Maiken

 I recently became aware of a new band from Kansas City called Maiken, a three piece band composed of Bryan Gwin, Josiah Walker, and Ahna Borck .  Bryan and Josiah are childhood friends who grew up in California together. After completing high school the two were in a touring pop band, after this band ended Josh moved to Kansas City, while Bryan moved to Nashville to pursue music separately. Bryan says that in the back of his mind he always knew that they would somehow end up creating music together again: "In my head I had a distant thought we would end up doing some sort of music together because we have always had a comfort when it comes to writing and both grew up with similar taste, however, the thought had not crossed my mind or Josiah's mind too much." After a few years in Tennessee Bryan moved to  Kansas City, shortly after moving there Bryan and Josiah met Ahna. Ahna who is from a small town in Minnesota grew up singing in Church and with her sisters for fun. Bryan and Josiah were blown away by her voice. In a last effort to in Kansas City Josiah asked Bryan if he would be interested creating music with her. While hesitant at first, Bryan agreed. From the first time the three of them sat down together  they knew they had something special: "It was as if something inside of us had come alive for the first time."  They are currently pursing the band full time at the moment and expect to be keep releasing music quickly. 

Below you can find more of my interview with Bryan.

What is the story behind the name of the band?

 Maiken is a Danish name.  In english it translates to Mary.  Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ.  "The church, like Mary, is a womb called to give birth to a tangible expression of Christ in the earth."  That is our goal with our music.  To give a tangible expression of Jesus.  Many people have a very false view of Jesus Christ and believe he is an angry guy with a list of rules to follow and just wants to change us.  This is however quite opposite of who he is.  Jesus loved everyone he encountered and love them just as they were.  He gave hope to the broken.  He restored lives.  He gave life where there was death.  We want to make powerful music, tour and love as many people as we possibly can on our journey.

How would you describe your music?

I would say our music is very epic and emotional while maintaing a unique sound.  It will stir up thoughts and emotions in listeners that give them a euphoric feeling of hope and love.   Our music is something that can be felt, not just heard.

How does your song writing process usually go?

Usually one of us will have an idea whether it is just a chorus or a maybe a verse and chorus or a catchy hook.  We then demo out a rough idea in the studio and build upon that.  We sort of write and produce our music simultaneously.  It is a bit of a different approach from a lot of bands, but it works out well for us.  This approach sets us up for trying out many different ideas and melodies within one song.  Often the final result of a song will end up sounding nothing like how it sounded at its original state.  As for the lyrics, so far we have all written the lyrics together.   

Any plans for new songs being released in the near future?

Absolutely.  We have several songs in the works right now and plan on releasing an EP this summer and then we will start performing live.  We will constantly be releasing new music.  The beauty of doing everything ourselves is that we don't have to wait on a producer or a studio.  We can constantly be putting out new music.

Do you have any plans for shows or touring this summer?

We plan on playing live as soon as we release our EP this summer.  Not sure if we will be touring this summer but we will most likely be playing locally in Kansas City.

Where can people go to find out more about you?

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube would probably be the best places to keep up to date on what is going on with us.
www.facebook.com/maikenofficial
www.twitter.com/maikenband
www.youtube.com/maikenband


What's the best way people can support you if they like what they hear?

If you like what you hear you can get our first single "Graveyard" for free at www.noisetrade.com/maiken

I think most bands/artists would agree that the best way to support us is to spread our music around.  Like our youtube videos, leave us comments, like our Facebook page, follow us on twitter, etc. And the other best way to support us would be financially.  You can donate to us at www.noisetrade.com/maiken

I have enjoyed getting to know more about Maiken over the past few weeks, and I am looking forward to  hearing new music from them soon! Have you taken a listen? What are your thoughts on the song "Graveyard"?