Brothers Joe, Bill, and Taylor Kenny believe in the power of nature. For the Kenny Brothers Band, a walk in the woods is exactly what the doctor ordered after a long day at the office. Their debut album, “Walk in the Woods,” promotes an outdoor, carefree lifestyle channeled through relaxed, ’70s-inspired rock melodies and jammy guitar solos.
Since 2013, the Stratham natives have been writing original music with 22-year-old Joe on lead vocals and bass, 26-year-old Taylor on drums, and 28-year-old Bill on guitar. When they sing as a group, their harmonious tones echo the sounds of the Grateful Dead and The Band.
Even with school and full-time work, the Kenny Brothers find time to rehearse at least twice a week while gigging frequently, packing places like The Stone Church in Newmarket.
“We schedule our jobs so we can play music at night,” Joe said.
When their time at a rented practice space came to an end, the guys found themselves back in their parents’ garage in Stratham.
“We’re still pissing off the neighbors 10 years later,” said Bill. “At least I think we’re a little better than I think we were back in the day.”
One of the band’s greatest assets is their brotherhood. Growing up listening to the same music, along with their shared love of the outdoors, has made for a successful partnership.
“We know where the other is going,” said Bill. “We are actually good friends and we can stand to be in the same room or the car for a long time.”
The group has traveled as far as Burlington and Brooklyn to play shows, but they don’t want to draw the line there. After releasing their first full-length studio album in June, they’re looking ahead to what’s next.
“We’re not trying to do something that someone else is already doing,” said Joe, who wrote the majority of the lyrics on the new album.
In January of 2013, Joe withdrew from the music performance program at the University of New Hampshire and spent three months backpacking around the Southwest with a program called NOLS (National Outdoor Leader School). He saw NOLS as an opportunity to take a break from academics and get creative.
“You could call it a self-actualizing experience,” said Joe about his trip. For the youngest Kenny brother, spending time in nature has always brought him clarity. He now studies outdoor education and enjoys teaching people how to live outside.
“I don’t want to have the intention of going out in the woods to write this amazing song. It doesn’t really happen like that,” he said. “I like to go out there to kind of self-reflect and take a break from normal life.”
When Joe returned home, the brothers got to work creating and practicing new material. Playing shows almost every week, their fan base expanded to places like Rhode Island, where they perform annually at a barn-raising festival.
“With music, there is no book that says, ‘Here’s what you need to do,’ so you’re slowly just making mistakes until you figure stuff out.”
— Joe Kenny
Equipped with experience on the road and lots of bottled-up creativity, it came time to make the new record. They started the process in December of 2015 at 1130ft. Studios in Rollinsford. The brothers knew they wanted the album to tell a story with reoccurring characters and themes, rather than just stringing together a collection of tunes.
“With music, there is no book that says, ‘Here’s what you need to do,’ so you’re slowly just making mistakes until you figure stuff out,” Joe said.
The song “Sweet” could either be about a girl or about music — the interpretation is up to the listener. The title track is about finding refuge in the wilderness, yet all 13 tracks radiate the same kind of laidback vibe.
“We all kind of grew up in nature, so I think the cohesiveness between us there contributed to the theme,” said Joe.
The brothers admire putting hobbies before “real jobs,” a lifestyle they see as common in places like California. They’ve talked loosely about making the move, but are content for now sticking around the East Coast.
“We’ve had a pretty good response in the Seacoast, and the local scene is pretty sweet,” said Bill. “I think we’re all on the same page as far as being outdoors and living that lifestyle. We all see eye to eye on that, and we all see eye to eye on music.”
With Joe training to become an English teacher and Taylor teaching high-school math, their short-term plan is to work nine months out of the year and book a tour for the three months they’ll have off. Ultimately, they all want to play music for a living.
When it comes to escaping the stresses of “real life,” Joe has some blunt advice.
“Go out in the woods and stop worrying about your frickin’ boss,” he said.
The Kenny Brothers Band joins local group Amulus for a show at Fury’s Publick House in Dover on Sunday, Sept. 4. For more gig dates and information, visit kennybrothersband.com.