Say Kids

Nashville’s Say Kids represent everything that is good about music. Their genre-bending sound was coined in 2018 when the four-piece band composed of Peyton Smith, the singer; William Cheatham, the lead guitarist; Matt Gay, the drummer; and Oliver Finch, the bassist, first got together. The group released their debut EP, “From Earth,” in 2019, followed by their most popular song, “Hootie Hoo,” in 2020. Besides these two professional releases, Say Kids is often busy frequenting the Nashville performance circuit, even headlining The End back in 2018. And rightfully so – there’s really something in their catalog for everyone. Looking for a slower song with a bit of an alternative edge? “Trouble Gun.” Want something mellow and soft rock? “White Room” and “Rectify” are the way to go. The band is set to release their first single in over a year on May 28th! “The spark of this song was quite literally all of the commotions that were our world we were at stake with,” they explained. “This song was our way of letting people know despite our silence we plan on sounding the dream into the sky.” We recently spoke to the band about how they got their start in music, what they’ve got planned for 2021, and more!

Say Kids! First of all, welcome back – you release your first single in over a year next week! How are we feeling ahead of release day?

As a whole, we’re feeling great! We just came played our first show in over a year. Our main focus has been this new single, ‘Honeydew’, coming out along with our new LP. The momentum is starting to ramp up and we want to bring that energy to life. This is only the beginning in our eyes!

What makes this song different from your other releases? Can you walk us through the inspiration of the track?

It is like the world is new and this release is almost a re-introduction to everyone of what we are about. Moreover, ‘Honeydew’ is quite the first punch in comparison to what we have coming down the pipeline. The spark of this song was quite literally all of the commotions that were our world we were at stake with. We were all not sure if or when we would be able to reach our fans again. This song was our way of letting people know despite our silence we plan on sounding the dream into the sky.

You call yourselves genre blenders, which is definitely evident after hearing your music; which three music acts would consider your sound a mix of?

All of our songs have taken on their own sound at some point, and we pull from different inspirations acquired through the years of learning how to make a really cool song stand out. This has always been the hardest question to answer, but if we had to pick three acts that would sum up (not encompass) our sound it would have to be an album by The Band, The Swampers, and The Wailers.

Has the Nashville music scene affected your style at all? How so?

The Nashville scene made and molded us. We are in the mecca of music! It’s bold and uncompromisingly honest to its devoted listeners.

Speaking of Nashville – if someone’s in town for just a day, where are some must-see tourist destinations?

Everyone must go to Broadway! Our drummer, Matt Gay, frequently gigs downtown around all the local bars. It is quite the attraction and holds some of the best players in the city. If that's not your style, go catch a show at any of the local venues which harbor all of the great acts that bring this city to life; The Exit/In, The End, The Mercy Lounge, etc. However, you could find us at your local dive bar. We frequented Springwater (the oldest bar in Tennessee) for quite some time before Covid.

Let’s talk a little about your start as a group. How did we each get started making music?

We all formed in Nashville but brought our own upbringings to the scene. Peyton grew up writing his whole life and secretly writing songs. All the while his dream was to form a band but knew that day would come. Oliver and Matt found their upbringings in the local scene of LA. They played in a trio, fronted by our bassist, Oliver, called The Constant Change. Matt has always played as many gigs as possible while Oliver was also earning his stripes on stage. William (our guitarist) on the other hand is from Virginia and grew up playing in a few local bands including the school band. All of us experience the growing pains of becoming a musician and have brought our individual strength to the sound.

And how did y'all get together?

William and Peyton caught wind of a drummer moving to Nashville that was looking for people to jam with on Facebook, so we set up a jam. Two days after Matt and Oliver moved to Nashville together to continue on their journey we all got together. After our first jam, we knew what had happened, and what needed to happen. We then became a band.

Has your music evolved since your start? How so?

Our music has definitely evolved as have we as musicians. Initially, the songs we played were songs that Peyton brought to the table mostly finished. As the sound and the command of our instruments developed so did our sound. This new batch of songs that is about to be unleashed on the earth was more collaborative in nature. Peyton and Oliver collaborated on a lot of the songs and then brought them to the rest of the group to finish. There is always intention when writing and mindfulness of the other players. It is a full-bodied sound that we want to always push the envelope on.

Were there ever any growing pains as a group? If so, how did you overcome those?

Obviously, Covid was a huge bump in the road. It totally killed a lot of momentum we had going from 2020 to 2021. We were planning our first tour and had a lot of big aspirations for the year. With shows coming to a halt and people quarantining in fear, we stuck to our craft. We managed to whip up a tasty batch of songs that are coming your way.

And with that said, what’s the best part about making music together?

The best part of making music together is that this particular band is just so tight. The comradeship is obvious, but at the core is a respect for each other. We inspire each other to be better musicians, friends, and people of this world.

How does the typical Say Kids song come together? Walk us through your musical process!

Imagine a jam, a groovy guitar structure with cool chords. Peyton and Oliver do their thing and collaborate and throw around ideas. Peyton leaves and comes back a day or two later with the song done. The whole band gets together to jam, we play and pick it to pieces. We dissect into the minutia and core being of the song in efforts to come out with a really fun jam. We record with our producer Adam Lochemes and he and Peyton do their magic with Harmonies. With that, you have a Say Kids song!

What does the band like to do when they’re not in the studio?

We like all things art. We enjoy food, drink, and all of the sensory advocating actions one can do. We really miss movie theaters.

What can fans expect from y’all in 2021?

A lot of music, and some killer shows. We will venture out of Nashville while maintaining our roots. Also, we will continue to write music.

When Say Kids make it to LA,______________.

We’re going to Disneyland!

19&YOU

Madeline The Person