Stereo Skyline will keep you heart beat b-beat beat beating!

By Caitlin and Elyssa Lehman

With their uniform blonde, side-swept hair and all clad in different combinations of vests, ties, and skinny pants, watching power-pop trio Stereo Skyline perform live is like an optical illusion. Fronting the Long Island based group is baby-faced singer/guitarist, Kevin Bard, and rounding out the group is Brian Maddox on bass and Rob Michelsen on the drums.

Their sound however is fairly straightforward. If you want to here upbeat songs sung by a boy with an electronically-altered-sugary-sweet voice, buy their four song self-titled EP off iTunes. But, if you want to hear what this band is really about, go out and pick up a ticket for the Let’s Make A Mess tour, featuring the boys, along with The Bigger Lights, The Friday Night Boys, This Providence, and Hey Monday.

The boys of Stereo Skyline not only have amazing stage presence, but great personalities. They stayed outside meeting and talking to their fans until we were kicked out of the parking lot, took silly pictures with us, and even sang a a few acoustic songs after the show.
We caught up with frontman Kevin before their show at Portland's Hawthorne Theater opening for Danger Radio.


Middle of the Plank: What’s the story behind the name Stereo Skyline?
Kevin Bard: Just messing around, I guess. We just came up with it one day and liked the way it sounded. I’m big on the whole double letters like SS

MOTP: Alliteration.
KB: Alliteration, there you go.

MOTP: What has been your biggest challenge as a band?
KB: Money…money’s always a problem. Like getting enough money to tour and getting enough money to eat on the road and stuff…it’s always fun whether you have money or not.

MOTP: And you’re not currently signed?
KB: No, we’re not.

MOTP: Do you have any interested labels that you would be interested in signing with?
KB: Yeah, I mean, we’re open to anybody that wants to talk to us.

MOTP: What sets you apart from other bands in your genre?
KB: We all have the same hair. In our band we all have blonde hair that swoops. I think that’s different from everybody else.

MOTP: What are your future plans for the band?
KB: Hopefully just keep doing what we're doing. It’s really good, it’s fun. Couldn’t ask for more.

MOTP: Next month you start a tour with Hey Monday and This Providence.
KB: Yes!
MOTP: What are the steps to landing on a bill like that?
KB: Well, we have booking agent who just helps us out with getting on tours and we’re also very good friends with Hey Monday because we have the same management so they’ve been nothing but nice to us just helping us out with anything and helping us out in any way.

MOTP: How is your life different from about a year ago?
KB: Well, I was in high school a year ago so it’s a lot different. Seeing the country is really sweet, I’ve never been to Oregon before, it’s really nice here. That’s about it

MOTP: Any last words to anyone watching?
KB: Thank you for interviewing me!