Nashville Indie Pop Rockers Say Kids Talk New Funk-Fueled Single ‘Honeydew’, Upcoming Album, & More

In 2018, hungry young musicians Peyton Smith and William Cheatham started writing music together after meeting at Belmont University. Soon, they met up with drummer Matt Gay and bassist Oliver Finch as both had moved from Los Angeles to Nashville. After rehearsing in a recording studio together and melding their talents and ambitions, the up-and-coming band co-wrote and produced a collection of original music. It was then Say Kids was officially born.

The band managed to snag their first show at the late great West End venue The End in 2018 and shortly after, released their debut album single, “Doctor,” while quickly gaining a local following. They would grind out shows at small beloved venues around town, and would soon churn out more singles such as “Curtain Call” and “Homesick,” before finally recording their debut EP, “From Earth,” in 2019. 

Say Kids is back at it with their newest single, “Honeydew,” as it officially marks a year of the band’s return. The single offers a funk-fueled indie pop flare almost reminiscent of some early Maroon 5. It has an energetic and danceable rhythm, which is led with strong passionate vocals, and accentuated with some serious axe shredding. Frontman, Peyton Smith, mentioned wanting the single to “capture the fear one gets when you don’t hear from someone you care about, and the ignorance people choose to live in despite the circumstances being faced.”

Say Kids had the time to talk with us about their new single, upcoming shows, putting together their new album, and more.

Your new single, “Honeydew,” just dropped last week. What’s the story and inspiration behind this single?

This song is one that Peyton wrote after having the realization that we may not play another show again for a while. It was a song we wanted to release as things started to open back up as our way of saying, “you’ll be hearing from us shortly”. This song is a token of the fear a lot of people had as the pandemic hit. We were separated, and it was hard to tell who was doing what. This was the perfect introduction in our eyes for what is in the works to follow.

When and where was the single recorded and who was involved in the production?

We recorded this song at the home studio of our producer, Adam Lochemes, in October of last year. Our recordings are all done live-to-track. It was a blast to record “Honeydew” and our next single on that same day.

Will this track be a part of an upcoming album and/or EP, or is it a standalone single?

“Honeydew” is a standalone single and so will the next one. We are ramping up the energy for our upcoming LP that was just recorded this past weekend.

How does the songwriting process work within the band?

Peyton typically writes a song and brings it to the group to flesh out. Some songs are more collaborative than others. All of our songs take on their own sound once we practice them together.

So I know last year you guys released your single, “Hootie Hoo.” How does “Honeydew” differ from that single?

“Honeydew” is a swift heavy hitter, while “Hootie Hoo” is a groove machine. Each carries their own meanings while maintaining their own light.

Are the wheels in motion for booking shows and perhaps light touring?

We are starting to look at show opportunities all over the place. We just came off of a wonderful show in Memphis with Parrotfish and a local favorite, Avon Park. That show gave us the spark we needed to get into the studio and record the LP. We are going to continue to work on our coming releases, but there is no doubt it’s showtime.

What might a dream gig look like for Say Kids? Opening for a select act or two, festivals, venues, etc.

There are so many dream gigs. However, something that sounds dreamy and will be if it actually becomes reality is this: a dream day in Nashville with baseball, bands, and food. Peyton is a part of a baseball team made up of artists. It would be a hoot if the sandlot league had a day with music from artists like Say Kids, Briston Maroney, The Band of Heathens, Dreamer Boy, and all the other artists that we could go on and on about. Needless to say, that would be an awesome gig. 

As a band, what is your biggest goal for this year?

We just sort of met our biggest goal which was recording the album. However, there is still work to do to get it across the finish line. We are not sure when, but the possibility of it coming before next year is out there.