“I really liked the idea that the name wouldn’t pigeonhole us. When you hear the band name, it doesn’t describe a sound at all, it doesn’t set any expectation of the sound of the band,” says Pat McCay about his band’s name.
Though people may associate their name with the title of a song from the band Pavement, they surprisingly don’t. Just as their name suggests, they are free of imposing expectations for a sound.
As XPN has said, “Despite sharing its name with the first track on Crooked Rain and a fondness for melodious fuzz-guitar rifts, The Silence Kit actually has very little in common with Pavement [and are] much more in sync with the broody, don’t-call-it-goth ‘80s tones of Echo and The Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, and The Cure.”
Photographer: Jay Dyer
No newcomer to the Philadelphia music scene, The Silence Kit encompasses a vast menagerie of contrasting sounds within their free EPs, both of which are provided on their website and bandcamp page. From darker songs to pop sounding songs, they all draw upon a deep rooted sense of tension that not only stirs audience interest but leads to an urgent sense of anticipation.
‘Tension’ is the one word McCay, vocalist and guitarist of the band, would use to describe his group. However, though their sounds may emulate the bands listed above, their influences include Joy Division, The Chameleons, My Bloody Valentine, and Nirvana, and not for the reason you would expect.
“The main thing that runs through all those dissimilar bands is that they are all passionate and unique. All of those bands put their influences together in a unique way and added their own signature voice and direction. That’s what we like to think we are doing as well,” says McCay.
The Silence Kit was featured in Origivation’s first showcase this year, at The Legendary Dobbs. There, each band, much like McCay’s wide influences in music, were completely different from each other.
“We all had our own distinct sound, but we each had an appreciation for one another and a respect for what we were doing. My favorite shows to play are the ones where we are playing and mid-set the music just takes over. As a band you can feel yourself getting lost in the music and the energy in the room. This definitely happened for us at this show.”
Photographer: Tom Mellon
Since kicking off the year, The Silence Kit has been offered a feature video by Bands in the Backyard (www.bitby.tv). Remaining loyal to the spirit of the music video project, they provided a stripped down performance to BITBY, which aired on the website in March.
“As a result of preparing for this session we’ve been playing acoustically and have been enjoying the way things have transformed a bit this way,” says McCay of the experience. “This year we will still primarily be booking shows to play our full, electric set but we’ve been talking about maybe booking some acoustic shows as well.”
The Silence Kit is constantly seeking ways to provide the audience with a newer better fresher image of themselves. If you are looking for a band in this area that will always surprise you, look no further. East coast concerts and a new EP will be popping up soon.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a new release out sometime around summer,”says McCay. “We’re always recording.”
Written by: Melissa Duong
