ReverbNation Feature Artist: Kickstand Jenny
Kickstand Jenny Has It All
One band to definitely look for in 2023 is Kickstand Jenny, from Santa Rosa Beach, FL, and their upcoming album Between The Lies. This album is a concept album and it is loaded with a variety of genres while telling a story. I had the opportunity to interview their guitarist, Preston Morelock, who is as personable as he is talented.
Kickstand Jenny
Scott Foster Harris, formerly of L.A. Guns, shares his masterful vocals. Preston Morelock delivers his widely talented guitar work. Chris McComas is solid on bass, and A.J. Sipos keeps it all together on drums. Kickstand Jenny has opened for many bands, including Skid Row, L.A. Guns, Slaughter, Living Colour, and Lit.
How Kickstand Jenny started
Preston has been playing guitar since he was eleven and started his first band, with his brothers when he was fourteen, and they continued playing for years. I’d say “inspired” while Preston explained he was “obsessed” to play Van Halen, learning monster riffs before learning theory. Playing in his family band also gave him the opportunity to learn the business side of being a successful band. Fast forward to a ten-year hiatus as he got married, started his family, then relocated from TN to FL. Preston suddenly had an amazing Sammy Hagar experience, and that is what ignited his second wind.
Wait, what happened with Sammy Hagar?
Preston explained he wore his vintage Sammy Hager t-shirt to a Sammy Hager concert, as one does when they are a genuine fan. Preston had the opportunity to be side stage during the show and he believes that vintage t-shirt is what caught Sammy’s eye during “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy.” Suddenly Sammy shared his mic with Preston as they finished the song together. I think we can all agree this is quite the way to have a second wind ignited!
Then one week later Preston was having some furniture delivered and the delivery man, A.J. Sipos saw Preston’s guitars and struck up a conversation that led to jamming together, which led to adding Chris on bass and getting a singer.
Over the course of ten years, Kickstand Jenny is in demand and plays out four nights a week between Pensacola and Panama City. They have such a steady following that they are able to perform originals along with covers, and they get very creative with covers.
Scott Foster Harris joined Kickstand Jenny
While working on what was going to be a demo, Preston reached out to a few different vocalists to perform on different songs, including Mark Slaughter (who provides his gritty vocals on ms on “Solo”) and Scott Foster Harris. It wasn’t until Preston was working with legendary producer Chas Sanford on the almost completed demo when Chas recommended Kickstand Jenny get Scott as their vocalist. Through what can be easily described as divine intervention, Scott Foster Harris agreed to join Kickstand Jenny and that demo suddenly became the album Between The Lies.
About Mark Slaughter’s guest appearance on Between The Lines…
Preston shared how Kickstand Jenny developed a decent rapport with Mark Slaughter over the years they opened for Slaughter. Preston sent Mark the demo and asked if he would be willing to provide his vocals on one of the songs. Mark selected “Solo” and he
brings the perfect amount of emotion to the lyrics with his powerful rock ‘n’ roll singing combined with Preston’s guitar.
The Concept
Preston is a great songwriter and the more I listen to Between The Lies the more I notice how much I appreciate his ability to write ballads while making the mood, emotion, and music sound distinguished from one song to the next. It is such a drag, to me, to really go deep for a band only to become quickly disappointed because everything that band does ends up sounding like one long never ending song. Perhaps it is all of that 1970’s music I grew up with that resulted in my having a taste for sustainable, creative, and meaningful variety in both lyrics and music from one song to the next, and one album to the next, resulting in a music relationship with my buying the second and third albums after enjoying the first, as well as seeing them in concert. Preston had many songs he had written, and finished writing during the pandemic. The concept of Between The Lies is the death of music during the pandemic and the resurgence of music following the pandemic, with Jenny as a fictional character.
Preston described how Jenny and her partner are not getting along, she goes to CA and dies, then he commits suicide, followed by a new life with the rise of the Phoenix. “Jumpin Jack Flash” is the song on Between The Lies that serves as the rise of the Phoenix and Kickstand Jenny performs one hell of an emotional cover.
Kickstand Jenny recently signed with Spectra Music Group, which will no doubt give them the needed boost ahead of the album release.
Between The Lies
The planned release date is 03/03/23 and the pre-order link is already functional:
https://kickstandjenny.com/album/2340103
This album covers multiple genres, from rock ‘n’ roll to grunge, then a little punk and even tasty country. If you like an album composed of songs that include ballads along with fantastic vocals and music, then you will want to add Between The Lies to your collection.
Why should people listen to Kickstand Jenny? In Preston’s own words: “because we are passionate about this and we are music fans first who love multiple genres. We are not devas or jerks, we are normal guys who have fun playing music. Good vibes.” I have to agree after having a great discussion with Preston.
Also, Preston left me thinking about an excellent question he raised during our conversation. “Why do many classic rock stations play older music by bands but never play new music released by the same bands?” Perfect examples we discussed were Def Leppard where we still hear great classics like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” but we hear nothing from their 2022 album Diamond Star Halos. We both agree this needs to change, and those same classic rock stations can add new bands that play real rock ‘n’ roll.
Find Kickstand Jenny
https://kickstandjenny.com/home
