Playfully Jealous: A Conversation with The Kiddos
Interview ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 4 Minutes
Indie pop has been all the rage over the last few decades. Much in thanks to its stars such as Clairo, Cigarettes After Sex, The 1975, and more, the genre has really began to take shape recently. More and more artists with this distinct style have been emerging left and right - even in the most unexpected of places like Houston, Texas.
The Kiddos are a Houston-based indie pop trio who describe themselves as “a nostalgic and indie twist on what it means to be a rock and boyband”. Its members include guitarist/vocalist Kiko, keyboardist/vocalist Cesar Juarez, and bassist/vocalist Joseph Riffin. Lacking a drummer, the trio stands out within their local scene. We recently sat down to discuss the project at large and what’s to come.
(left) The Kiddos photographed by Millena Tran (right) The Kiddos’ “Cherry” Single Art via Retro Angel Dollhouse
You released your newest single, Cherry, this past December. Can you break down what the song means to you / the process it took to bring things to fruition?
The song to us is playfully jealous - our lyrics sound both heartbroken and amused, like we’re dancing our feelings out instead of sulking. It has that bittersweet, neon-lit feeling of being in love and left out at the same time. It’s a composite piece of our previous relationship experience and we had to be completely transparent about how we felt and what we learned.
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations? Are there any that some would be surprised to hear?
We love all the greats and started off inspired by The Smiths , My Bloody Valentine, Turnstile, Kero Kero Bonito and The Weeknd. As far as daily listening we’re all over the place with artists like Mk. Gee , South Arcade, Pink Pantheress, Beabadoobee, Lisa, and Sabrina Carpenter
You are based in Houston, Texas, a city known for its rock and metal scenes. Being an indie band in such a rock-centered area, what are some struggles or even assets you’ve faced?
Sometimes it works out in our favor to be different. We’d like to consider ourselves rock adjacent and sometimes it blends well with the heavier scene. However, constantly having to win the audience every night can be challenging. We get put on bills sometimes where the audience is actually accepting towards our sound and they end up really loving us. Some nights we feel like a filler band though.
What is the backstory to the band name, The Kiddos?
Basically Cesar’s mom gave it to us. In the early days when it was just me (Kiko) and Cesar in the band we didn’t have a practice space so we’d just practice at Cesar’s house. His family was generous enough to feed me sometimes and his mom would call us down with names like “hey uglies” or “hey fart faces.” Obviously joking around, but one day she said kiddos and it kinda stuck.
The name itself is a commentary on our musicianship and life at the time. We didn’t know how to play instruments when we started nor did we know how to record. So as we kept learning and figuring stuff out we were like kids being shaped by our failures and successes. Almost how a kid grows up.
What are you all currently listening to?
Currently it’s been a lot of A$AP Rocky’s “Don’t Be Dumb” , After’s “After EP 2” , and Fall Out Boy’s “Folie à Deux” .
You debuted with “Drip” in 2020. Looking back on that era of the band, is there anything you’d do differently? Why or why not?
We probably wouldn’t change a thing because of the whole butterfly effect thing. Honestly the only thing we’d do differently is take our time with it. At that point in time we were so ready to put out anything that was ours and we kind of just overlooked the part where we need to make these songs great. The EP itself got pretty good reception and people still request Toy Gun a lot so we wouldn’t change a thing.
You are self described as an “indie boy band”. What about the culture of boy bands do you hope to expand on or change?
We hope to expand on our sound and aesthetics as a boyband. We feel every indie band looks and sounds the same. We want to look like an absolute unit on stage and sound as authentic as possible.
We want to change how boybands are made and operated. None of us had any ties to the music industry before the band. None of us came from musical families. We want to show the world how you can look like anyone and come from anywhere and still make the dream possible.
Where would you like to see the band in ten years?
On a Grammy Stage with a supportive fan base. Playing massive festivals, stadiums and tours. Performances on SNL and other late night talk shows. Above all, making art that tells our story and resonates with people.
Is there anything you’d like to promote or plug at this time?
Follow our instagram and tik tok @thekiddos_music. Watch the “Cherry” music video on our YouTube and subscribe! And stream us wherever you get your music !! Thank you for having us !!
