Today we’d like to introduce you to Kickin’ Back Band .
Hello Kickin’ Back Band, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Kickin’Back… that kind of says a lot! Jerry (guitar), Jared (keyboards), and Greg (drums) have been playing together, on and off, since the early 1990s. The typical, young fellas in a garage band type of story. Fast forward to 2017. Our love of music and lifelong friendship, and finally having the time, lead us to putting the old band back together, with some new additions. Kickin’Back consists of Andrea Leuck on vocals, Jared Leuck on keyboards, Jerry Mathis on guitar, Jamison (JJ) Jones on bass, and Greg Pirtle on drums. Everyone in the group sings, which leads to true vocal sound diversity and lush harmonies. Our technology within our instruments and equipment allows us to mimic the artists we cover with an extreme amount of accuracy. We want to provide the proper sound for such iconic songs that will allow the listener to go back in time when those songs first hit the airwaves. It is very enjoyable for us to see those in the audience smiling, singing along, dancing, and having a great time. We love sharing our passion for good music. Let’s talk about the members… Andrea is a fantastic vocalist but, more importantly, a fantastic mother and wife. She has five children, and if you add in the fact that her bandmates can act like children at times(lol), she does a great job multitasking. Jared plays keys and has a wide-ranging voice, which includes some rumbling bass notes. Both Andrea and Jared are music teachers. Jerry leaves many scratching their heads with his guitar-playing abilities and his attention to detail when it comes to replicating those famous guitar tones we all know and love. Jamison lays down the groove on bass guitar, and his pure tenor voice is inspirational. Greg plays drums and is all about energy and fun. He has a wide vocal range, and you can tell there is a true love for performing live. At the end of the day, we give it our all to play great songs so everyone, including ourselves, can kick back and have a good time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes and no. With the members of Kickin’Back, it has been smooth sailing. Outside issues, such as what was taking place in 2020, are a few things that slowed us down. We have been on a pause since the spring of 2023 due to some surgical procedures for a member that we knew were going to take place, but by the spring of 2024, we should be right back in the swing of things. We care for each other and will always do right by one another, and if that means waiting for things to get back to normal, it is what we will do. We are family!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Kickin’Back tries to emulate the artists that we cover. We take the time to find the right sounds, tones, and voices for each and every song we play. With five voices, we are also able to add in some fantastic harmonies that you may not always hear from a local area band. We strive to do this for ourselves, for the love of the song and the challenge it brings, but many people have let us know that they truly enjoy the work and effort we put into what we do. Singing along, toe-tapping, dancing, and the smiles from the audience are what make what we do worth it!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
As far as the music industry in our area of Genesee/Lapeer County, there are so many good bands to go see perform and folks wanting to see them that I see a bright future for live bands and their followers. We are personal friends with so many bands and musicians in our area, and we encourage everyone to support them whenever you can!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kickinbackband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kickin_backband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KickinBackBand/
