With their new single, which they leave up to listener interpretation, the Brooklyn band asks the cryptic question, “What helps you see more clearly, more eyes or a pair of glasses?”
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As someone whose platform exists ~95% online, it’s prob not the smartest thing to say, but 2D? Kinda over it.
As we approach the two-year anniversary of the day the (live) music (temporarily) died, I’m a bit burnt out on the internet. I’m avoiding emails, I don’t wanna DM, and tbh I’d rather DIE than stream anything ever again. Virtual reality is no replacement for IRL, FaceTime can’t replace face time and the Metaverse? Mega-boring.
While I obviously do get the appeal of digital (IT’S WHAT I DO), one of the reasons it’s no comparison for IRL is because there’s not much opportunity for coincidence. You can’t run into someone on the Internet. And it’s times like last night, when I introduced myself to the familiar-looking dude dancing next to me during a show at Pet Rescue only to find out he was in the band I should’ve been at home writing about, that just can’t be replaced by any Instagram encounter. The beauty of the real world is that, instead of smashing that like or <3 button or lazily typing a “WOOOOO!!!!!!!” in the comments box, I got to take a swig of my mango White Claw, look Gabe Huxley of BK band Kahuna right in the eyes and—after apologizing for my major procrastination—congratulate him on the band’s very cool new single “Three Thirds.” RIGHT TO HIS BEAUTIFUL, REAL-LIFE FACE!
So without further ado, so you have something to talk about when you inevitably run into him at a show soon, here it is: the newest from Kahuna!
Now I’ve got ten more // I’ll find what I’m looking for // Is it something in the sky? // Is it something in my eye? // Give me fifty please // The world was just so dark before // But now I can see
Granted, this blog post has been more about the band and my argument for IRL than the song itself, but that’s how I’m feeling on this slightly hungover Friday morning. Plus, the guys of Kahuna—Gabe on bass, Anthony Taylor on drums and Jotham Castillo on Guitar—are a goddamn delight, and that’s truly the biggest + best endorsement I can offer anyway.
NOW! Onto the single. Released last Saturday, “Three Thirds” is a track that, as Gabe told me over email, is up to the listener’s interpretation—which is fitting for a song that is, at its core, about sorting through the madness and searching for meaning… about insight, perception, and a different kind of consciousness.
“I don’t really know how to explain what the song is about, plus I’d rather hear people tell us what THEY think it’s all about,” he wrote. “Besides, I’m sure all 3 of us could give our own distinct interpretations, and there’s no right answer. I guess I’d just ask what helps you see more clearly, more eyes or a pair of glasses? Too much knowledge might end up making you go blind.”
While they didn’t offer too much about the meaning of the song itself, Gabe did describe the process, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the song, its context in the band’s catalogue and the setting in which it was written:
“I think ‘Three Thirds’ is definitely one of our most melodic songs, since we really doubled down on harmony over dissonance. I didn’t even really write a vocal melody, just hearing Joey’s guitars dance back and forth around Ant’s groove sort of let my voice find its own place in the song. Maybe it’s because we’ve been writing and improvising together for so many years, but this song just feels so natural— to me anyway.
We wrote this in late 2020, and maybe since we’ve had so much time on our hands the past few months, we’ve really been able to flush out ideas and make songs that are entirely unique from anything else we’ve put out. I’m glad they still sound fully our own, and I don’t think that ‘Three Thirds’ is any exception.”
“Three Thirds” (and the B-side, “Temple Theme”) follows the trio of lifelong friends and NYC locals’ recent double-single, Eigenstate / Bewegter Körper, which dropped in December. As for this year, this is just the beginning from the band of “three noise makers and a stuffed toucan,” who have a lot of new music in the pipeline and are planning on releasing a new single every other month or so.
SO! Disregard everything I initially said about online being overrated and follow them on Instagram for updates. BUT THEN get out into the world and don’t miss your chance to catch the band LIVE at Gold Sounds on March 10th. Along with a good performance and very nice vibes, you never know who you’ll run into in the crowd. And it really doesn’t get better than that.
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Follow Kahuna at @kahunaband, buy their music on Bandcamp and add their songs to your Spotify playlist! Find everything Kahuna at kahunaband.com.
Feature image provided by the band.