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Hometown: Shibuya-Ku, JP
Label: Unsigned
Website: www.kinlayband.com
Sounds Like: Sublime, UB40 (Official), Ziggy Marley, 311, Black Eyed Peas
Genre: Rock
The four-piece act known as Kinlay has been jamming around the Tokyo pub and club scenes since 2003, performing their melange of rock/funk/reggae with elements of dance, soul and Afrobeat. Influences span from Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Guns N’ Roses to Jamiroquai, Alabama Shakes and Skrillex.
“We don’t have a particular political message or theme that goes through all the songs,” says MacKinlay, who also rocks a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Manchester. “We deal with typical themes such as love, sorrow, uncertainty, doubt, anger and fear—but try to have a fun side or positive twist to our music too.”
For Kinlay’s 2012 release, Golden Zero, MacKinlay brought in a number of seasoned musicians and producers to create a sun-drenched, feel-good sound. Over the summer of 2013, the upbeat reggae single “No Time to Wait” went on to receive solid airplay on Tokyo’s InterFM.
Backing MacKinlay’s vocals and guitar are Seiji Fukuda on keyboards, Yukako Ishii on bass and Hiroki Murakami on drums. The band’s fourth studio production, a double-album consisting of "Black Dragon" and "Acorns" was released in January 2015. The first disc comprising nine new songs and the second featuring re-recordings of older tracks from the mid-2000s.
The video for the new album’s first single, “Shine on Me,” was filmed by local multimedia outfit, Drawing a Crowd, on location in Roppongi.
“The most important thing is to enjoy music and hopefully find the music that can be a soundtrack to your life,” MacKinlay says. “Lyrics aside, music is something that transcends language and cultural barriers, and probably the only thing that can easily take you away from the stress of everyday life.”
Those in search of a little getaway might also want to check out Kinlay’s jam session on the first Wednesday every month at What the Dickens! in Ebisu.
"On their latest album, Black Dragon, the group reaches deeper into the vintage funk roots that already made them famous on the Greater Tokyo indie scene "
Metropolis
“The band’s fourth studio production, a double-album consisting of Black Dragon and Lost Treasures, is set for release on January 28 at Eggman in Shibuya, with the first disc comprising nine new songs and the second featuring rerecordings of older tracks from the mid-2000s. The video for the new album’s first single, “Shine on Me,” was filmed by local multimedia outfit, Drawing a Crowd, on location in Roppongi.”
Mike Kanert - Metropolis
“Released in December, Golden Zero is by far the Kinlay band’s ripest album to date, a sun-drenched, feel-good listen that showcases the group’s progress since forming eight years ago. British frontman Andy MacKinlay’s vocals and lyrical content have blossomed since the last album Triple *R*, and the band itself has only grown tighter and yet, a little more playful. Recorded at KRH Studios in Harajuku, Golden Zero includes contributions by Craig Harris (Cirque du Soleil) on bass and Pochi Hayashida (arranger of Exile’s Atsushi Solo project), and makes for the perfect antidote to a long, cold winter. A stalwart of Tokyo’s expat rock scene, MacKinlay continues to host regular jam sessions at What The Dickens in Ebisu on the first Tuesday of every month.”
Lexi Coffey - Metropolis
“...Well-honed sound that is perfectly suited for audience participation...”
Laurent Tiernan - Music Connection
“vAnyone who's seen Kinlay, a.k.a. Manchester native Andy MacKinlay, at one of his many gigs around town knows the man can jam covers with the best of'em.
So what's his original material like? Whose The Clown? turns out to be a tight collection of funk-rock spiced with reggae, rap and ballads and liberally juiced with wry reflections on expat life.
Andy's been around the block and sings songs that are often filled with sadness ("You've been running, running far too long" or "Made a whore of all I held sacred" are typical lines), but he's not cynical, and always ready to get back up for another round. He also knows how to lighten the mood with a bit of comic relief, as on the Japanese rap "Phatt Jam," about being unable to learn Japanese as a poor English teacher? rather amusing, really.”
DAN Grunebaum - Metropolis Magazine
