Essential Tracks:
Kopecky Family Band

“We really have become family. I mean, what is family? It’s people you cannot live without.”

Having reunited with the rest of the band earlier that day after a winter hiatus, Kopecky Family Band frontman Gabe Simon animatedly chatted with Jonk Music last January about what the “Family” aspect is all about, considering there is no relation among them.

“I love being in this band,” he said then. “Today was the first time I’ve seen them in almost a month. They’re my best friends in the whole world.”

If you haven’t had a chance to see them live, Gabe Simon’s comments might elicit no more than an “Oh, how nice” sort of reaction at best. However, a few days after this conversation, I had the opportunity to experience the full force of Kopecky’s family dynamic. With power, passion, and no shortage of laughs, the Kopecky Family Band packs a knockout set and performs like there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

Keep an ear out for these gems from this year’s Kids Raising Kids LP at the Family Band’s free King Street concert this Friday evening.

“Heartbeat”
This pop-folk hybrid is the album’s first single and the band’s frontline ear catcher. “Heartbeat” boasts a raw foot-tapping rhythm and a chorus that’s hard to shake off. It is about as catchy as the folk scene gets, but alone only scratches the surface of the jubilant Nashville sextet.

“My Way”
If you are fortunate enough to find yourself on King Street on Friday, listen for this track. As soon as it catches your ear, move closer to the stage. Trust me.

Though the verses sway lazily along, the chorus erupts in a cathartic yell and “Nah NAH nah NAH NAH NAH” will inevitably rise from your voice box, joining every other person around you in a swelling grassroots cry.

“Change”
In our January interview, we asked Gabe how to maintain control of the music with a group of six musicians. “There are certain times you don’t need to say something,” he said, “and other times when you do. As a band, we try to recognize that, and not force it when it’s not there.”

“Change” shows exactly what he meant. Among tracks with energetic, full-forced sounds coming from every part of the stage, “Change” breaks it down to just two, presenting a gentle acoustic backdrop and a gripping male-female harmony. It may have been this track which prompted The New York Times to compare them to Fleetwood Mac.

“The Glow”
One of the foundational elements of Kopecky is their unpredictability. Retaining a linear song structure, the group doesn’t wander into abstract experimental territory, but frequently offers pleasant surprises. “The Glow” begins in what sounds like a ballad riddled with bitter feelings and bursts into a feel good track with a bright dance-inspiring chorus.