As a female-fronted band, The Kid Henry brings a welcomed alternative rock set list to the Long Island music scene. The groups distinct sound blends elements of punk and rock, which are evident on their newly released self-titled EP.
All four band members - Alexandra, vocalist, Eammonn, bass, Frank, guitarist, and Vin on drums - are Long Island natives. The group makes the most of their location, with nearly endless venues and plenty of new fans ripe for the taking. “Long Islanders love bars and live music,” Alexandra tells us. “Almost every bar you walk into on a Friday or Saturday night has live music and it is important to connect with those bands, to broaden your audience.”
“There are countries smaller than Long Island,” Vin said. “People don’t realize what they have here on any given night in any venue on the Island. I’ll take the Pepsi Challenge with any city in America. No one has the diversity of music or quality bands that we have here.”
For The Kid Henry, establishing mutual relationships among other Long Island bands is important for individual bands and for the entire industry of emerging bands in the area. “We have been trying very hard to bring back the camaraderie in our local music scene,” Alex said. “We think it is extremely important that bands support each other, being from the music capitol of the world.”
The members of The Kid Henry all have a long history of working with creative bands with different musical backgrounds. So, what works with this unique group? “We all come from extremely different musical backgrounds, but the one thing we all pretty much agree on is our love for punk rock music,” said Alex. “We take a little of our personal favorites, combined with that little edge of punk rock and out pops The Kid Henry.”
“For the most part I feel it just flows out like that, to say that there aren't arguments would be a lie, but they are very rare, and much easier than I've had in previous bands,” Eammonn adds. “We write every song the way we want to, we never worry about if people are going to like it. We don't need to win anybody over; we do this because we like it,” says Vin.
Part of the recipe is not taking things too personally. “If someone comes up with a riff or even a whole song, some words or hums a melody, and everyone likes it, we go with it. If we don’t like it, we move on,” Vin explains. “We have very few bruised egos.”
Another part of The Kid Henry’s appeal is the band’s lead female vocalist. “When a girl fronts a rock band, there is always a head turning element of interest. We are blessed with a talented vocalist who really shines,” Frank said.
One thing you can count on from this band is a high-energy, exciting performance. When asked about their favorite performances, Alex described a show played in early January on the Lower East Side. “To have kids sing back lyrics that I wrote and be so excited for the music was unreal. They wanted all of our merch, our autographs and pictures; it was crazy!,” Alex said. “I had to take off work the next day, because I felt like such a rock star, I couldn't dream of sitting behind a desk the next day,” she added.
Vin, Frank and Eammonn all recounted their experience performing at The Kraine Theater in New York City, a venue that is well-known for experimental productions. Sharing the stage with their friends in All New Episode, tickets were sold out, and the audience sang their songs along with the band. Eammonn described the performance as a turning point for the group. “We realized, at that show, that we are doing what we are meant to do,” Frank said. “It took me a long time to play a show where the audience was so engaged with the music, and I’m glad to have it happen with this band,” Vin added.
As for their personalities, “we’re the same on stage as we are off,” Frank told us. “We all work hard, and the band is our release...it comes down to the four of us treat each other like family and I think that comes through when you see us play a show.”
Check out the band’s website here, where you can listen to their EP and pick up some of The Kid Henry’s merch.
Check our events calendar for a listing of The Kid Henry’s upcoming performances in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Share your love for this Long Island band, and others, at our Long Island Living discussion forum!