From Golden California meet the SONS OF SILVER | SONIQLOOX

Mic check… hello… is this on?

Yes? Good, good. Well then, let me introduce you to:

Peter Argyropoulos. He plays rhythm guitar, writes lyrics, and is the vocalist.
Meet Adam Kury. He plays bass.
Meet Kevin Haaland. He plays lead guitar.
Meet Brina Kabler. She plays keyboards.
Meet Marc Slutsky. He plays the drums.

Together they are SONS OF SILVER!

We caught up with them and badgered them until they told us the truth about their music and their journey that launched their debut album Runaway Emotions

Disclaimer: No badgers were harmed during the making of this issue.

Sons of Silver is a Los Angeles rock band built on real history and raw chemistry. Made up of veterans from Candlebox, Skillet, and beyond. Frontman Peter Argyropoulos leads with grit and conviction, backed by bassist Adam Kury, guitarist Kevin Haaland, keyboardist/engineer Brina Kabler, and drummer Marc Slutsky. Together, they write, record, and produce everything in-house, shaping songs from the ground up with no outside writers and no filters. It’s a family affair in the literal sense and a creative one, too. What they make is meant to be lived in, turned up, and felt.

PETER

SNQLX: Thinking back to your first few sessions, after all the core pieces of the band were together, when did you know this wasn’t just another project, but your band?

PETER: I knew we were on to something special during our first rehearsal with Kevin. He was the last join the band. He brought a sense of melody and taste that rounded out our sound. I knew we had something extra special once Marc joined the band. His energy and skillset pushed us to a new level.

SNQLX: Your lyrics dive deep: love, loss, frustration. Was there a line you almost didn’t include because it felt too raw?

PETER: No, the more raw, the better. If there was a line that I didn’t include because of the emotional content, it would’ve been because I thought it might be misinterpreted.

SNQLX: Onstage, you deliver every word like a confession. Do you feel different singing these songs live now than when you were writing them?

PETER: Thank-you! A confessional delivery! I like that! I feel much more confident when singing them, live. The process of writing the lyrics is very much a process of discovery and clarification. When singing them in the studio, there’s a lot of focus on fine tuning the melody, cadence and lyrical details. When playing them live, all attention is on performance. With the the hard work in the studio behind me, as well as the power of the band, performing on stage is liberating.

SNQLX: I found a section on your website labeled Bootlegs. Tell me more about the Live Recordings and how important it is to have those, not just to sell, but more importantly, for your fans to be able to hear.

PETER: Glad to hear you found the Bootlegs section. It’s brand new. We’re very much a live band. Our songs are crafted as an ensemble, for the most part. We aim for them to sound just as good, live, as recorded; if not, better! Plus, we’ve gained a reputation as being a really good live band. So, it’s important to us that our fans hear what we do live as well as re-experience a show they might have seen. Our plan is to have every show available on the Bootlegs store, going forward.

SNQLX: You’ve built this new album together. Now that it’s out—what’s the first step forward? A new song, a new sound, a new kind of show?

PETER: The primary focus is on promoting the songs on Runaway Emotions as much as possible, primarily by playing live. That said, we have a live album coming out in August. Plus, we’re working on an album of new songs while we have some time at home, at the moment.

BRINA

SNQLX: You help shape the mood—colors, space, emotion. What was your proudest “aha” moment in the studio?

BRINA: Listening back to the mix of “Running Out Of Words” for the first time. We had put every bit of ourselves into making this record, and “Running Out Of Words” was one of my favorites. I was proud of the sounds and performances we had captured, but you never really know how it’s going to translate when it all comes together. So, when I heard the mix for the first time, I got to experience the emotion of what we had created and appreciate the sounds we had captured. I was extremely happy and proud of what we had made.

SNQLX: Did you find yourself listening to the record and thinking, “That part… that’s ours”? If so, which one and why?

BRINA: It had been 5 or 6 months since I had listened to the mixes when I went in for the Mastering session. So, I had had some time away from the record and gained some perspective. I guess I had a number of those “that’s ours?” moments listening down to the record, as a whole. I got to appreciate the little special things that each band member brings to the album. Instead of being in the thick of it and being on the creative side, I got to be the listener for the first time.

MARC

SNQLX: You’ve been the backbeat in many lineups, what was it like rediscovering your rhythm in this band? Is your drumming different here?

MARC: I don’t really think too much about “finding a rhythm (or approach)” with any of the bands I’ve been a part of. I react naturally to the music I’m playing and the people I’m playing with. So I don’t think much about it to be honest. I play what I feel works for the songs. “Sons Of Silver” is a very collaborative experience which is great!

SNQLX: When the band hits the stage now, what emotional connection are you aiming for with the crowd?

MARC: I’m not aiming for a specific emotional connection really. We go up there and give it all we have; If people are moved that’s great. I think the emotional reaction can vary from person to person in the audience. So giving the band and the audience my best is all I’m aiming for. Everything else will fall into place after that. Some nights are better than others and that’s the beauty in it.

KEVIN

SNQLX: Before Runaway Emotions, you put out a couple EPs. Did you hit a breakthrough moment that told you, “This is the sound”?

KEVIN: I don’t really recall a eureka moment but more a steady progression. The first big jump in my mind was the “Ordinary Sex Appeal “EP. To me that’s when the overall vibe of what the band would become began to take shape.

“Runaway Emotions“, the current LP is really where we found the full picture both artistically and more so, sonically. Tim Palmers mixes were the icing on the cake that really helped us deliver the sound we wanted.

SNQLX: Which song on the album came shockingly easy, and which one made you work for honesty?

KEVIN: Just getting started probably came the easiest. We were trying out drummers after Dave Krusen’s departure. We had narrowed it down to Isaac Carpenter and Mark Slutsky. We ended up going with Mark but we did write Just Getting Started with Isaac. We had been trying out some already written songs with Isaac. Then at the end of day we decided to try to come up with something new on the spot. We usually write together as a band so it was an important thing to try out with any new member. I threw out the main riff to get things moving. Everyone else quickly joined in adding their own bit. After a while Peter suggested some changes and melodies for the chorus. All without ever stopping to talk about it. It just happened. A few minutes later we had 90 percent of the song!

ADAM

SNQLX: What’s one quiet or unexpected detail in the music, maybe something listeners might miss, but you know is special?

ADAM: One thing that is special about us is that we create and record with just the five of us. No other writers, or producers. Brina is also our engineer. We do have a final mixer come in at the end, but we do everything else. That is unique.

SNQLX: Each of you brought different life chapters into this. I heard it was in the midst of the pandemic that you started working on Runaway Emotions, can you elaborate?

ADAM: Yeah, the pandemic put most of the world into a bit of a limbo. Lots of uncertainties, but one thing we knew, touring was not going to be an option for a while. Being musicians, our therapy is creating and performing. Since we couldn’t perform (other than some in-studio live streams), we created. We just wrote with no real plan for what to do with it or when, but it was a great outlet for us.

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to crank it up. Sons of Silver is streaming on all major platforms, and Runaway Emotions is just the beginning. Whether you’re diving into their debut album or catching the heat from a live cut, let the guitars ring, let the lyrics land, and most importantly—rock the hell out.