Kings Kaleidoscope

Hailing from Seattle, Washington is a modern worship band called Kings Kaleidoscope. I got a chance to ask front-man Chad Gardner a few more questions about the band, how it all got started and what they are working on now. 

Can you give us a little background history on how Kings Kaleidoscope got started?

We started out as a church band as I was on staff at a church here in Seattle, that was four years ago, very recently I resigned and the band has continued to make music together. 

Will you introduce us to the band members, and what instrument each of you play?

Wheeww.. Here we Go!

I play guitar and sometimes piano or Rhodes, and do the singing. Andrew (Nyte) is our primary drummer and is a monster, John (Platter) plays second drum kit and pretty much everything else, including sometimes programming weird stuff in Max MSP. 

Zack (Walkingstick) plays bass, Jared (Buck) holds down lead guitar with his spaceship pedal board, Lindsay (Gardner), Nadia (Ifland) and Julianne (Smith) make up our strings trio and back me up with vocals, Nadia also plays lots of keys, Zawadi (Morrow) plays flute, keys and sometimes violin, Blake (Strickland) and Connor are the horns section and bring the bro vibes.

Where did the name Kings Kaleidoscope come from, and what does it mean?

A friend popped it off the top of his head once and it stuck, it doesn’t have any meaning. 

Who are some of the band’s musical influences?

Kanye West is #1, Broken Social Scene is big, Anathallo, Common, Minus the Bear, The Velvet Teen. Basically all the bands we grew up listening to. 

What is the main message that you are trying to share with your music?

Love God, love people. Creating art will never satisfy like Jesus does. The gospel is THE message.

What band and/or artist would you love to collaborate with?

It would have to be Kanye. 

Where is your favorite venue/place you have played?

We loved playing at Neumos in Seattle a few years back, it was a killer show.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?

That is a hard question to answer. Recently I’ve been meditating on “being loved’ by God before anything else. Living out of that is key.

Five Random Bonus Questions

1. What is your favorite movie? 

These questions are hard! Recently Despicable Me is at the top. 

2. If you had one day to do anything, anywhere, what would you do?

I could use a day in Paris in the summer this week.

3. What is something that most people don't know about you?

My real name is Chadwick. Chadwick William Gardner.

4. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?

LUCKY CHARMS! Wait…actually OREO O’s! Those were insane.

5. Do you collect anything? If so, what do you collect?

I collect instruments that inspire me, I recently got a Teenage Engineering OP1. Look it up, it’s crazy. 

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Everything we do we to do give glory to Jesus. We feel blown away we get to be a band and make music together without our whole identity being wrapped up in it. It’s a true gift, it’s grace!

You can connect with Kings Kaleidoscope on:

Website | Badchristian.com | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram