Long beach native and This Wild Life front man Kevin Jordan is one of Southern California's hardest working musicians. After pounding the pavement in the So Cal pop-punk scene since high school, Jordan along with his band This Wild Life have become home town heroes after signing to Epitaph Records and earning an APMA nomination for Best Breakthrough Band in 2015. Instead of resting after a relentless 2-year touring schedule, Jordan along with This Wild Life guitarist Anthony Del Grosso have chosen to spend their short break at home raising $10,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation before embarking on a 31 date North American Tour this Fall.
This Wild Life was born after the 2010 break up of Jordan's previous band The Messenger. He started working at an Orange County music store and befriended Del Grosso, the two hit it off and started playing music shortly after. Although Jordan is now known for his heartfelt and dynamic vocals, singing wasn't always his plan. “We were initially a five piece pop-punk band with Anthony on drums and me on lead guitar,” reflects Jordan, “but our singer quit before our first show and I kind of side stepped into the singing role.” With Kevin as vocalist, This Wild Life cut their teeth in the OC and Long Beach pop-punk scene opening shows at small clubs and local haunts like Di Piazza's and Chain Reaction. They put out a string of self-released singles and EP's, eventually raising enough money to buy their own van enabling them to tour.
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In 2013 This Wild Life took a new direction, amicably downsizing from an amped up pop-punk foursome to a stripped down acoustic duo. “It's a really different approach to songwriting and playing live,” says Jordan, “you can't rely on as much of the energy and intensity as a full band [and] without drums and distortion, the song really needs to speak lyrically and melodically.” The pair rose to the challenge of writing interesting and meaningful acoustic songs, crafting pop-punk infused indie anthems, swelling with emotion and technical execution. The duo's new direction garnered attention from fans and industry professionals alike, including Epitaph Records and Aaron Marsh of Copeland who produced their 2014 full-length Clouded. Since being signed to Epitaph, the duo have kept up a vigorous touring schedule including back-to-back Warped Tours, and trips to the UK, Asia, and Australia.
Jordan has made a name for himself as an honest and poetic songwriter. “We craft our songs really carefully,” says Jordan who puts the same careful intention into connecting with fans as he spends perfecting harmonies and lyrics. Clouded features songs about heartbreak and hardship, hope, and growing up the poor son of a single mother. Fans frequently reach out to Jordan via social media to let him know how important his songs have been to them. The song “No More Bad Days” is especially personal to Jordan and his family, as well as listeners who have been affected by health and economic issues. “I wrote it for my Mother Janice after she went through a year of Chemotherapy, it was my way of showing her support,” says Jordan.
On October 7th This Wild Life will take the stage at Chain Reaction to raise $10,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “We feel it's important to use our platform for a cause bigger than just selling t-shirts and concert tickets,” says Jordan who considers accessible and affordable healthcare for women an issue close to his heart. “One mammogram costs $100, and early detection saves lives. If we can raise the money to have 100 women checked we have the power to keep mothers, daughters, friends, coworkers, and loved ones around for years to come.”
After their Chain Reaction show, This Wild Life is headed out on a 31 date US tour with Mayday Parade. They've come a long way from opening local nights and covering songs on YouTube, but the duo remains as excited, humble, and dedicated to their craft as they were when they started.
Catch This Wild Life October 7th at Chain Reaction 1652 W Lincoln Ave, Anaheim CA 92801 and on November 12th with Mayday Parade and Real Friends at HOB Anaheim 1530 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim CA 92802.
There are only 50 tickets available for their National Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser visit www.allages.com for more info and you can also purchase tickets here.
See also:
The 50 Best Things About the OC Music Scene
The 50 Worst Things About the OC Music Scene
The 25 Greatest OC Bands of All Time: The Complete List
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