclaim. YRB Magazine raves “Isaac and Thorry Koren engage the listener immediately, drawing them into their moody yet compelling world…it’s both darkly optimistic and noticeably beautiful.” Their first single off the album “Blue on Blue,” which is being spun at Triple A radio stations across the US, has been described by Billboard Magazine as “rich minimalism” that leaves “an elegant melodic tap dance in the brain.”

The talented siblings first discovered their musical abilities as teenagers. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, they grew up in a musical household (their mother, Madeleine McRae, was a cast member of the original touring production of “Hair”.) Thorry, the younger Koren, began studying music at age 10, taking jazz guitar and voice lessons, while Isaac just picked up singing and taught himself to play a Fender Rhodes piano about 4 years ago. It wasn’t until their late teens that they first collaborated on a song together. “We were writing this song as a gift for someone,” says Thorry, “and when we started singing it together in harmony, we were like, “Whoa!”

Being so close and having musical genes has certainly contributed to their spectacular songwriting. In addition to their voices blending so smoothly, they have a “kindred” spirit and vision in their creative process. “The songs just come out of us,” Isaac mused. With the two of them seldom disagreeing about their musical choices, their songs sort of write themselves. The songs have an ethereal, almost epic feeling to them, that there is something much more profound than mere love ballads or folk rock tunes. The brothers insist they have no agenda to promote, only to create a blank canvas on which their listeners can project their own emotions. “Each person gets something different out of them,” says Thorry. “They are not political or even spiritual. They’re about being human.” Isaac adds, “We want people to be uplifted, to feel a heightened sense of self."

Whatever it is, it’s definitely paying off. They are packing houses nationally from Boston to Washington DC to Chicago and Los Angeles. In the Fall of 2007, the Koren brothers completed their first “official” national tour, opening for Josh Kelley and the Pat McGee Band in 14 major US cities, including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their songs have been featured on Triple A and commercial radio stations all over the country, as well as on specialized programming (Q104.3 NY, 104.7 MA, WMMR), independent radio stations (WZBC Boston, XM Radio) and recently on national networks (Premiere Radio and Westwood One Radio.) In addition, not one but three songs off their new Rise and Fall album were featured on the popular new series Army Wives, which premiered in the Summer of 2007 on Lifetime TV.

As a result of their growing popularity, The Kin have been featured guest artists on several TV morning shows, bringing them exposure from the local to the international level. TV appearances include local (Fox 25 in Boston, ABC 6 Action News in Philadelphia, Fox 5 and CW 11 in NYC, and CW 9 in Chicago), regional (“Backstage with Barry Nolan” and “Your Morning” on Comcast in the Northeast), nationally