90's Kids Leave Ohio Fans Feeling Right At Home

Photo provided by 90’s Kids

Grace Dearing

There are few things the people of Athens love more than gathering together to support local artists. For alt-pop band, 90’s Kids, this support played a role in their post-graduation success.

“Bobcats love to have a good time,” Corey Mouch, lead singer, says. “They love to support local art and music...when we did play in Athens [in March] it was off the hook. It was crazy sellout, crazy fun...We’re so grateful for the response that people have given us so far.”

Mouch met guitarist Robby MacAskill and keyboardist Matt King while studying at OU. Nine months ago, the trio began writing music together and 90’s Kids naturally evolved from there.

“The three of us kind of believe in the same things and have the same kind of vision for the brand and music that this band produces,” Mouch says. 

Now, Jordan McVey has joined as the band’s permanent drummer and will play his first show with 90’s Kids at its headliner on Oct. 12 at Big Room Bar in Columbus.

Mouch, MacAskill, King and McVey each got their start in music as kids. From routinely watching MTV Hits and mastering Guitar Hero, to taking piano lessons from grandma and learning from musically-talented uncles, all four band members have been passionate about succeeding in the industry for years. 

After growing up in different parts of Ohio and getting their start in Athens, their experiences have allowed the band to create a hometown feel in many different cities, including Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Since the band got its start, 90’s Kids has played in all four of these cities, but says that the upcoming Columbus show will be different from anything fans have experienced before.

Not only has the band been rehearsing day and night for the show, but they’re also making sure to personally include fans in the experience. New merchandise will be available at the show, a Playstation 4 will be raffled off.  VIP ticket bundles are currently on sale, which include a t-shirt, a pizza party with the band, a private acoustic set, early entry and five extra raffle tickets for the PS4 giveaway.

“We’ve had a chance to really plan out what we wanna do for all of our fans and all of our friends to show them a good time and appreciation for supporting us the last eight or nine months,” Mouch says. “I think this show is gonna be a big thank you to those people.”

MacAskill also says the show itself will be bigger than previous shows. Rather than just playing through each song as usual, the band has added transitions and interludes between each and programmed lights to be synced up to the music.

In addition to planning its first headline show, 90’s Kids has also recently been working with IV Quarter MGMT, a management company that signed the band at the beginning of September.

One of the founders of IV Quarter MGMT has been a supporter of 90’s Kids before the management company was even involved, Mouch says. About a month after meeting the band, IV Quarter MGMT was founded and signed five artists, including 90’s Kids. 

“[One of the founders] reached out to us and was very interested in having us be apart of this family of bands that’s a very cohesive group of artists that all really wanna make it happen for ourselves,” Mouch says. “All of the goals they had for us were right in line with what we wanted. They believed in what we’re doing and we believe in what they’re doing.”

A month prior to signing with IV Quarter, 90’s Kids released the first song of what Mouch describes as a new chapter in the band’s music. “Bad News!” was released on Aug. 1 and although it definitely has the underlying 90’s Kids sound, there’s a bit of an edge to it that wasn’t heard on the first five singles. 

“The first five singles, plus another bonus track we’re putting together in a collection called Volume 1, really encompases what our sound was and where we were at in the first seven to eight months of being a band,” Mouch says. “Volume 2...there’s a clear push in sort of a different, more experimental direction that throws some new elements into the mix.”

Between Volume 1 and Volume 2, Mouch says that neither collection falls under one category of “EP” or “single.” The band wants to bridge the gap between releasing collections as opposed to releasing singles individually.

“We like to release singles one at a time to give people time to listen to them and dig into them and learn them and enjoy them so they can sing them with us,” he says. “But also, they all belong under that same umbrella.”

The second single from Volume 2 will be released in October and those attending the show in Columbus will be the first to hear it. 

In terms of experience, 90’s Kids is still a young band. But, even after being together for less than a year, it has already found so much success in the music industry and Mouch says they have big plans for the future.

“I think people will start to see 90’s Kids branching outside Ohio here in the very near future,” he says. “We’ve got cool plans for shows hopefully out in Chicago and out on the East Coast and Nashville too...Things are definitely kicking in the right direction.”