A “One Band Army”

Hear Kitty Kitty sets out to conquer Iowa

I recently had the honor of a long conversation with Nikita LaTijera, lead singer and guitarist for HKK, to advance their upcoming performance at Great River Days here in Muscatine on Saturday July 30. A half-hour long-distance call to Hollywood California later, I was convinced that this 3 gal and 1 guy rock band may be the most destiny-oriented group of musicians we have seen in many years on the Family Credit Union Main Stage at GRD.  I don’t say that lightly, as any professional touring band is committed to the cause, but for Nikita and HKK…. Iowa is not just a tour date on the calendar….Iowa is a mission.

 This is the second national tour for the band, with a new line-up of members fronted by Nikita, (a.k.a Kitty). Together, be it on-stage or off, they are a most definitely a band to pay attention to. With four episodes of a reality TV show in the can, (named appropriately “One Band Army” ) a strong debut CD, (Tails from the Alley EFM/Bungalo/Universal Music 2010) and a TV series pilot currently in production, there is no question that HKK is about to hit it big.

 So I had to ask the question of Kitty…why is Iowa a mission for you? Her reply pretty much sums up what HKK is all about. “To me, I want to be here...on the road and playing our music. This is my second national tour. We played in Wichita Kansas last summer opening for Buckcherry and Drowning Pool, and we made so many friends and fans in that ONE show, that we are back this summer with seven concerts in Kansas. We were like, wow…these Midwest people are just awesome! Then along comes (the show at) Great River Days in Iowa, and all of us are wanting to make a great impression here, because we have never played in Iowa before. Of all the shows on this tour, GRD is the one we are most excited about. We have been working on some special things just for this Iowa show. It is a 19 song set, maybe our longest one ever, but we want to be over-the-top in our music and performance. All of us are on a mission….and this show is the one we are most anticipating of the whole summer tour.”

HKK shares the show bill at GRD with Quiet Riot, in their first joint engagement. “I grew up listening to Metal Health and I just can’t tell you how stoked we are to finally play with Quiet Riot at Muscatine. I started writing songs when I was 15, and bands like QR and No Doubt were big influences when we were young. Our band is the inverse of No Doubt, because we are 3 girls and a guy, and we even have their producer, Dito Godwin. Between the tour, TV shows,  and our second album in the works, we hope that all the years of work is about to pay off….But in the meantime, all our energy is focused on this “No Coast” tour of the Midwest, and especially Iowa” .

 Kitty continued, “We are just stoked about playing this event, and really want to meet as many people as we can. Whether its’ signing a CD or pictures with the fans afterwards, its what HKK is all about. We bust our butts practicing….we tour on our own travel money, and crash at a Super 8 when we can. LA can be so jaded with all the clubs and venues, but out here, this is real. We love touring, and together as a band, this is the most committed group I have ever been a part of. We ALL want to be right here, right now, doing exactly this. Iowa is more than a mission. To all four of us, Iowa matters, and we could not be more excited to play here”, Kitty concluded.

 By the end of the phone conversation, Nikita’s energy and passion for music was clearly imparted to me. Her voice was full of enthusiasm as we talked about HKK and their future ahead. While touring across the country is demanding, expensive and full of pitfalls, this “One Band Army” has the right stuff and the right attitude about paying the dues of an up-and-coming punk rock band. As for my conversation with Nikita and the HKK concert at GRD next weekend, two words she said puts everything else into place; “Iowa Matters”

 This is gonna be good…..