Kiros

Ambition is a double-edged sword; wielded proficiently, it can yield magnificent results, do so clumsily and the outcome could be disastrous. When a young band decides to divide their album into three ‘acts’, entitled The Revolt, The Trenches and The Surrender, they better have a darn good grip on that blade, lest they fall flat upon it. Calgary’s KIROS pull off this feat like knights of the highest order. A blend of melodic songwriting and faith-based lyrics, Kiros craft songs that are at once completely original and yet ring with an air of vague familiarity. Taking notes from such pop-rock songsmiths like fellow modern melodic rockers 3 Days Grace and Saosin, they instill their music with a positivity that is infectious.

Vocalist/bassit Barry MacKichan met guitarist Ryan Guerra at a church youth group in 2000. The two started playing locally and realized that the music they created had an appeal that reached far beyond the local scene, and thus Kiros was formed. Taking the band up in earnest in 2004, the two have spent seven to ten months a year on the road since then, with Tyler Wells coming in on drums in 2006 and Dougie Parker rounding out the lineup on guitar. They have shared the stage and toured the world with a diverse group of like-minded bands, including All American Rejects, Relient K, Emery, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Hit the Lights, Oceana and Love Hate Hero, and have played the Warped Tour on several occasions. Despite their radio-ready choruses, Kiros is a live band at heart. “We love the interaction, energy and experience of a concert,” MacKichan muses, “ to put on public display of the creation you made in the studio and to bring everyone else right into it.”

Listen to Kiros here