Kevin Ives is guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist with The New Imperialism. The band’s releases to date include La Bella Fin (EP), The Sensationalism of Dr. Bordeaux and, most recently, Wax Wings. Presently, the group is working on a split EP with Tulsa’s The Dirty Mugs, tentatively slated for release in early 2018.
“In every band I’ve ever been in, I’ve always started off with a concept. The whole thing [was about] making a big show out of it. I’ve always liked to go see shows that had lights or something else involved, it wasn’t just about playing music.
It started off with kind of a circus-y element. It was more of a 1890s to 1920s vibe. I wanted to go along those lines and add a more modern element to that.
There’s a lot of energy. There’s a lot of showmanship. And every single show, I feel like, is a little bit different.”