KuF returns with defiance and depth. “I’m Not Dead” rejects age limits, while their sound blends raw hard rock grit and modern heaviness. Fronted by emotional honesty, KuF proves authenticity still hits hardest.
1. “I’m
Not Dead” challenges age limits in music. Was this song born from personal
experiences or observations in the industry?
Very personal. I’ve watched the industry quietly push people to the side once
they hit a certain age, like creativity has an expiration date. At the same
time, I’ve never felt more focused or driven. “I’m Not Dead” is a refusal to
disappear, not just for me, but for anyone who’s been told their time is over
while they’re still burning inside.
2. How do you want listeners who feel “too late” or underestimated to
connect emotionally with this anthem?
I want it to feel like someone grabbing them by the shoulders and saying,
you’re not done. Whether it’s music, life, recovery, or just starting over,
that feeling of being underestimated can either crush you or fuel you. This
song is meant to turn that doubt into momentum.
3. KuF blends classic hard rock grit with modern heaviness. What’s your
process for keeping that balance authentic without leaning too far into
nostalgia or trend-chasing?
We never chase eras. The riffs come from instinct, not references. If something
feels honest and hits hard, it stays. We grew up on classic heavy music, so
that grit is part of our DNA, but we produce and arrange with modern ears. The
balance happens naturally when you stop trying to impress anyone and just tell
the truth loudly.
4. Ally’s vocals carry both power and vulnerability. How does her voice shape the emotional identity of KuF’s music?
Ally’s voice is the younger emotional compass of KuF. She can be fierce without losing her humanity and vulnerable without ever sounding weak. That tension is what gives our music its weight. We can hit hard and still leave a scar emotionally. When I write, there’s always an image in my head of how the song should feel, and Ally doesn’t just sing it, she enhances it. She brings that vision to life in a way no one else could.
5. “Quicksand Serenade” uses struggle as both something consuming and
beautiful. How do you approach writing about darkness without losing the sense
of hope?
Darkness is honest, pretending it doesn’t exist is where music loses meaning.
But I never write from a place of surrender. Even when things feel suffocating,
there’s still movement underneath it.
When I write lyrics, they usually come directly from whatever emotional state
I’m in at that moment. It’s draining — I empty that feeling onto the page
first, then step away before writing the music, because that process carries
its own emotional weight. Keeping those stages separate helps preserve the
truth in both.
6. Your influences span Black Sabbath to Alice in Chains and Halestorm. Can
you point to a specific KuF song that best reflects each of those inspirations?
I would have to say “Dance of Deceit has all of them inspirations in one song.
For Alice in Chains, I’d say Lyrically, “Quicksand Serenade”, it has that
heavy, ominous weight.
For Sabbath, “Dance of Deceit” captures the emotional tension and darkness.
For Halestorm, “I’m Not Dead” reflects that modern power, confidence, and
refusal to back down.
7. Todd, KuF was reborn with a new lineup after years. What moment made you
realize it was time to reignite the band?
There wasn’t a single lightning bolt moment. At first, I just wanted to jam, no
future intentions, no big plan. But that bug was always there. When Kirk and I
started playing together just for fun, something clicked. It felt right in a
way I couldn’t ignore.
The songs kept coming and ignoring them started to feel worse than starting
over. Once we brought in the right people who believed in the vision, it
stopped being about reviving the past and became about what KuF could be now.
8. Kirk and Dan bring thunderous rhythm work to tracks like “Quicksand
Serenade.” How do you build grooves that hit hard but still leave space for
melody?
It’s all about restraint. Not every moment needs to be explosive. Kirk and Dan
lock into a groove that supports the song instead of overpowering it, which
gives the melodies room to breathe and makes the heavy parts hit harder when
they arrive.
9. Independent rock radio embraced your debut single “Dance of Deceit.” How
important is the indie scene to KuF’s mission today?
The indie scene is everything to us. It’s where honesty still matters more than
algorithms, playlists, or numbers, and yeah, we don’t care about Spotify stats.
Independent radio has been incredibly supportive and believed in us early,
which means a lot. DJs and stations bring real listeners and new ears to our
music, and that human connection is what matters to us.
10. The band lives by the line “No masks. No filters. Just truth in
distortion.” How does that philosophy influence your recording and live
performance?
We don’t polish the soul out of the music. We don’t lock everything to a grid
the way a lot of bands do now, if something breathes and feels human, we keep
it. Raw or imperfect but real always wins.
Live, it means giving everything we’ve got, no backing tracks hiding
weaknesses, no pretending. What you hear is who we are.
11. What emotional or sonic evolution can fans expect as you dive deeper
into atmospheric territory with “Quicksand Serenade”?
There’s more space, more tension, and more atmospheric layering than a typical
hard rock track, and it’s heavier in a quieter way, not about speed, but about
weight and feeling. That duality between crushing intensity and fragile hope
makes the song feel like it breathes and unfolds on its own terms, instead of
racing to the chorus.
12. After decades of activity through different phases, what message do you
hope KuF leaves behind for the next generation of rock and metal fans?
It’s never too late to be loud, honest, or dangerous creatively. You don’t need
permission to make real music. If KuF leaves anything behind, I hope it’s proof
that authenticity survives, even when the industry tells you to disappear.
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