The Kirbys are a husband and wife team of singer/songwriters who have collaborated musically since grade school. Currently in the 25th year of producing music professionally, The Kirbys are working on a new EP that combines influences from Rock, Pop, Ska and Folk music.
What was your original calling to music? How did you start?
We both have been playing music for as long as we can remember. We were in grade school choir together, took piano from the same teacher and in Jr. High school band together. We have keepsake recital programs and recordings with both our names on it. Although we grew apart in High School and College, when we re-met each other, we found some of those keepsakes and it helped rekindle our musical connection, as well as our romantic connection. The music just took off as we got to know each other again. 25 years later, we’re still going strong writing, recording and performing with each other.
Who or what is your musical inspiration? Which artist(s) do you look up to? Did any of them inspire you to experiment with your music? Is there something new you’d like to try?
Andrew really loves progressive rock music and you can hear a lot of influences from Radiohead and Pink Floyd in his work. Kate is more influenced by Pop rock and Ska. You can hear a little bit of The Police and The Beatles in there. Regardless of who might inspire us, our aim is to use the best elements of rhythm and tone in order to serve the song. Our goal is to share experiences with the listeners and ultimately to connect people through music. So, whatever helps us accomplish that, we’re in!
Why did you become involved with Music Beats Cancer? Has cancer directly or indirectly affected you?
We enjoy charity work. It is our honor and duty. And when this opportunity arose, we really wanted to do our very best because it hits us personally. Not only have we lost several family members and close friends to Cancer, including Kate’s mom, we both have sisters who have miraculous recovery stories thanks to modern medical advances. Our campaign is dedicated to them. So Music Beats Cancer is a perfect fit for us. We hope to see a cure in our lifetime.
What is happening next in your music career?
Next in our musical career, we’re headed back to the recording studio. We plan to release a new EP in the spring. We’re very excited about these songs and the production value is better than anything we’ve done thus far.
Anything else you would like Music Beats Cancer readers to know about you?
We are very thankful for all of the listeners who have supported us and this organization. It’s so encouraging to us to be able to share our music with new audiences. We hope we can continue to help others through music for many years to come. We can’t wait to share the newest songs with you. Until then, here’s a link to a video of our last release:
