By Kevin Oliver
“Kismet” is the word for the Arabic concept of destiny, or fate–not the kind one is resigned to, but the kind that greets you with promise, anticipation, and the joy of discovery along the way. The Greenville duo Kismet Kind chose the word as their moniker because of a chance meeting, with joyful repercussions that are still playing out.
“We met in a kismet fashion in downtown Greenville, through an introduction by a mutual friend,” says Corinne Twigg, who along with Ashley Piotrowski is the entire band. Corrine had a track record as a local singer-songwriter, so they connected immediately over music, since Ashley was a drummer–an instrument largely absent from the former’s then all-acoustic style. “A promise to hang out and jam together turned into a series of Sundays spent in Ashley’s music room,” Twigg says.
The resulting collaboration intrigued both musicians enough that eventually, they decided to take things public; their first show was about a year ago here in Columbia at New Brookland Tavern–where they return this Friday, March 4th.
So, what happens when a confessional singer-songwriter crosses paths with a rock ‘n’ roll drummer? In Kismet Kind’s case, the musical mind-meld creates a cacophony of swirling guitar sounds and crashing cymbals, underpinned by Piotrowski’s propulsive timekeeping. An audio collision of Sleater-Kinney and Speedy Ortiz, the tuneful racket supports lyrics that would still feel equally at home in a sensitive indie folk song. The more electric, eclectic sound amplifies not only the instruments, but the themes addressed in the song’s subjects.
“We wear our hearts on our sleeves,” Twigg says. “We find the writing process to be just as healing and as cathartic for us as it is to share the finished product in a room full of listeners.”
The duo has even coined a name, or a subgenre, for what they do– “Sad Girl Rock.”
“That most closely describes the emotional nature of our sound,” Twigg explains. “We aren’t your typical female duo because we aren’t afraid to connect with the loneliest person in the room from our vulnerable place on stage.”
Their star has risen quickly on their home turf, with the Upstate Music Awards nominating them for “Best Duo/Group” and “Best Live Act,” an impressive achievement for a brand-new act.
“To be as fresh on the scene as we are, seeing our name on anything–let alone nominations for the Upstate Music Awards–floored us,” Twigg says. “What means even more is to see familiar faces at our shows; it’s amazing to feel that support and it never gets old.”
There are no formal studio recordings of Kismet Kind yet, but the duo is working on something for release in 2022. Until then, you can hear some of their music on a livestream they did last summer with the YouTube channel At The Addition: https://youtu.be/OOfx2IohVUc
Where: New Brookland Tavern
When: 7:00 p.m.
With: Hillmouse, Death Ray Robin
How Much: $10