It is our duty to continually improve and self-educate. Learning is a lifelong process. To truly thrive, we must challenge ourselves and put more on our plate. Becoming comfortable being uncomfortable is a great way to ensure we never remain stagnant. Meaning, there is not enough time in the day and we should have so many projects at our disposal that it is difficult to keep track of them.
A man of many outputs is KC Malone of KDC Guild – we took some time to divulge his most recent EP Admit One and here is the conversation that ensued.
Kristopher: Admit One EP was a teaser for our upcoming full length album. It’s like when you go to a festival you get an “Admit One” ticket. This project is like a welcome to the world, we’re welcoming and admitting you into the Guild and our sound. The four songs have such a diversity in sound – pop, ambient, traditional rap banger and then a mix of melody.
Fresh News Now: When I hear Guild I think of Maya Angelou and the Writer’s Guild. How is it similar to that and what is the KDC Guild?
K: The Guild is essentially a medieval word that defines a community of people that are striving toward a mutual type of craftsmanship. KDC is an acronym for the three of us that run the guild. I am the K, David Brescia-Weiler is the D (Creative Director of the KDC Guild)
FNN: So it sounds like you guys create a lot of interactive spaces within your collective which takes me to the Cise Pavilion. Can you tell us more about what the Cise Pavilion is?
K: Yes, the Cise Pavilion is going to be our first full-length project. It’s a pretty ambitious project. We came up with this whole amusement park idea from a trippy dream that I had. I saw people I knew but they didn’t recognize me. It was like Willy Wonka, Alice in Wonderland, Wizard of Oz type feel. David’s background is in comedy/improv so instead of just writing songs we wrote the album top down like a script, so each song is like a scene.
“We all have experience putting together large concepts and themes that are digestible for an audience.”
KC Malone
FNN: How long have you guys been working on your debut?
K: For about three years, but we have been working together since high school. We attended Woodrow Wilson Senior High School and ran a group called Wilson Players. We did this thing called 24 Hour plays, where we would put together theater productions in 24 hours. Today, it’s a full blown experience.
“Even if you take songs out of context or out of sequence from the album, they will still stand alone as good songs.”
KC Malone
FNN: With the internet transitioning into Web3, more NFTs being built around the music space – how might the Cise Pavilion prove to be the ultimate multimedia concept album?
K: It is a multi-sensory project and we’re going to have in-person events where the Cise Pavilion comes to life. Our Guild partners, Ibrahima Kebe & Wesley Stone head up the NFT wing so there will be a digital component with blockchain assets. Some of the Spotify canvases/artwork will also be available in NFT form. The Guild is about rare communal outreach so it only makes sense to have NFTs to bring the album to life via digital footprint.
FNN: I think people are too concerned with being politically correct, but for me I’d rather be historically correct. Being established on the correct side of the internet – WEB3 before it is even established early is our goal. What was your work like with Gaucho Major?
K: Yes, Gaucho Major out of L.A. they actually did one of the first songs on the project titled, “Blue Ribbon.” It talks about this nuclear family in a perfect America – what that means and disrupting that status quo to tell a real truth.
FNN: Okay, now I want to touch upon “Admit One” – I like how it starts off calm and then explodes with a release of energy. Can you speak to the progression of the EP and how each song exists within a different space?
K: The way we mix and master things is very tactical with intent. We recorded at Spit N’ Game Lounge in Fredericksburg, VA and swapped a lot of instruments and crescendos between the EP and the album.
FNN: The song Far From Home gave me Space Blasters vibes. I really liked the extraterrestrial funk and sonic groove on that one.
K: Thank you! That’s our guy Gallowayyys out of Houston. His music is indulgent with a deeper narrative. He talks a lot about identity and what makes us human. Very chill and dystopic.
FNN: Wrapping up, how would you say Admit One, the KDC Guild & Cise Pavilion will break the mold? How does it fit into the go-go culture within Washington D.C.?
K: We strive to have a worldly global sound with D.C. elements. Everything we do is embedded in the DNA of D.C. The word “Cise” itself is such a D.C. word meaning to hype things up. We have a full blown go-go track on the album. The Guild is all tied to D.C. and we hope that it shows that you can be from D.C. and do bigger things.
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