Story last updated at
Zoey's Picnic
creates their own sound
It's hard to
pigeonhole their unusual sound in a specific genre. Band members jokingly call
it "techno-folk" or "emo-punk-bluegrass," but generally
agree on "mainstream alternative." Whatever it is, it works. You
can't help but like their sound, no matter what style of music you're into.
With songs about relationships, surfing and life in general, almost everybody
can find something to relate to.
Even the
neighbors don't mind the band's loud living-room practices. They're always
asking when the band is going to practice next.
Lead singer
Whitney Kigos (aka "the Band Nazi"), a 22-year-old student at Trident
Technical College, has been singing her whole life and uses her rich, mature
voice to lead the band's catchy songs. Whitney's musical influences and heroes
include Staind, Coldplay and Chester from Linkin Park.
The band
really doesn't catch any grief for having a female lead singer. Most people
appreciate it because it is unusual for an alternative band.
Whitney's
brother, Jason, 16, a junior at Summerville High School, plays drums for the
band. And he plays like a crazy man. His technique comes from years of practice
and learning, but you also can tell he puts his soul into drumming.
He likes to
play barefoot because "it feels better on the pedals," and he looks
like a bobblehead dog when he plays.
Whitney and
Jason, the two original members, come from a Greek family, which helped inspire
the band's name. "Zoey" comes from the Greek word for
"life" (as in "life's a picnic"). Each time they welcome a
new member into the band, they let him sign Jason's old, broken drumhead, and
every time someone leaves the band, they cross the name out.
The band's
latest and greatest guitarist is Peter Landis, 16, a junior at Berkeley High
School. His influences include The Beatles and Black Sabbath, but he also
listens to modern bands. He joined Zoey's Picnic a year ago after playing in
several jam bands. His favorite part of being in the band is "the
chicks," he says, and he smiles a lot, even as his fingers fly around the
guitar with expert speed. While many teenage guitarists look like sullen, jaded
bottles of pent-up rebellion, he never takes himself too seriously.
A major
ingredient in the Zoey's Picnic formula is that they get along. Some say all
you need for a good band is talent, but these guys know that's not true.
Watching them practice at the Kigos house, it's easy to tell they have great
chemistry.
On top of
their musical ability, they seem to have a basic understanding of each other's
instruments. They even have a special "band language," using their
mouths to imitate each other's parts. If Whitney says she wants Peter to play
the part of a song that goes "dunuhnuhtnuhtdunuh," he knows exactly
what she means. The members of Zoey's Picnic want to take their music to a
higher level, and they all plan on having a future in music, possibly with this
band. They've played at the Flowertown Festival and Summerville High School's
Battle of the Bands, and they've been invited to play at Mambo's teen club in
Summerville. They also recorded a demo disc at the Fusion 5 Studio in Mount
Pleasant.
Zoey's Picnic
plays with the emotion and skill of a band that's been together for 20 years,
but with the youthful energy of a group of teenagers. If they accomplish
nothing else as a band, they'll definitely have fun and impress some people
with their unusual sound. And that's what being in a band is all about.