Singer Nina Ljeti escaped the war-torn Bosnia to land in Canada and finally made the move to Los Angeles where she met her bandmates to complete one of the incendiary new punk acts of 2021 called Kills Birds. The band is on to something very special and beautiful with Ljeti’s screaming her ambiguous lyrical poetry atop Jacob Loeb’s walls of blustery guitar. The band fills the gap between Rage Against the Machine’s fury and Nirvana’s revolutionary spirit. Kills Birds releases their sophomore album ‘Married’ on November 12 on Royal Mountain Records. “We count ourselves as pretty lucky. It was very serendipitous. They were a fan of ours and wanted to have access to our music for different markets. They are very supportive,” says lead singer Ljeti about signing onto Royal Mountain Records. The band knew exactly what they wanted when they got to the studio to record the new album. “The album was produced by Yves Rothman. We were very prepared as a band. We came to knock out the record. Our relationship with the producer was very minimal. Most of the emphasis was put into the parts themselves and our playing as a band,” continued Loeb. The band has released ‘Rabbit, ‘Glisten’, and ‘Cough Up Cherries’ as singles thus far off the upcoming album. “’Rabbit’ is so electric and intense. Many of the songs are centered around the lyrics and vocals,” says guitarist Jacob Loeb.

I talked with lead singer Nina Ljeti, bassist Fielder Thomas, guitarist Jacob Loeb (and drummer Bosh Rothman who was not present) from the band about the new album, their revolutionary rock sound, and how an invite from Dave Grohl literally changed everything.

Words by Robert Frezza

EQ: Nina, where did you get that explosive screaming voice from?

NL: I practiced. I really wanted to sing like Kurt Cobain when I was fourteen. I’d go visit my grandparents in Bosnia and had to scream in the bathroom and learn how to do it. I had to teach myself.

“We’re songwriters and musicians first, not a rock band.”

– Kills Birds

EQ: How did the band nail down their sound originally?

NL: I think we were all on the same page from the beginning. When Jacob and I were first started writing music we didn’t have a particular direction or ambition that we were going with. We were writing songs in all sorts of genres—disco, R&B, pop, folk. We found we both gravitated towards that 90s alternative somewhat punk sound that has elements of pop to it as well. That laid the groundwork for Kills Birds. When Fielder joined us shortly after, we found a kindred spirit in him as well. Although we come from different backgrounds and we gravitate to different kinds of music in our personal lives, we are always have been on the same page with this project, which is pretty rare.

EQ: What’s the overall theme of the new album?

NL: Frustration, fear, loneliness, and everything that happened during covid. I think instrumentally it was how we were all feeling during Covid.

JL: When Covid struck, it was devastating for everyone. As a band though, it felt like punctured a lifeline. We were in so momentum and ready to go but took the ground out from beneath us. We were supposed to go on tour and do SXSW. I think the record represents our lifeboat. It is reflected a lot in the music and lyrics.

EQ: How did you get Dave Grohl’s attention? He invited you to play at Studio 606.

NL: A friend of mine sent our music to Dave and then I met him in person and he became a lot more invested in the project, just really championing us. He let us record our record at Studio 606 for free. We went in and recorded our album there. Dave wanted to play with us with the Foo Fighters. It’s been a whirlwind. 

EQ: Is rock music back?

NL: I think that rock music is not the best term to describe the genre in general because it is transforming so much. I’m hearing pop artists incorporating emo sounds and hearing guitar in a new Drake song. I think all genres are all mixing and meshing at this point. I think every artist has an opportunity to make any music that they want, and it can be accepted if the time is right. There’s so much out there.

JL: We’re songwriters and musicians first, not a rock band.

FT: It’s creating a place for expression. There’s no genre loyalty per se. All sorts of genres are blending together in a way.