Kay & The SchoolDrivers

With the “alternative” title “PAME EKDROMH!” (aka: School Excursion!) [Records On Top – Musicpost] Kay & The SchoolDrivers, put out their debut in March 2009 and their fan base is growing day by day faster and bigger than ever.

SchoolDrivers were given birth in November 2008 when Kay Darens, the vocalist of the band, decided to return to Greece, form a band and put his musical influences down on a record. Sided by a great production team: OST award-winning producer Aris Kalogeropoulos (Gummy Bear, Vodafone, Wind, etc), rock producer Cozy Roy and master producer Leon Zervos (Avril Lavigne, Pink, Aerosmith, INXS) - Kay & SchoolDrivers’s debut gets out March 2009, followed by their first appearance on greek music channel MAD TV and a successful release party. A native mixture of college pop/rock with groovy beats, and provocative lyrics giving the impression “PAME EKDROMH!” is not a Greek album, makes Kay & The SchoolDrivers’s sound so special.

The unforeseen high critics received, boosted their appearances and the name Kay & The SchoolDrivers became synonymous to energy – fun – and party. Kay & The SchoolDrivers have made selective but major appearances in Athens Ghost House & Gialino Musical Theatre with collaborations that were discussed extensively like those with platinum artist Giannis Savidakis, stand-up comedian Giorgos Chatzipavlou, famous raper MC Yinka, romantic composer Giannis Chatzopoulos, as well as other respected artists with the latest also featuring in 2 songs in the album (“Gyro Gyro Oloi” and “Babababam” respectively).

The band’s freestyle aspects, the energy and the party mood created made it possible for Kay & The SchoolDrivers to rock in establishments not used to host live sets, such as the famous Greek café/restaurants “Flocafe”. Their numerous participations on major festivals helped the band come together and become groovier. Setting forth from the “5th Festival of Musicheaven.gr” (the biggest Greek musicians social networking community to date), they continued by appearing in “Bigband Festival Finals” in Patra, “European Music Day 2009” with a spectacular show, Going Youth Festival leaving the critics astonished, leading to the end of 2009 in two open concerts at Badminton theatre during Christmas Magic World events, hosted and supported by the Greek National Bank.

In November 2009, surpassing any expectations, their album is selected as the album of the month from Avopolis.gr (versus albums from famous Greek artists like Anna Vissi, Onirama, Eleonora Zouganeli and others). Xaris Symvoulides (famous Greek reviewer) wrote: “Here we have the case of a group which places a very concrete objective, to put out on its own rock language the allegro and carefree side of life. This objective is easily achieved by Kay & The Schooldrivers, exemplarily, elected as one of the few new Greek-speaking groups convincing for their experiential relation with that they sing. The melodies testify assimilation of influences and friction with the object, while instrument-playing dignifies a well tied up band, with rock stain and mainstream direction.”

Result of this course was also the circulation of their first videoclip for the song “Mesa Stin Poli” (aka: In the City) under the direction of Ares Kalogeropoulos. The song became one of the biggest hits of the album getting airplay on major stations in Greece. On 14 February 2010 the band gets a full-page homage in “Epsilon” and “Eleftherotypia Sunday News”, an article signed with enthusiastic comments by Evaggelia Frantzoglou.

Completing successfully their first steps on the music industry, Kay and The SchoolDrivers promise to return with a heavier and groovier sound, rocking in an always alternative non-underground mood with their distinct energy.