" Ow" followed earlier this summer, joined by a raw performance video directed by actor/filmmaker Cris Gris and streaming via YouTube HERE. "'Ow" has the kind of reckless thrash and willfully messy lyrics that seem absent from a lot of today's guitar music," affirmed Paste in its exclusive premiere. " It bleeds with stark confidence, primitive guitars and grating lead vocals, and it embodies the slightly threatening but ultimately exhilarating swagger that you get from spitting on the concrete or gleefully launching into a mosh pit." The track "marries atmospheric verses (shades of Life Without Buildings) with a raging rock chorus," wrote Brooklyn Vegan, while The 405 enthused, "' Ow' highlights (Kills Birds') knack for head-banging instrumentation and well-focused fury...Lead singer Nina Ljeti, meanwhile, performs vocal theatrics atop this cacophony, drawing the listener in with her audible sneer." Alt Citizen praised the track as " a slimy-gorgeous banger...heavy and delicate, angry and somehow serene," adding, "" Ow" has got breezy summer drive vibes stirred in with the slime you feel at grungy basement shows at venues where the bathroom is so questionable you tell yourself you can hold it in spite of all the gross cheap beer you drank."

 

Kills Birds began as a secret project between vocalist Nina Ljeti - an award-winning Bosnian-Canadian filmmaker, now living in L.A. - and guitarist Jacob Loeb but in 2017, evolved into a full-fledged band with the addition of Fielder Thomas (bass) and Bosh Rothman (drums). They immediately drew attention for their electrifying live performances, their jagged guitar-driven melodies and slow-burning dynamics made even more explosive by Ljeti's urgent lyricism and raw stage presence. Among the band's earliest fans was producer - and KRO Records founder - Justin Raisen, who not only signed Kills Birds to his growing label roster, but opted to produce their remarkable debut album as well. Recorded nearly live over an intense eight-hour session, KILLS BIRDS expertly captures the band's on-stage energy, its feral, unfettered power fueled throughout by the extraordinary intensity of Ljeti's striking songcraft.

 

" The album is very personal," Ljeti says. " As a whole, it has no concept, but each song is reflective of what I struggled with, and continue to struggle with. Feelings of insecurity, anxiety, inadequacy, and ultimately love. Love is the main driving force behind everything I create."

 

" The instrumentation helps clarify those feelings," she continues. " When Jacob and I write, Jacob is able to understand what I'm feeling, and he uses the instrumentation to elevate the piece to a whole new level. He honors the words and challenges me to find the best method of expression. His contribution is brave- he works without ego to benefit the emotion of the song. Same goes with Fielder and Bosh. Completing the puzzle. We are all emotional beings. And we struggle with what everyone struggles with. Our ultimate goal is to stay true to that, no matter what. We play together because we crave honesty, and we want to do justice to love in all its forms."

RELEASE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20