Congrats to Akkilles, our WINNER of The Deli KC’s 2013 Emerging Artist Poll!
Akkilles is the project of songwriter David Bennett, who began by writing folk-inspired demos with his acoustic guitar. He is the sole musician on his debut EP, Demo Treasure, which is available at Bandcamp. But this isn’t your regular sleepy coffeehouse acoustic hour—not by a long shot. Bennett takes risks with his music, many of which are fully realized in his debut full-length LP Something You’d Say (see our review here), released in mid-2013 through The Record Machine. Bennett enlisted an accomplished cast of musicians (Nick Pick, Rachel Pollock, Jeff Larison, Isaac Anderson, and Mike Crawford) to carry out his compositions, influenced by folk but swathed in a snug blanket of ambient, chill indie pop. It’s music that anyone can listen to, whether it’s a listener who becomes unconsciously bathed in its warmth or one who gets swept away by its depth and texture.
The result is that Akkilles has won over KC audiences with its easygoing summer pop sound, tinged with subtle hints of psychedelia. Bennett, who sometimes performs with the full five-piece band or sometimes a stripped-down version, has the ingenuity to transform songs that began as minimalistic bedroom tapes into dynamically dominant indie pop arrangements that seem to catch the attention of anyone in earshot.
Akkilles performs next at Czar Bar on Thursday, February 20, with Rae Fitzgerald and Cleemann. Don’t miss it!
Akkilles – ‘Your Only One’ from David Bennett on Vimeo.
–Michelle Bacon
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays bass in The Philistines and Dolls on Fire, and drums in Drew Black & Dirty Electric.