Residual Kid

Austin garage/grunge trio Residual Kid came to fame while the members were all still literally just kids, already seasoned professionals at an age when most bands are just getting started. Formed in 2009 at band camp when vocalist/guitarist Deven Ivy and drummer Ben Redman were just ten years old, and Ben's bassist brother Max only eight, they started out playing covers before beginning to write their own material, heavily influenced by the '90s grunge scene, particularly <a href="spotify:artist:6olE6TJLqED3rqDCT0FyPh">Nirvana</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5UqTO8smerMvxHYA5xsXb6">Sonic Youth</a>. Encouraged by their teacher and mentor Jonas Wilson, they started to play shows around Austin. Playing music that appealed primarily to adult audiences, they overcame initial skepticism with their sheer talent, and started to make a name for themselves. Soon they were introduced to 11-year-old vocalist/keyboardist Grace London, who joined the band for its debut EP, Box, recorded by Wilson and released in 2011. However, she left soon afterwards, leaving the band once again a trio. (She would later go on to her own musical career.) Undeterred, they built on their momentum with the 2012 release of their second EP, Faces, recorded at Austin's Bubble studio by Grammy-winning producer Chris "Frenchie" Smith. The buzz around the band led to high-profile festival shows at the likes of SXSW and support slots with <a href="spotify:artist:267VY6GX5LyU5c9M85ECZQ">Dinosaur Jr.</a> In 2015 Residual Kid were signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sire+Records%22">Sire Records</a> by the legendary Seymour Stein, who had famously launched the careers of <a href="spotify:artist:6tbjWDEIzxoDsBA1FuhfPW">Madonna</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1co4F2pPNH8JjTutZkmgSm">the Ramones</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2x9SpqnPi8rlE9pjHBwmSC">Talking Heads</a>. Their debut EP for the label, Salsa, was released in 2016, once again recorded by Smith. A full-length album was planned for the following year. ~ John D. Buchanan, Rovi