Heading into the winter of 2013, what had been a folk duo touring Kentucky’s farmers markets, coffee shops, & small festivals was re-establishing its identity. Going into the studio with two new members & an arsenal of songs based simply around acoustic guitar and vocals, there were many questions to answered. Kites rose to the challenge. With the release of their debut Yellow EP in March 2014, the band was reassured in their decision to expand their sound & direction. With tracks like “Hey You” & “What Can I Do” the transformation from duo into a band had arrived, & the audience responded with open arms. Recorded as a demo merely for booking shows, the EP was long-awaited after four months off stage, and rose all the way to #21 in the world on iTunes charts the weekend of the release. Taken by the response, the band prepared for the shows & stages that followed as the year rolled on. The summer of 2014 took the newly renovated foursome all over the Eastern U.S., reaching from Cleveland, Ohio’s historic venue Mahall’s all the way to Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s new Sugarlands Distilling Company. Kentucky also took notice of its Corbin natives, booking headlining shows at the Redbud Festival in Barbourville, NIBROC Festival in Corbin, The World Chicken Festival in London, as well as The Kentucky Green Living Fair & SLAM Festival in Somerset – all while recording their follow-up EP in studio at every open window. Radio stations across the state and region began playing songs from the Yellow EP in rotation with Top 40 Hits. The new year and new sound was a hit, wowing audiences live & through the airwaves. September 5, 2014 marked the release of the Red EP - a new approach to the studio & their entirely independent album production. With its first single “Home,” listeners clamored at the growth and blend of folk, ambience, & rock. Songs like “I’ll Stay” brought the addition of DJ Allen on drums & Nick Stephens on lead guitar full circle, with energy resonating beyond the song & into the heads and hearts of the fans. Down-tempo, emotional ballads like “The End” paid homage to the band’s simplistic and stripped era as a duo, but took the emotional heights of the song far beyond the previous ceiling. Kites had another hit release on their hands, this time reaching #40 in the world on the same iTunes charts. With 2015 in full steam, songwriter & male lead Jo Jo Stephens took lady lead & band bassist Leah Hatmaker by the hand vocally, as well as lyrically in parallel to their lives together. After their marriage in June, the two hit the road again with Nick & DJ and brought their music to universities & iconic venues all over the Southeast. Scheduled for an early 2016 release, the Blue EP is set to tell those very stories & reach even greater heights, echoing songs of the heart and tales of life, love, & hope. Haunting harmonies & soaring choruses. Ambience painted in dynamics. An occasional mix of regional Appalachia. Song to song. Verse to verse. Each line tells a story. Regardless of genre, you'll find memories rushing to mind in the midst of very human music. Kites.