Fort Lauderdale's -kids- Says, "Life Influences Us"

With their recent underwater video for "Sink or Swim," Fort Lauderdale indie quartet -kids- proved that it doesn't even need to feel gravity to jam hard. The bearded act has a powerful synergy that is palpable, even while its furry faces are submerged in a pool.

The band, composed of Josiah Sampson, Joshua Diaz, Christian Gonzalez, and Matthew Barrios, has a relatively wide scale of influences, from the Smiths to Muse, and has been compared to the Killers and Death Cab. Perhaps it is these other acts, with their alt popularity, that reflect Sampson's feelings toward the mainstream.

"I believe the problem with music today is that it lacks passion," says Sampson. "The content is shallow and irrelevant. We are excited to be able to bring a little bit of that meaning back into music and tell stories of hope and regret, writing honest songs about real situations that people can hopefully relate to in some way or another."

The honest elements in -kids-'s songs Sampson points to are "real situations and relationships, hardships, ups and downs." He says, "Life influences us."

Take "Run Home Jack," Sampson's favorite of their songs, for example. When he wrote it, he says, "it was a pivotal era in my life that I will never forget, and having something like that song to document it means a lot."

With their newly released EP, Sink or Swim, expect the same honest approach to music and lyrics. Theirs, like their influences, is a subtle rebellion against radio pop and an attempt to keep music honest.

-kids-, 7 p.m., Saturday, June 29, at Funky Buddha Lounge, 2621 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton.