Today, Connecticut-based Indie-pop band “Similar Kind” released their newest single, “Nobody Loves You”–I got the chance to speak with members Ben and Julia about this release and the work of Similar Kind.
Similar Kind started with humble beginnings, formed two years ago as just a group of friends having a jam session in the garage. The band’s origin was more hobby-based with Ben McNamara (Guitar) and Evan Murphy (Keys) being the original members, until Ben was approached by coordinators of “Porch Jam” an event supporting local bands with performances on house porches in the area. Once Ben and Evan performed at Porch Jam, they wanted to continue as a band and eventually added Miles Dominici (Drums), Nate Porter (Bass), and Julia Breen (Vocals).
Their name interestingly originated from the popular TV series “Dexter”–Evan had been watching it and heard a character say “We’re a similar kind of people…”. He immediately felt compelled to text Ben about it–hence how the name “Similar Kind” came to be.
“Nobody Loves You” has been a long time in the making. Originally recorded during the beginnings of Similar Kind’s start 2 years ago, the band wanted to revisit the track, this time using the vocals of the newest member of the group, Julia.
Ben tells me that the feeling of the track is heavily inspired from sounds of The Cure, with this revisit being a faster, more-upbeat rendition.
Julia gets into the meaning of this track, and while she describes it to me, the title “Nobody Loves You” fits all too well with the situation. She tells me that the premise is the idea of losing a friend, and how a person you extremely value in your life is drifting from you; excited about other things now. While the demo had existed before her presence in the band, Julia tells me that she added her spin onto things with the new version of “Nobody Loves You”.
Listening to the track, while Julia sings of the memories of a close friendship drifting away, the indie-pop nature of this track gives some “hope” within it. While losing a good friend is extremely tough, you have to continue on, and they’ll be brighter days ahead. I feel that this track was released at the perfect time–giving optimism in a period of uncertainty for many.
Closing, I asked Ben and Julia what advice they’d give fellow artists who want to enter the world of DIY bands. Ben remarked, “Be in a sh*tty band”, and “Do it because you enjoy it”. Keep playing, play shows, and record…the keys to mastering your craft and gaining the experience!
Inspired heavily by the sounds of The Talking Heads and The Cure, with one of the only woman-fronted bands with a diverse spread of musicians in their scene, Similar Kind is a gem of Connecticut’s DIY scene you should definitely check out. As well as their latest release “Nobody Loves You”, Similar Kind’s other singles are able to stream on Spotify and Apple Music, and Bandcamp. Follow Similar Kind on Instagram and Facebook!
Stream “Nobody Loves You” Here!
Written By: Alexa Terry