"Kiven conjure up a unique and unrestrained amalgam of sounds and styles that's for some truly intoxicating and infectious tunes. It'll make you think and it'll make you dream—like all great daring rock bands do." - Artist Direct
Tyler Demorest, Danny Schnair, and Matt Cohen, known collectively as Kiven, hail from the smog-swept city of Los Angeles. While their musical influences have undoubtedly come from a wide array of musical and artistic spectrums, this trifecta ultimately blends together to create the band’s unique and personal sound. The band released their first EP, Two In The Same, in 2010 while still studying in school, and then followed with STEP in the spring of 2012, featuring their hard-hitting single, “Release.” Shortly after their sold out CD Release Show at the Bootleg Theatre in Silverlake, Kiven has continued to pack venues in the Los Angeles area on a nightly basis. Following the initial momentum and direction of sound from STEP (their previous EP), the recently released EP, "1840" continues to progress forward both sonically and emotively, reflecting Kiven's musical and personal growth. The tracks off of 1840 build in a more organic sense and with a naturally touching pull on the listener with pocket drums, grooving bass lines, hard hitting guitars, soaring vocals and lush harmonies. With the excitement of their new single, "Hope & Smoke", which reached #11 on Hype Machine and was featured on Indie Shuffle and Red Bull Soundstage, Kiven made their East Coast debut in New York for CMJ 2012 as an official artist – playing a handful of showcases including The Deli Mag, Audio Perv and a handful of other buzz-worthy CMJ bills. Shortly after, Entertainment Weekly went on to name Kiven as the #2 "Great Indie Discovery" from CMJ 2012. Debut full-length out Spring 2013.
In The Fire
Kiven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But a murmur of the matter can seed this
Can feed disbelief
For a moment fearing numb
But a surgeon of the latter I'm told
Could loose their hold and down we go
In the fire
We burn it all to earn a little
We loose ourselves along the middle
I'm not coming home
Faith in toe deceiving down the road
In a complicated gesture letting go
You're not alone
and for a moment you lie alone
Clueless on the matter when you fold your hope, and losing hold of what you know
In the fire
We burn it all to earn a little
On the wire
We loose ourselves along the middle
I'm not coming home
In "In the Fire," Kiven talks about the struggles of letting go and moving on from a situation that is no longer serving you. The opening line "Closing doors, shut off the roar below" suggests that the singer is leaving something behind, perhaps a tumultuous relationship or a job that they hate. They are cutting themselves off from the noise and chaos that surrounded them, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are free from the situation. "But a murmur of the matter can seed this, can feed disbelief" implies that despite attempting to distance themselves from the situation, the singer is still haunted by doubts and fears.
The singer acknowledges that this process of letting go can be difficult; "For a moment fearing numb," they contemplate the emotional toll that cutting ties will take on them. However, they also realize that sometimes it's necessary to make that painful break in order to move forward. "But a surgeon of the latter I'm told could loose their hold and down we go" suggests that even if the decision to leave is made by someone else rather than the singer, it can still send them spiraling. The phrase "in the fire" is repeated throughout the chorus, which could symbolize the burning away of the old and the painful process of letting go in order to make room for something new.
In the second verse, the singer seems to be addressing someone else who is going through a similar struggle. "Faith in toe deceiving down the road" could mean that the person is holding onto hope and faith, but they're not sure where it's leading them. The line "In a complicated gesture letting go, you're not alone" seems to be offering comfort and solidarity to this person. The chorus repeats, with the singer asserting that they're not going back to what they left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Closing doors, shut off the roar below
I am shutting out the noises and distractions that are holding me back
But a murmur of the matter can seed this
Even the smallest doubt can grow and spread, infecting my confidence
Can feed disbelief
My own doubts can weaken me and make me question myself
For a moment fearing numb
In moments of uncertainty, I fear becoming numb to the world around me
But a surgeon of the latter I'm told
I've heard that a skilled professional can guide me through my doubts and fears
Could loose their hold and down we go
But even the most skilled guide can lose control, and we can spiral downwards
In the fire
When faced with challenges, we must endure the pain and suffering to emerge stronger
We burn it all to earn a little
Sometimes we have to sacrifice everything we have to achieve our goals
On the wire
Life is a balancing act, and we risk losing everything if we don't stay focused
We loose ourselves along the middle
In the pursuit of success, we may lose sight of who we are and what truly matters
I'm not coming home
I'm committed to staying the course and achieving my goals, no matter what it takes
Faith in toe deceiving down the road
Even when we have faith in ourselves, deception and obstacles may still lie ahead
In a complicated gesture letting go
Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go of our fears and doubts, even if it's difficult
You're not alone
No matter how tough things get, there are others out there who can support and guide us
and for a moment you lie alone
Even with support, there may still be moments of isolation and loneliness
Clueless on the matter when you fold your hope, and losing hold of what you know
When we give in to despair and lose our grip on reality, we become lost and unsure
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Drew W
Good word you guys are good. Just started really listening to you guys tonight, and now I honestly can't stop. Tyler, you have some seriously incredible talent... I haven't met the rest of you gents, but I hope you go far.
Bret Alsop
holy shit!!!!!! you guys are inspiring!!! I'm just some guy from Utah who's trying each day to live his dream of being a musician and each time i hear your songs it just helps my fire burn strong!!! thank you guys for your beautiful and heart felt work!!!!
KivenMusic
Thank you Bret! We just announced 2 dates in SLC in May. Hope to see you out!
Luke Walton
awesome guys!!!
kepein
my god this is so great, im gonna by a shirt and the cd+download when payday comes :)
hope you get viral enough to get to europe, otherwise ill need to make it to the US
JEFFUM_STYLEZ
I need some shirts you guys are awesome.
KivenMusic
Thanks a ton. We running our on online store at http://www.kivenmusic.com/store. Appreciate the support!