Getting to Know: Kingston 530

On Friday, BMS will host our third annual Battle of the Bands at Oliver’s Nightclub at the Cask’n Flagon. All this week, we’ll profile each of the five participating bands. Today, we’ll turn the spotlight on Kingston 530.

Band Name: Kingston 530

Members:
Chris Ferrara: Lead Vocals (Sharon, MA)
Kevin Sullivan: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals (Weymouth, MA)
Ben Caccia: Electric Guitar, backing Vocals (Chepachet, RI)
Shaun O’Loughlin: Bass, Harmonica, Backing Vocals (Rindge, NH)
Will Sibilia: Drums, Backing vocals (North Smithfield, RI)

Website:
www.kingston530.com

How did you form?

Chris Ferrara and Kevin Sullivan started Kingston 530 in 2004 at the University of Rhode Island. They would write music and play open mics together until their lives started to take on different paths. In the fall of 2008, Chris and Kevin decided to make their dream a reality and bring Kingston 530 back to life. Sully invited Will to join the team, and from there, the chemistry was contagious. Will asked his good friend Ben if he’d be interested. Sure enough, he was. To round out the crew, Sully was hanging out with Shaun and expressed the band’s need for a bassist, and, as fate would have it, Shauno just so happened to play. In May of 2009, Kingston 530 officially became the family you see now.

Who are some of your influences?

Matchbox Twenty, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Jack Johnston, Justin Timberlake, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Eric Clapton, SRV, Jimi Hendrix

Finish the sentence, someone would like your band if they like…

…to go out with their friends and have a great time.

What has your most memorable moment as a band been?

Hands down, it would be finishing in the Top 3 in the nation in the Hard Rock Cafe Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands. We entered the competition because we thought it would be fun. Little did we know how far we would go, and we got to see just how much support we had and how many fans we gained around the country.

Walk us through your songwriting process.

Chris and Sully handle this department. More often than not, Kevin brings a chord progression to the table and Chris creates the melody. Together, they write the lyrics, based off the feeling they get from the music and what “image” or “scene” they see the song fitting in to. They base all of their songs off of real life situations or feelings, which they have either had themselves or heard from others. Once a song is “completed”, Chris and Sully bring it to the attention of the rest of the band. From there, they all put their own spin on the lyrics and instrumentals.

Who is the best musician in your band?

Benny…just wait until you hear him play…then try to argue with us.

What is your favorite local venue?

We have received an incredible amount of support from the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston. We love the energy the venue provides, and the management and staff have become like family to us.

What separates you from other local bands?

Our biggest selling point is the energy we bring to our shows. Our fans have told us THEY have fun watching US have fun. We thoroughly enjoy what we do and we make sure the audience enjoys it just as much.

What do you have coming up that people should know about?

On Saturday, September 11, we are opening for the Gin Blossoms in Plymouth, Massachusetts at the Pinehills’ Concert on the Green. On Friday, September 17, we are playing at The Wheelhouse Tavern in Narragansett, Rhode Island as a homecoming show for the band. On Friday, October 15, we are opening for our good friends, Fairhaven, at Lupo’s in Providence, Rhode Island.

Convince our readers to catch your set at the Battle and explain why you will win.

If you have an affinity for catchy lyrics and powerful melodies, you know how to have a good time, and you want to see what The Boston Globe is calling “one of Boston’s hottest bands,” then you are going to want to see Kingston 530. Moves are being made by this band and you’re going to want to be a part of it. We will win this competition because, quite simply, we know we have the talent to.