Puro Instinct not about fame and the spotlight

Puro Instinct is gaining fame in the music world, making its way onto the bill at SXSW and landing articles in music publications like Spin magazine.

Puro Instinct’s sound is somewhere between something you’d expect to hear in a mythical forest with fairies and the soundtrack to a dark, psychological thriller.

This Sunday, the band will play at KXSC Fest, which will take place at E.F. Hutton park from 4 to 11 p.m.

With just the right balance of keyboard and ethereal vocals, this L.A. band creates psychedelic sounds that can take you back to the ’60s or ’80s.

The band’s calm, carefree manner makes it relaxing to listen to and creates an experience that allows you to step away from your  hectic life and get lost in the keyboard notes and guitar strumming.

Yet the haunting harmonies hint at something lurking underneath.

With 23-year-old Piper Kaplan as vocalist and her 16-year-old sister, Skylar, on guitar, the duo comes off as a pair of old souls whose harmonies and rhythms allude to complex thoughts.

The band is bolstered by members Brooke Murray (keyboard), Cody Porter (guitar), Austin Hinkles (bass) and Michael Baum (drums), and as a whole the band has a chemistry and relationship Piper describes as “effortless.”

Describing Puro Instinct’s music as influenced by punk movies and “lots of dark vibes,” Piper admits the idea of being in a band was, in a way, forced onto her.

Although she’d been recording music on her own, it wasn’t until a friend booked a show for Puro Instinct that the band really got started.

“We really didn’t have any expectations or goals … It was a timekiller,” Piper said.

Timekiller or not, most  wouldn’t think a sibling is the greatest person to be in a band with. Yet Piper stands behind her little sister, and even her ex-boyfriend, in the six-person band.

When it comes to her teenage sister, there is anything but the usual sibling bickering.

In fact, it’s likely Piper’s obvious affection for her younger sister that makes their voices jell so well.

“She’s a whiz. She’s the easiest to get along with,” Piper said.

Puro Instinct does not come off as fame-aching and overly philosophical.

For Piper, it seems, the performances and the energy of a band are important.

Less important is forcing a certain feeling onto listeners.

When it comes to what Puro Instinct wants fans to take away from their music, Piper feels she does not want to determine others’ thoughts.

“It’s up to them. They can take away whatever they want … I don’t want that burden,” Piper said.

Despite being practically coerced into her current music career, Piper stresses that music was always a part of her life, so being in a band does not come as a surprise.

“It’s sort of all I do anyways. My band is my life,” Piper said. “Everything kinda ties in with music and is somewhat related with music.”

With this attitude in mind, Piper’s vision for the band is simply to do what she loves.