DBMK on their Evolution as a Band, "Chains", and What's to Come

If DBMK is not yet on your music radar, it is time to add this Nashville-based project to your next playlist.

DBMK is an alternative duo, consisting of longtime friends Kyle Knudsen on vocals and Colton Ward on drums. Following the release of their 2021 single, “Tough,” DBMK is starting off the new year hot and fast with their newest release, “Chains.” We were able to sit down with Kyle and Colton, to discuss the rundown of the duo, how “Chains” came to be, and where DBMK is headed with their music!

After listening to “Chains” and their discography, it is evident that there is a dynamic between the two which helps them to create such intricate music. Originally from Florida, DBMK formed through their common passion towards music. “I had been hearing about Colton through mutual friends, and through the grapevine for a long time. We had a mutual respect for each other,” Knudsen explains the creation of DBMK, “I was wanting to put together a band so badly, and the short version of the story is this: we were just kind of two kids that really were looking to make something happen, and really looking to make something bigger than the towns we grew up in (dusty, hot central Florida).” Both joked about the first time meeting, Ward saying, “Naturally our parents came with us. My dad was with me. We just met, and my dad was like, ‘So, you want to bring my son on tour, what is this?’ Like the first date thing.” Although the duo began in Florida, they relocated to Nashville where their genre of music was able to take shape. Ward goes on to elaborate, “It wasn’t much of an alternative music scene, like the metal community is really big in Tampa, and that’s just not really what we do.” 

“Chains” falls along the lines of the alt-pop genre, but DBMK’s goals for writing music never held the intention of fitting a specific genre. In discussing how they wanted DBMK to sound, Knudsen explains, “We just wanted to make music that we wanted to listen to, honestly. I don’t know if that’s weird, but we really enjoy listening to our own music.”

Ward expands on the idea of creating what they love by adding, “I just think we didn’t know what we were doing until we made what we made.” With a broad expansion of influences ranging from artists like The 1975, “obscure soundcloud rappers,” film scores (Kyle has a huge love for Annihalation’s film score), Nine Inch Nails, Coin, Baby Keem, and many other genres/artists, DBMK are nothing shy of genre bending and producing music that contains intriguing variety. While talking about the many influences surrounding their music, Knudsen says, “We borrow heavily from the beginnings of electronic music and dance music, as much as R&B and hip-hop, too. We draw a lot from rap and hip-hop, and like black-American music everyday. It’s a huge point of reference for us.” The ability to draw from such diverse influences, is mirrored throughout their discography and especially highlighted in “Chains.”

“It just didn’t feel like anything mattered. So, to make something that felt like it mattered finally, was a relief.” -Kyle Knudsen on releasing “Chains”

The creative process behind DBMK’s, “Chains,” stems from a generation working its way past the feeling of an impending apocalypse. Knudsen brings up his fear of the world ending, and how those feelings tend to be hard to discuss, especially when it seems such things have come to fruition in recent years. “We have been trying to figure out how to talk about those feelings since the summer of 2020, when the world was revealed to us, more so,” Knudsen continues, “It's not like anything happened to us that made the world worse, it was just like, that's the way that it had been, and all of a sudden we’re educated about it, and now we’re able to peel back the layers of systems and how things work and stuff like that. I think we all learned a lot in that time.” 

“It was a little bit of a creative breakthrough, is what it felt like when we wrote our last single, ‘Tough,’ and this one.” -Colton Ward on releasing “Chains”

DBMK’s friendship over the years has manifested throughout their music, and is reflected in the vulnerability both were able to share during the writing of “Chains.” Hearing the lyrics to the single is like stepping inside of a poetry book. Each aspect from the intro, to the chorus, to the bridge is filled with metaphors and emotion that could take hours unpacking. The song is able to convey the psychological aspect in facing the chaos of the world, along with trying to navigate through the darker parts that have been revealed over the pandemic. One line that specifically stood out though is, “At least I’ve got a few friends and they don’t seem to sweat it.” Coming from a duo who seems to be utterly unstoppable with their optimism towards the world, “That lyric is directly about Colton and I, for sure,” Knudsen says, “We want to be a fixed point, like a place for people to feel confident, comfortable, and safe. That lyric is, kind of, for everybody.” Having a friend to lean on specifically resonated with who DBMK are and how they work together. “We always joke, like the two of us are closer with each other than sometimes I feel like with my own girlfriend or parents or whoever. I feel like not a lot of people get a best friend that they get to make music with for their job,” Ward explains. 

“A lot of times it does feel like Colton and I against the world, but it’s not. There really are a lot of people out there that are looking out for us, and are looking out for you, and are looking out for everybody. We’re all a lot luckier I think, then we let ourselves feel sometimes. So, if I could say one thing about “Chains,” it is to find the friends that make it just a little bit easier everyday. At the end of the day, everything is about others. Find those people that make it easier for you, and make it easier for someone else. Do two things everyday to make tomorrow easier.” -Kyle and Colton’s advice for The KULT

“Chains” starts off with light vocals and intriguing guitar rhythms right off the bat that give the song an initially somber feel. As the intro progresses, so does the beat and mood of the single. Introducing a mixture of heightened vocals, a wildly entertaining beat and animated synths, the chorus of “Chains'' establishes a feeling of vitality against the intensity of the world. The bridge showcases the vocals of Ward and DBMK’s assortment of sounds that make the song inimitable. The medley of lyrics and overall production, makes “Chains,” a song ready to play on repeat. 

DBMK is constantly putting their all into every moment and aspect of their music production. “Chains” has been featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday and Ones To Watch. “It’s like a weird full-circle moment where you can step back and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I used to find out about bands on this website, and now my face is on the cover of it,” Ward explains about seeing the article. Knudsen also elaborates on their reaction to the single’s success, “I mean this is the way we are though, but it was like, ‘Dope, we’re on the right track, what’s next for tomorrow?’” It is important to note that throughout the interview, DBMK’s drive and hard work for their projects was palpable. Following their concert in October, DBMK are preparing to take the stage again at Gasparilla Music Festival on February 26. Looking towards the new year for DBMK, Knudsen says, “We’re going to be throwing a lot at everyone this year: a lot of music and as many shows as possible. We just want to build something crazy that you cannot take your eyes away from. We really want to do it big this year, so get ready for that!”

While living through a pandemic where everyone seems to be locked away, having a deeper understanding and connection with other people can become difficult. “Chains” is a song that simply shuts down the idea of fear and isolation, and creates a wickedly, vibrant beat to dance all over those dooming thoughts. “Chains” is for the generation where the next catastrophe always seems like it is just around the corner. It is not only a song to reflect on the insanity of the world, but to introduce a new energy and optimism for 2022. 

Check out DBMK’s, “Chains,” and keep an eye out for what’s next for the duo!