Meet McKenna, Kevin, Jacob, Levi Simmons, Nickens, Snead, Gregory | Lead Vocalist, Guitarist, Bassist, Drummer

We had the good fortune of connecting with McKenna, Kevin, Jacob, Levi Simmons, Nickens, Snead, Gregory and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi McKenna, Kevin, Jacob, Levi, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
One piece of conventional advice that I disagree with is that you should be okay with rejection. I have been in The Chain for almost four years, and I have definitely been told “no” many times. I was always told that I should be okay with rejection because it is simply a price that comes with the job. However, being okay with rejection leads to being complacent with where you are in your career. One thing I did starting out, and recommend any aspiring musician to do, is when being rejected you should first, accept it, and secondly, ask how you can improve. Some of the best marketing and performance advice I have gotten in my musical career is from being rejected, and then asking what I could do in the future to gain gigs elsewhere. Being a musician is a selfless job. The whole reason my band works so hard is so we can create an atmosphere that allows the listener to let loose and have fun. Part of how we create these nights is by evaluating our strengths, and weaknesses, and then using them to gain more opportunities. By asking how you can improve in your career, you keep professional relationships with people you want to work with in the future, while also improving your craft. Gaining advice on how to improve allows rejection to be a tool to help you be prepared for even better opportunities on the horizon. – McKenna Simmons Something that I hear all the time in my life is that you have to go to college to get a good job. With the stage of life I am in I experience a lot of my friends and peers graduating and going off to work jobs they’re not passionate about because they feel like it’s the “safe” thing to do. I learned a lot about the trades and have been working in HVAC for almost 5 years. By going straight into the trades and finding a job that I’m passionate about at a young age I’ve been able to support my dreams at a younger age and for a longer amount of time compared to my peers. It’s very often I hear them say that they want to do the things they’re passionate about, but they feel like they missed their chance to do it. While you absolutely can start perusing your dreams at any age after a certain point in time it gets difficult to manage and you have to start making sacrifices. I’m thankful that I set myself up to not have to sacrifice my dreams for a job that I love. – Jacob Snead

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets us apart is the energy we bring to our music. Yes, we are a band, but more than that we are ambassadors for music. So often people look at music as a companion for their day, background noise and not much else. We want to remind people to be gripped by the art they are consuming and not to simply passively listen. You should not simply consume art but be consumed by art. We are most excited about playing an upcoming show in Nashville, Tennessee because we get the opportunity to send our message to more people. We have gotten where we are through deliberate decision making, not necessarily putting in the most hours possible. We do put in a lot of hours but being ruthless about HOW you spend your time is more important than simply putting in hours. It has not been easy getting where we are, it takes a lot of persistence. Persistence is the most underrated quality of people trying to achieve something. When things get tough, which they do every now and again, persistently staying the course is almost always the answer. – Kevin Nickens I think something that sets me apart is that my style changes very often. I like expanding my music and I think that because I don’t stay the same for long and because we all try to improve it helps set us apart from other bands. When it comes to what I’m most proud in the band and as a musician I would say that it’s my dedication to my craft. I have put more hours into it recently than i have in years! I got to where I am mostly by just meeting the right people. That’s how I got involved with the band and how we grow in the south east music scene. However it wasn’t easy to get out of my comfort zone and force myself to play with new people often.
The main that helped me during that time of finding this band was having supportive friends and family that encouraged me to keep perusing my goals even when it seemed like nothing was panning out. By having that encouragement and support it helped build confident in myself while knowing my limits. If I could only give one piece of advice to others it’s to just learn as much as you can about what you love and then create as much of what you love as you can. That’s the mindset that this band has and it honestly makes it so much more rewarding when I get to go and share what I love with others and can be surrounded by people who feel the same way about the same passions. – Levi Gregory

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You have not visited Columbia if you have not been to Indah Coffee or Bang Back Pinball Lounge. You can find me at Indah at least three times a week doing work, meeting up with friends, or just to enjoy a nice cup of coffee. The atmosphere is very relaxing, and the employees are always extremely kind and helpful. Indah is definitely my daytime hangout spot. Bang Back is the coolest pinball bar this side of the Mississippi. Not only is their night life exciting, but they also have the best brunches on Saturdays. Nothing matches a combination quite like chicken and waffles and pinball. For night life you can typically find me at either New Brookland Tavern or Art Bar. Both of these locations support my friends and other talented local musicians. New Brookland Tavern has some of the best live music in Columbia and are always finding unique bands from across the southeast to play. I like going there because I get to experience and discover artists I typically would not have listened to on my own. Art Bar has a unique atmosphere that makes me feel like I am in a bar from Guardians Of The Galaxy. The fun events they put on, unique vibe, and friendly atmosphere easily has me there for hours. – McKenna Simmons

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We want to thank our families, and instructors that have pushed, influenced, and led us to where we are. Without your time, encouragement, and dedication to our dreams we would not be able to make it a reality.

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