NFV Song Spotlight: Kills Birds' Glisten

I was introduced to Kills Birds via Buzzbands. Back in 2019, Kevin Bronson sent out a monthly list of bands that he wanted his various photographers to cover. He had Kills Birds highlighted as a band he really wanted a photographer to cover. At the time, I'd never heard of them, which is amusing as just a month earlier I had covered Echo Park Day 2 for the site and in the compilation post for the day (that included photos from various photographers) Kills Birds was the highlighted band in both the title and lead photo. I also noticed that the band was playing at the Bootleg Theater, which was one of my favorite venues (since shut down due during the COVID shutdown). That convinced me to do a little research on the band by checking out their music on Youtube. My memory isn't perfect about things that happened five years ago, but I'm pretty sure that their video for "Ow" was the song that got me to put my hat in the ring to shoot the band. 

Kills Birds at Gold-Diggers

I fell in love with the band and covered another of their sets at the Lodge Room for Buzzbands once venues re-opened. Fast forward a little bit and I happened to notice that they were doing a free set at Gold-Diggers. I did a quick RSVP. A lot of other people must have done the RSVP, because the venue gradually filled up to capacity -- I got there an hour before their announced set time, because there was no way I was being left outside.

Kills Birds at Gold-Diggers

The set was to introduce a couple new songs, which I believe are "Behind" and "Maddy." Potential the "Maddy" song title is wrong as sometimes it is hard to read handwritten setlists. Lead singer Nina Ljeti mentioned that their new music is coming out on November 12th so I suppose I can clean up any errors in this blog post at that point. 

The band hit the stage at exactly the 8:30 p.m. set time that they had advertised, playing their set under the low lights of Gold Diggers (my excuse for the horrid photos being posted). The band started off with their unreleased "Pyre" and then played "Rabbit" the opening track of their 2021 album Married. Ljeti faced her guitarist as he tuned up and then as soon as the music started, she swung her right arm upwards in a violent fashion. She screamed the lyrics, "How could I let you? How could I?," and aggressively did multiple headbangs in rapid fashion. 

Kills Birds at Gold-Diggers

For the song "Jesus Did," Ljeti joined the crowd for part of the song. Per an interview with Grimy Goods, Ljeti mentioned that the song is about the LA music scene and the people you run across. "Pretty daughter. Famous father. Rock star husband. My dead cousin." I can understand her frustrations. But I have to be honest, some of my favorite LA bands and singers have famous parents who were / are in bands like Bauhaus, Dire Straits, Guns N' Roses, and The Rembrandts. When you're in Hollywood, it kind of comes with the territory. On the other hand, I get the cultural shock.

Kills Birds at Gold-Diggers

What's the song would I like to highlight? The band puts out so many good tracks. "Ow" is what caused me to fall in love with this band, but let's talk about "Glisten" from their Married album. I love the mysterious opening music and the questioning vocals. It doesn't take long for the band to turn to a punk rock anthem with vocals to equal as Ljeti yells out "Why don't you love me?" The song easily glides from emotional self-doubt to demanding answers. 

This is not like me
Why don't you want me
When you're not with me?
I'm diving like you dive into the sea

Setlist: Pyre, Rabbit, Natalie, Jesus Did, Glisten, Wallowing, Offside, Behind, Maddy.