"Is it a cool blend of chanson warmth with a pop twist or a polished pop dressed in chanson style?
Either way, the outcome is definitely worth a listen" - Stef Strittmatter, BZ Basel
Kind Regards is the fresh band from Basel/Lausanne around the singer-songwriter duo David Schwarz (vocals, guitar) and Pascal Grünenfelder (vocals, double bass, electric bass).
Inspired by the rich indie folk tradition, the formative influences of their youth (Beatles, Stephan Eicher, Wilco, Noir Désir...) and the search for the right expression of their musical vision, the two 'partners in crime' create their music in a very unique, articulate, often expressive style. And they are not afraid to cross style and genre boundaries.
This has already been described as "danceable Americana chansons" or "organic eclectic groove music". In their handmade songs, the two friends delve into the essential themes of our lives with honesty and passion, melancholy and confidence.
Beginnings:
Pascal Grünenfelder has been travelling the stages that mean the world to him in bands and projects since his early twenties. As a bassist, singer and composer, he moves between rock, jazz, pop, world and improvisation and adds his special flavour to many Swiss bands. David Schwarz, a singer, guitarist and composer since the late 90s in French-speaking Switzerland and later in Basel, writes and performs pop, rock and folk songs in various bands and works in the visual field with artists such as Dirk Koy (Yello, etc.) David and Pascal met in 2010 in the electropop project Five Years Older, with which they released two albums. In the coronavirus year 2020, the two reunite with new ideas for an acoustic project. A repertoire of a lot of new and a little old quickly emerges: Kind Regards is born.
Trademark sound:
The consistently positive reactions to their first shows with acoustic guitar, double bass and two vocals encourage the two musicians to continue on their path and to further develop and refine their songwriting. The classically trained cellist Cyprian Kohut, the Fribourg-based jazz/pop pianist Livia Marras and the jack-of-all-trades Ben Bürgin on drums are enthusiastic and accomplished musicians who help shape the band's sound with their ideas and signature style. With the new band line-up, David and Pascal succeed in finding a Kind Regards 'trademark sound' that perfectly reflects their songs and sound ideas. The quintett records it's first songs in autumn 2022 at Breandan Davey's Ordered Noise Studio in Basel.
Singles 2023 und Debut-EP:
The single Decoy (January 2023) is the young band's first success; the song is played on the radio, makes it onto various playlists and reaches five-digit streams. Decoy impresses with its calm and sublimity. The chamber music-like interweaving of the three string instruments over a flowing drumbeat opens up the space for the warm, shimmering vocals of the two singers.
Somebody Else (April 23), the second song from the debut EP, impresses with a clear, modal song structure, a catchy pop chorus and ominous, floating strings. The song addresses the then (once again) dramatic refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, a topic that the two songwriters are always concerned with.
The two other EP songs Other Side, an intimate folk-pop number with Ringo Starr-inspired drums and the psychedelic, shimmering guitar epic Off The Hook, which conjures up the power of the great river, round off the band's successful debut.
Singles and album 2024:
in the new songs, which were recorded at the end of 2023 and are now being released in 2024, the quintet moves between francophone chanson borrowings, warm acoustic indie folk with acoustic guitar, double bass, dobro and cellos, melancholic and confident melodies, danceable organic beats and electrically amplified excursions into pop-rock-psychedelic and neo-noir realms. The two vocals with English and French lyrics take up a lot of space. David's impressively clear and expressive lead voice touches and enchants, while Pascal's characteristic accompanying voice adds a special touch to the arrangements and repeatedly takes the lead.
Collabs:
On two of the new tracks, steel guitarist Gilbert Trefzger (Okuo, Lovebugs and others, Berlin/Paris) can be heard as a stylistically confident and creative guest. In ‘Chère Patrie’ on the Dobro, on the electric ‘Waste Of Time’ on the pedal steel guitar.Basel-based singer Amoa (Sandro P, Juniper) appears for a brief guest appearance in the French 'J'Entends La Mer' with her delicate teremin voice, lending the song a theatrical flavour.
With Gavin Gardiner (CA-Toronto), who works with acts such as Black Black Sea Dahu, The Wooden Sky and many more, the band has found the perfect match for the mixes.
Releases 2024:
Following the single 'Chère Patrie', which will be released on 28 March 2024, Kind Regards will release a further six singles every six weeks over the course of the year before the debut album is released in December 2024.
