K-Flux is a Baton Rouge band able to pull in crowds from every direction with their songs derivative of a myriad of influences. The band, comprised of not only the typical drums, guitar and bass line-up, but also the prominently-featured mandolin playing of lead singer Wesley Kennison, has been around town for nearly three years. During that time they’ve fine-tuned their “space funk” sound to include the roots of jazz, bluegrass, reggae and world fusion sounds. “Space funk is pretty much psychedelic music with a funk bassline and drumbeat as the backbone,” Kennison said. True to the ’70s psychedelic vow to have a good time, the band’s sound can be found to incite dancing among its crowds while they sway through their set on stage. “[The shows are] a two-folded thing,” Kennison said. “We do spend a lot of time in the practice room fine-tuning the songs, but it’s also open to a lot of improvisation. So for us, it’s a mix of tight arrangements and improvisation, but ultimately it’s about making sure everyone in the audience has fun.” And the audiences for K-Flux, as for many bands in the growing Baton Rouge scene, are becoming more and more enthusiastic about being entertained. “There seems to be more of an interest in music,” Kennison said. “People go out now just to get a few drinks and see what new live bands are around. Original music is kind of winning the battle with the cover bands right now.” A veteran of the Baton Rouge scene, Kennison said that while there is no way to determine what pushes an interest in music to the forefront, it evolves from a cycle of honest music being created for listeners who care about what they hear, and feel they can engage themselves further. “A new generation of kids is at LSU,” said Kennison, an LSU student in international studies. “They see that a scene is developing, so they’re more inclined to get a band together and get involved.” He says the point of a music scene is to provide an emotional outlet for its creators, including the musicians and audiences. “When this band came together it was kind of a tumultuous time for all of us that we remedied by getting together and playing music,” Kennison said, “and then it was met with a pretty good reception when we brought it out. So we are able to get things we have to deal with out of our minds and also help others relax a little bit.” The band will play a handful of local shows, and then plan on touring before recording a studio release back home in Baton Rouge. “We’re looking to get out of the stable a bit,” Kennison said. “We want to do some Houston and Austin runs, and go to Atlanta; shows we can do during the weekends. Then we’ll be doing a 10-12 song EP that will be available probably sometime in January or February.” The release will be independently produced, as the band have higher priorities than scoring a recording contract. “It seems like getting a deal is what everyone’s going for,” Kennison said, “but playing shows is really just more satisfying to us.” K-Flux will play their next show at Red Star Bar on August 11 with the Melters.
_____Contact Kelley Crawford at [email protected]