Who knew a game of beer pong would lead to show after show full of audiences singing “Carolina Lullaby,” an album release within seven months of being together and a fan base that continues to grow by the minute? Ned Durrett and the Kindly Gents live up to their name as being nice men who started out by “making noise together, and now we want to make some noise for you.”
Ned Durrett, a fourth-year English student and lead singer, started the band earlier this year with Mike De Kozlowski, a fourth-year environmental science student and drummer. They decided to jam together, and it snowballed from there. Ned, Mike and their new bassist, fourth-year global supply chain and entrepreneurial management student Jerry ThompSon III, make up this lively group that seems to reach out and touch people with their sound—literally. People have lined up and crowded around these guys just to shake their hands and tell them how excited they are to follow their local performances.
“We want everyone to leave wanting more and to have our songs stuck in their ears,” Mike says, “and we want everyone to say, ‘Those guys are nice.’”
They do this by touching and personally thanking as many people as they can to show gratitude for their support. Jerry claims Ned to be “a singing Cullen” because of the way people are drawn to his energy; the fact that he’s a giant redhead makes their look stand out even more.
Ned Durrett started as a solo act with just his guitar, and he released his first album, “The Carolina EP.” It has since been their foundation as a group, as they started by playing four out of the five songs. While these tracks were how they began, they’ve since developed their own, unique sound. If asked, they would describe their music as a combination of the Avett Brothers and the Black Keys featuring Jack White on lead guitar.
Having played in places like Georgia Tech, the Money, CJ’s and the White Mule, you can catch these guys Dec. 2 at Bey’s for their release show, Dec. 3 in Charleston at the Village Tavern and Dec. 10 at New Brookland Tavern. Look out for the release of their first album, “Up, Up My Friend,” in mid-November, find them online at NDKG.net and follow them @NedDandtheKG.
